Is ‘Die Hard’ a Christmas movie? Here’s what Bruce Willis and the experts say

Organizing a Christmas movie marathon is a classic way many families celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Timeless favorites like ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ ‘Elf,’ and ‘Home Alone’ consistently feature on lists of the best holiday films.

Yet, a unique entry that often sparks debate over its Christmas movie status is ‘Die Hard,’ the iconic action film led by Bruce Willis. Though not as warm and fuzzy as the other Christmas classics, there are features of the movie that allow it to get lumped into the Christmas mix.

Is ‘Die Hard’ a Christmas movie? Here’s what Bruce Willis and the experts say

Although ‘Die Hard’ was released in theaters in the summer of 1988, the plot of the film takes place on Christmas Eve.

Bruce Willis stars as John McClane, a New York City police officer who visits his wife, Holly, in Los Angeles, where she works for the Nakatomi Corporation. While the two are at Nakatomi headquarters for a Christmas party on Christmas Eve, a group of robbers take over the building and hold everyone hostage, except for John, who is forced to take matters into his own hands and save the day.

In addition to taking place from Christmas Eve to Christmas morning, the film features Christmas carols, Santa Claus jokes, and an ending in which all conflict is resolved, just like in a typical Christmas movie.

In this regard, film historian and author Jeremy Arnold told CNN that ‘Die Hard’ is indeed a Christmas movie, in addition to being an action film, since it has all the principles of a Christmas movie from the beginning, starting with the fact that John McClain is trying to reconcile with his ex-wife.

On the other hand, as to whether it is a Christmas movie or not, in 2020, ‘Die Hard’ director John McTiernan said: “We didn’t intend for it to be a Christmas movie, but the joy that came from it is what made it a Christmas movie.”

On the other hand, Bruce Willis stated that ‘Die Hard’ is NOT a Christmas movie during his Comedy Central roast in 2018. “I did this roast for one reason and one reason only… to settle something once and for all. Now, listen very carefully: Die Hard’ is not a Christmas movie! It’s a fucking Bruce Willis movie,” he joked.

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