4 Reasons Die Hard is A Christmas Movie

There’s an old debate that’s been going on since, well some time after 1988. That’s the year Die Hard was released, and maybe people weren’t talking about this right away, but since then there’s been a lot of debate as to whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie.

Nobody knows exactly how this debate came about, but I can only imagine that two people were deciding what would be a good movie to put on for Christmas Day, once all the festivities were coming to a close, and everyone was in a food coma. This also probably happened after one too many eggnogs.

“Die Hard“, one might have exclaimed, followed by a pregnant pause and the other retorting: “That’s not a Christmas movie!”. And so it began…

Now I’ve decided to do what’s right. To step in and decide once and for all; is Die Hard a Christmas Movie? Yes, yes it is… and here’s why.

1. It Happens on Christmas Eve

It happens during Christmas time, during a Christmas Party! If that doesn’t literally say “THIS IS A CHRISTMAS MOVIE!”, then I don’t know what does. On top of this, McClane has come to spend Christmas with his estranged family, so he’s trying to get into the Christmas spirit as well. That idea of goodwill and family is definitely in the air.

Our big bad guy, Hans Gruber plans his takeover of the building around the Christmas party; and even though the idea of Christmas and the fact that people’s lowered guard during this time is being taken advantage of, we can’t deny that Christmas plays a big part in this film.

2. You Can Feel the Christmas Spirit

There are Christmas trees, songs and people talking about Christmas time, and lets not forget all the awesome decorations too. And it’s fucking snowing!

I mean, did you guys forget that Joyful, Joyful is used just before the major standoff, and that the final happy scene featured Let It Snow just as the credits roll? Christmas is part of the proverbial DNA of this film as it shows up in the setting, the background, the dialogue, and the music for the film.

And let’s not forget, THIS IS CHRISTMAS MUSIC:

The filmmakers could have been shitty filmmakers and just said in passing that the events in Die Hard take place around Christmas and not add anything else in the film that relates to Christmas, but they didn’t.

3. The Christmas Characters

So there’s no Santa character, or an angel, or the ghost of Christmas past, or some manifestation of God on one hand, or a Grinch character on the other.

But here’s the thing: those characters are still represented here, you just need to take a closer look at the the main characters in the film.

Gruber is totally a Grinch ruining the Christmas vibes for everyone at their party, and let’s say John McClane is the Spirit of Christmas, or some kind of saviour fighting to restore the true spirit of Christmas.

The cops who McClane work with are totally the little helpers as well, and by the end of it, everyone comes together for…

4. A Happy, Christmas Ending

I mean, let us never forget that moment that McClain meets Sgt. Powell.

Or the final scene where he and his wife drive away happily in the limo together. I mean, only Christmas movies can be that unrealistic about how relationships are repaired.

The complete mythology of Die Hard works because it’s a Christmas movie. Nothing that happens in the film would work if we didn’t have that Christmassy hope always running in the background, always reminding us that we would be okay at the end of the day.

So kids, in case you missed it, I don’t really take this debate too seriously. I think it’s really great that something like this is a talking point for people around the world in real life and online. It’s a fun debate for friends and strangers to enjoy. So yeah, let me know what side of the debate you fall on; I’d be keen to hear your story.

Also check out: TOP 6 HOLIDAY MOVIES YOU MUST WATCH

Here’s the epic super dated trailer for Die Hard

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