Is “Die Hard” a Christmas movie? “Die Hard,” a film released in 1988 directed by John Moore, has intense controversy around the idea that it is a Christmas Movie. Many believe that “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie as its time frame is around the holidays; others believe differently, as its action scenes and fighting around the film do not follow the classical holiday trope. Most classical Christmas movies are based on the idea of a love story or a redemption/change in personality. Still, Christmas movies differ for everyone based on their holiday experiences. Based on the controversy, a poll was created within Ms. Daily’s English classes, and the responses from students were divided. The majority of the respondents, 63.6%, answered no, meaning that “Die Hard” is not a Christmas Movie, while only 34.6% answered yes.
Sophomore Rocky Rigby strongly argued against the idea that “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie. According to Rigby, a Christmas movie must have a classic romance throughout the film and the sound of Christmas music in the background which, “Die Hard” ultimately lacks.
“Die Hard is not a Christmas movie! For it to be a Christmas movie, there has to be at least one cheesy romance moment followed by ‘Underneath the Tree’ by Kelly Clarkson,” Rigby said.
Sophomores Axel Rosa and Andy Erkhembayar agree with Rigby and claim that “Die Hard” should not be considered a Christmas movie due to the overall plot. They state that a Christmas movie should contain a sense of positivity and a spark of joy. Adding on, they believe a movie needs to mention or highlight the idea of the holidays to be considered a Christmas Movie.
“No, [“Die Hard” is not a Christmas movie]. The story takes place on Christmas, but it doesn’t have an impact on the plot at all,” Rosa said.
Erkhembayar shares a similar view.
“[Die Hard is not a Christmas movie] because it doesn’t impact the plot nor did it release during the holidays,” Erkhembayar said.
Having very similar takes, Rosa and Erkhembayar concluded that “Die Hard” is not a Christmas movie due to the revolving plot of action that takes away from the feeling of the holidays.
Sophomore Nate Bergmann believes otherwise. Contradicting Rigby’s claim, Bergmann believes “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie because it is set around the holidays.
“If the studio didn’t want “Die Hard” to be a Christmas movie, why would they set it around the Holidays?” Bergmann said. “A movie only needs to be placed around the holidays and have some mention of it to be considered a Christmas movie. For example, Home Alone is a Christmas movie, yet its plot doesn’t surround the idea of Christmas.”
Sophomore Eli Gower agrees with Bergmann that “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie because it was set around the holidays. Another reason for Gowers’ opinion is due to the fact that throughout the holiday, his family watches “Die Hard”.
“Die Hard is a Christmas movie because the film takes place around the holidays, and my family and I usually watch “Die Hard” during Christmas,” Gower said.
Personally, I agree with Rigby, Rosa, and Andy that “Die Hard” is not a Christmas movie. When we look at movies traditionally associated with the holiday season, such as “Elf” or “Christmas Vacation,” they generally have a sense of joy and happiness that reflects the season’s magic. As I watch “Die Hard,” I do not feel that sense of magic; the movie is filled with action, blood, guns and creates stress. Therefore, “Die Hard” cannot be considered a Christmas movie.
“A classical Christmas movie must have things related to Christmas, like the Christmas tree; everyone needs to be happy, and usually, it needs to be snowing,” sophomore Roberto Amiñoso Pentinel said.
