I’m not sure why this discussion even started, but in the interest of sanity, it needs to end. Die Hard is a fun movie, boosted Bruce Willis’ career greatly, but it is an action film, not a Christmas movie. Genres exist for a reason, and you can’t will something into a genre that clearly doesn’t fit.
To be clear, I’m not saying that films of one genre can’t include elements of another, or even have a deeper meaning. For example, The Crow is a deeply Catholic movie and Flash Gordon is a brilliant allegory of American foreign policy relating to Europe. Were these elements intentional or merely the unconscious expression of the crew? Hard to say.
What we can say is that Die Hard is set during Christmas, but it is not a Christmas movie.
What’s a Genre?
For the term genre to be of any descriptive use, there have to be some sort of qualifications. Some years ago I was talking with someone who pretended to be really into classic films, particularly film noir. I’m quite the fan of noir myself, and so started asking which movies of the genre this person liked. Turned out, she didn’t like any of them! I think she just liked the word and the sophistication it conveyed.
Of course, genres can overlap and new ones emerge from time to time. Star Trek long ago ceased to be standalone science fiction and is now essentially its own genre. The same is true of Star Wars.
They both fall under the “space” genre and are cornerstones of Geek Culture, but the substance of each is significantly different.
Genres are helpful because they allow us to have an idea of what we’re getting into without doing a ton of research. There is a reason why movies are organized by genre, whether in the old rental store or in online streaming services.
What’s a Christmas Movie?
As noted above, genres shift over time. For example, movies about Christmas used to be deeply involved in the Christian meaning of the holiday. Perhaps the best example of this are the countless versions of A Christmas Carol. (Indeed, that’s almost its own genre, and Dickens as a whole certainly is.)
As society became more secular, movies about Santa Claus became more prevalent, and some films tried to balance both. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe features Father Christmas but also is packed with Christian allegory. Is it a Christmas movie? Arguably, but one could also regard Christmas is just a plot point in the larger message.
A lot of Christmas movies are really portraits of relationships during the season, but they qualify because the entire point of the story is the holiday. While not explicitly religious, families and friends coming together, singing carols and giving gifts are a crucial part of Christmas.
Hans Gruber is No Grinch
Getting back to Die Hard, the core plot of the story exists independent of its setting. It’s about a heist that has been timed to take advantage of Christmas festivities, but none of the holiday’s themes are incorporated into the story. Yes, the estrangement between John McClane and his wife has some holiday relevance, but this trope of a couple rekindling their love in a time of crisis was a staple of disaster movies going back to the 1970s (and of course, disaster movies are their own genre).
Indeed, Die Hard spends screen time showing McCane’s Berretta 92 than it does on the meaning of Christmas.
Really, to ask the question is to answer it – throw Die Hard in the Christmas section and it immediately stands out. For one thing, how many actual Christmas movies have a caution for obscene language. I think back to the films watched at my grandparents’ house at Christmas and I can only imagine the wrath the Die Hard would unleash. It would definitely result in banishment from the cookie tray.
It is of course a great action film, chock full of quotable quips, and it’s a good idea to own it physically lest the baleful Eye of Cancellation fall upon it.
Honestly, one can make a stronger case that Witness is a documentary about Amish communities than Die Hard is about Christmas.
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