Die Hard is NOT a Holiday Movie

Garrett Callison, Opinion Editor

Who wants to watch a Christmas movie? How about Die Hard? Emphasis on Christmas movie. The argument will always be brought up at some point during the holiday season, whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie or not, and it really is not.

Many things are missing from the movie to make it a proper holiday film. In any film watched around December, Christmas has to be the big factor in the plot line, along with moral lessons and heartwarming stories.
“I think you have to have the music, work out the characters, and it depends on the age group,” said freshman Emily Szczepanek.
Good examples of actual Christmas movies are A Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation, Elf, Home Alone, etc. Animated/stop motion films are also good examples of holiday films such
as Frosty the Snowman, Grandma Got Ran over by a Reindeer, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, The
Year without a Santa Claus, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, etc. These holiday films happen around Christmas and it is emphasized with parties, presents, decorations, and celebrations.
For Die Hard, the only Christmas features of the film are that there is some Christmas music in the
soundtrack and that there is a Christmas party at the tower, even though Christmas is not the central plot. Overall, Die Hard is not a Christmas movie because it lacks the motifs that a proper Christmas movie needs. It lacks the common morals and heartwarming event that Christmas is all about.
“I don’t think I would consider [Die Hard] a Christmas movie … it doesn’t go with the element of Christmas which is happy, but Die Hard is more dark,” said Junior Devin Patton said. This again shows that Christmas movies
have certain elements that are needed to make a Christmas movie.

When planning the Christmas film marathon for households this year, maybe hold off on Die Hard.
Just know that there are many Christmas films that will fit the genre better. Whether it is a cartoon, a TV special, or any other instance of a proper holiday movie, just enjoy the season. After all, “Tis the season to be merry” and happy holidays!