The Meerkat Q&A, Question Four: Is Die Hard a Christmas Film?
1988’s Die Hard propelled Bruce Willis from TV sitcom actor, to global action superstar. It gave us the deliciously dry villain Hans Gruber, played by the late, great Alan Rickman. It is an instantly quotable movie, and it set the standard for the genre. My wife and I watch it every year at Christmas. After all, Die Hard is a Christmas movie too, is it not?
Not everyone would agree with this assessment, and this latest Q&A is designed to explore this idea, so please feel free to dispute my conclusion! However, for me, there is some inescapable evidence that Die Hard is a Christmas film. For one, it is set at Christmas, and follows John McClane’s quest to reunite with his wife and kids for Christmas. Christmas music punctuates the film in several places. There’s Christmas decorations everywhere. Several characters reference the festive season. Still, if you have a different opinion, I’d love to hear it!