It’s a debate as old as the 1988 film itself: is Die Hard a Christmas movie?
I’m going to count to three. There will not be a four. Give me the only acceptable answer: “Yes.”
If you can look past the main plot’s more than 20 brutal murders, gory violence and a heavily armed robbery, you’ll find a heartwarming story of what Christmas is all about — friends and family coming together for the holidays.
After all, the movie does take place at a corporate company’s Christmas Eve party.
When you really think about it, Die Hard isn’t so different from a Hallmark Christmas movie. It starts with protagonist John McClane flying across the country to repair his strained relationship with his wife, Holly, in hopes of bringing the family back together.
Throughout his travels, McClane lugs around a giant red bow-wearing teddy bear as a present for his kids, and a random man in the airport gives McClane a kiss on the cheek and wishes him a merry Christmas. If that’s not Hallmark movie-coded, then I don’t know what is.
Although the couple’s first scene together features an argument about Holly’s career move to California (*cough cough* every Hallmark movie has some sort of connection to a career move, *cough cough*), the uncertainty they feel when they’re apart ultimately brings the pair closer together.
Without this dynamic between John and Holly, the stakes wouldn’t be nearly as high, which would make all the violence and death less significant. Die Hard simply wouldn’t be Die Hard without Holly’s admiring smile as she realizes McClane is the one wreaking havoc on the villains or McClane’s sorrowful delivery of what he thought would be his dying message to Holly.
Perhaps even more Hallmark-worthy? McClane’s growth as a character when it comes to his relationship with Holly.
While he was defensive and argumentative when he first saw Holly in the beginning, all the Christmas Eve action puts the importance of being together into perspective. By the end, McClane recognizes what a “jerk” he’s been for not being more supportive, telling his new friend Al Powell to pass on an apology to Holly, saying, “She’s heard me say I love you a thousand times, but she never heard me say I’m sorry.”
The movie also celebrates new, unexpected friendships, as any Christmas movie would: think Kevin McAllister and the shovel guy in Home Alone or Cindy Lou Who and the Grinch.
Most notably, McClane’s friendship with police officer Powell has all the elements of an unlikely on-screen friendship.
Powell, a cop who has been on desk duty for years, initially leaves the building completely oblivious to the chaos inside. This sparks no small amount of frustration for McClane, who pushes a dead body out the window, landing on top of the car Powell is driving.
This triggers Powell to finally call for back-up, eventually getting McClane and the hostages the help they need to (mostly) make it out alive.
Throughout the movie, McClane and Powell check in on each other with their walkie-talkies often, giving McClane support in what would otherwise feel like a solo mission. Even when the other officers and federal agents don’t believe in McClane, Powell trusts and advocates for a man he’s never met.
The two characters open up to each other, with Powell revealing the traumatic accident that’s kept him off the streets and McClane entrusting Powell with what he believed would be his last words to Holly.
Perhaps the sweetest moment between the two is when McClane escapes the building, and the two instantly recognize each other in the huge crowd, despite only having spoken through the radio.
To bring the moment full circle, Powell confronts his trauma to shoot a criminal who had somehow escaped death up to that point, protecting his new friends.
Now, one could argue these dynamics aren’t enough to take attention away from the villains’ horrific actions in this movie.
The robbers’ behaviour was in no way redeemable, but it must be recognized that the group brought real Christmas cheer.
Several of the villains whistled Christmas tunes as they conducted their business, one recites a more brutal version of “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” Their leader, Hans Gruber, reassures his associate in a time of stress, saying “It’s Christmas, Theo, it’s the time of miracles, so be of good cheer.”
Tony, one of the villains, also goes completely bananas when his brother Karl dies, expressing his brotherly, family-oriented Christmas love through vengeance.
The group also makes an on-the-nose comparison of their elation of finally seeing the money they want to rob to the feeling of Christmas.
If you’re still not convinced, turn your attention to the dozens of Christmas easter eggs throughout the movie. The building is lit up with festive decor, like trees, cards, lights, globes, graffiti, Santa and snowmen. There is also an array of Christmas songs, like “Let It Snow,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Symphony No. 9,” and of course, “Christmas In Hollis.”
Speaking of “Christmas In Hollis,” Argyle the limousine driver is the definition of Christmas spirit with his pure joy and supportive attitude.
But perhaps the most complete depiction of Die Hard’s ability to blend violence with Christmas cheer comes after McClane’s first murder of the movie. He sends the dead body down the elevator wearing a Santa hat and a sweater with a provocative message written in blood:
“NOW I HAVE A MACHINE GUN HO-HO-HO.”
Featured image from IMDb.
