The holidays are a time in which people come together
with family and friends to celebrate as a new year approaches and reflect upon
all that has come and gone in the year passed. Sometimes, seasonal nostalgia
can call attention to the people and things we have lost and things we would have liked to
have changed in the last year, lending us just the gumption we need to alter
our lives for the better. In the 2006 romantic comedy The Holiday, the holiday spirit proves to be just the inspiration
that two women need to learn to live life to the fullest all year long.
The film starts with British newspaper reporter Iris
(Kate Winslet) ending her year on a decidedly low note when the ex-boyfriend
(Rufus Sewell) she is still struggle to get over announces his engagement to
Iris’ co-worker. Half-way across the world in Los Angeles, movie trailer
producer Amanda proves similarly unlucky in love when she learns that her
live-in boyfriend (Edward Burns) has been having an affair with his much
younger secretary. While each woman pursues her own course of grieving, with
Iris despondently blaming herself and Amanda fuming at her boyfriend’s
betrayal, both find themselves searching for a way to get away from their
fraught love lives and both find their answer in the same place; the internet.
Amanda spots Iris’ online ad for a home-exchange vacation and the pair agree to
swap lives for two weeks over the holidays, marking the start of a whimsical
journey in which each will find new friendships, a renewed sense of self, and
of course, a little romance.
While romantic comedies have long been a holiday
staple, The Holiday succeeds as a
year-round crowd pleaser by transcending both the holiday and romantic comedy
genres. Although on its surface the film appears to be a typical tale of love
lost and found just in time for the holidays, the script is actually an
empowering tale of two people searching for things that they ultimately find
within themselves. Iris is so lacking in confidence that she continues to
pursue a man who had previously been unfaithful to her and clearly only maintains
contact with her in order to utilize the free editing she does on his novel. In
an opposite characterization, Amanda has become so accustomed to being the
strong one in her relationships that she has lost touch with her own
vulnerability and her ability to cry. Despite their vast differences, both
women engage in behavior patterns that prevent them from growing while either
single or in a relationship. As a result, it is their common struggle to accept
themselves and live life on their own terms, rather than their search for love,
that is the film’s central conflict. Although both do eventually find romance,
they do so only incidentally, as the film remains firmly focused upon its
heroines’ personal development. The film also avoids the rom-com cliché of love
interests solving all of the story’s problems. While both Amanda’s charming beaux, Graham (Jude Law), and Iris’ endearing flame, Miles (Jack Black) are
enjoyable characters, the script makes them three dimensional men rather than
stereotypical ‘knights in shining armor’ by revealing their shortcomings and
insecurities as well as their strengths. This in turn makes the relationships
between both couples more interesting and realistic than the paint by numbers
plotting of many romantic comedies. While the holiday ambiance adds to the film’s
whimsy and romantic atmosphere, its central messages of ‘believe in yourself’
and ‘be open to life’ are ones that resonate throughout the year, making The Holiday a cinematic vacation that
viewers can enjoy any time.
One of the more unique aspects of the film is the way in
which the script pays homage to the romantic comedies of the 1930’s and 1940’s.
While the life-swap premise already lends itself to screwball antics, the film
takes its nod to the classics a step further by making numerous references to
classic films and the men and women who brought them to life. The most obvious
of these cinematic connections comes in the form of Amanda’s elderly
screenwriter neighbor, Arthur, whom Iris quickly befriends. Played by classic screen
veteran Eli Wallach, Arthur offers nostalgic insight into Hollywood’s
Golden Age and serves as a mentor to Iris by encouraging her to follow the
example of the no-nonsense female protagonists of his favorite films. The film’s
music also adds a classic touch through the focus upon Miles’ job as a film
composer and the old-fashioned sensibility of the film’s soundtrack. As a
result, the film serves as a valentine to not only the holiday season, and
love, but also to film itself.
The cast keeps the laughs and sparks flying throughout
the film’s running time. Cameron Diaz makes Amanda an endearing combination of comic
cuteness and inner strength, making her a protagonist that audiences would want
to take a holiday with. Similarly, Kate Winslet imbues Iris, who could have
been a one-note role, with an intelligence, wit, and kindness that make her a
heroine that cannot help rooting for. Jude Law adds a level of vulnerability to his
usual charm that makes Graham a truly irresistible love interest and Jack Black
brings an unassuming quality to his role which, combined with his expected
hilarity, makes Miles the boy we all wish lived next door to us. Finally, Eli
Wallach adds just the right touch of wisdom, whimsy, and gentle humor to his
role as Arthur.
Feel-good, breezy, and charming The Holiday is the rare modern romantic comedy that succeeds as
both a romance and a comedy. Through its combination of slapstick set-ups and
dry wit the script brings a freshness to the genre while successfully paying
homage to the genre’s past greats. The members of the cast each utilize their unique
strengths to bring their roles to surprisingly realistic life, while still
maintaining the film’s romantic idealism. You don’t need to travel to get away
from it all with The Holiday in your
film lineup.
The beginning of a beautiful friendship |
How the hell does Jack Black get billed in the same film as all these A-List Stars??? It seems like a bad joke
ReplyDeleteBecause he can act circles around them, obviously!!
ReplyDelete