It has been almost two decades since the premiere of ‘The Holiday‘, one of the Christmas movies par excellence and feel good movie manual.
There are several points that catapult certain stories as a Christmas reference and this work by Nancy Meyers (‘You to London and I to California’, ‘When you least expect it’) meets all the requirements. The story of two women who, when their love relationships implode, decide to take a 180-degree turn in their lives and exchange homes during the Christmas holidays is the starting point to wrap you in all the Christmas syrup required.
It is more than natural that you enjoy ‘Home Alone’, ‘Polar Express’ or ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ but the truth is that a rom com It competes like no other genre for the title of Christmas phenomenon and helps you enter the new year with the necessary energy.
Story of a “Christmas movie”
It is easy to review all the characteristics that have made ‘The Holiday’ a must-see Christmas event and one of the most influential romantic comedies of the 21st century. The main asset and what makes it the icon it is today is its more than successful cast. Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Jack Black… All of them do that thing that is so unpleasant in an actor of “playing themselves”, or at least, how we viewers think they are.
Its special touch, which provides fresh air and differentiates it from the rest of rom coms Christmas is its goal character. The continuous mentions of the film industry, the world of scriptwriting, premieres and having cameos from stars such as Dustin Hoffman enriches the traditional journey that the protagonists take in this archetype of films.
It is mandatory that a romantic comedy and a Christmas movie be cheesy, there is no other option and that is what we are looking for, but if we want to introduce cheesiness with taste, that is where things get complicated. ‘The Holiday’ achieves the most difficult thing and is the best example of handling tenderness with just the right amount of corniness. It does not only achieve this with its main love stories, but with another essential piece: Arthur.
Having in your cast a film figure like the great Eli Wallach (‘The Godfather. Part III’; ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’; ‘The Magnificent Seven’…) and giving him the place he deserves with a twist to his filmography is worthy of admiration. The actor carries the weight of the plot more tender. A love story that endures over the years and loss, which speaks of the physical and mental vulnerability of old age and the importance of surrounding yourself with a circle of support. Here is the great story of ‘The Holiday’, everything that involves the protagonists.
And the journey and purpose of the characters goes through their love relationships, but in reality it is not the only thing that defines them. It is at this point that on many occasions, we notice the difference between a good romantic comedy script and just another “afternoon movie.”
If we pay attention to the relationship that Iris (Kate Winslet) establishes with Arthur (Eli Wallach) and the bond they create, we get a much more complete portrait of the character and personality of the character and with this, our own connection with the film and the plot increases. We suffer much more with the treatment she receives from her ex-partner, that neglect ends up feeling like her own and the feelings on the surface come with the famous speech about heartbreak that no one but Kate Winslet can make.
“What I’m trying to tell you is that I understand what it’s like to feel like the smallest, most insignificant and pathetic being in humanity and what it’s like to feel pain in parts of your body that you didn’t even know you had (…)” – Winslet’s monologue in ‘The Holiday’
So the romantic element does not fade, but the plot of Graham’s daughters (Jude Law), the parallelism with Amanda’s childhood (Cameron Díaz) or that beautiful friendship between Iris and Arthur ends up completely rounding off this Christmas icon.
The sweet spot of Christmas fantasy
Furthermore, as we have already touched on previously, talking about Christmas movies and what they reveal about you‘The Holiday’ and that particular “Choose your own love story” allows it to reach different types of audiences. While many people pine for Jude Law, the handsome stereotype movie who is also an exemplary father, others decide to opt for the sweetness and kindness of Jack Black.
The slow-burning ending of Iris and Miles’ story is its true story. couple goals and perhaps something much more credible than those declarations of love in minute one of Graham and Amanda.
One of the biggest challenges that this type of film faces is the fantasy/reality balance. As a general rule, the public wants to immerse themselves in a fantasy that accompanies the seasonal spirit and helps them forget about daily life for at least two hours, but at the same time, they need a certain connection to get involved in a story that, after all, talks about feelings. And here ‘The Holiday’ once again passes with flying colors.
We can fantasize and dream about that luxury house in Los Angelesthe cozy English cottage from a story during a Christmas full of love and magic, or if we go very crazy, that Hollywood pays tribute in life to a great screenwriter as happens with Arthur, but at the same time the rawness of heartbreak or disappointments in personal or work relationships connects us with real life and fully links us with the story.
Nor can we ignore one of the fundamental elements that give the package to ‘The Holiday’, and that is that music does not only play an important role during the beautiful scene in which Miles creates a piece of music inspired by Iris. To top it all off, the soundtrack is by Hans Zimmer, and that is synonymous with success and once again, guaranteed tears.
Although its premiere happened in 2006, these types of stories seem to have that magic formula that never goes out of style. The story of a girl/boy from the big city, tired of her success and stress, who returns to her hometown or to an ideal little house in the English countryside where she finds a partner with enviable charm and beauty is something that will last forever. We continue to see it at Christmas and really at any time of the year, on conventional television and on platforms.
Without going too far this month we have Lindsay Lohan (which by the way makes a cameo in ‘The Holiday’) as the current Christmas queen on Netflix with rehashes of this same pattern and products like ‘A place to dream‘ (‘Virgin River’), which breaks records by being the longest English-speaking drama series in the platform’s history, and yes, it has the same premise. A successful nurse from Los Angeles moves to a remote and charming town in Northern California to start over. We will have time for the La 1 films to take us to Tuscany in the summer.
Because, let’s be honest, not even the Jude Law He’s going to ruin the magic for us by revealing that Iris’s beautiful cottage is fake. We all look for a certain degree of fantasy when we watch a Christmas movie, Jude, but it’s ugly to remind ourselves of it and break the reverie. So, after seeing it for the umpteenth time at Christmas and overcoming the sugar rush, we can only dream of a possible second or search the Internet for dream houses in Surrey.
In Xataka | In 1932 Hedy Lamarr performed the first nude in film history. And then he went to invent WiFi
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