Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?

[Mannahnin]

Christmas provides the reason John is in Los Angeles (to visit his divided family for the holiday), and it provides the opportunity for the crime. While the building is mostly empty for the holiday and thus more easily seized and controlled, and while the employees who are on-premises are centralized at a holiday party where they too can be more easily seized and held hostage. The reunion of the family at Christmas is the central goal of the protagonist. The holiday drives the plot.

The dozens of reference to Christmas in the script, soundtrack, and set dressing are frosting.

 

[Autumnal]

I’m on the side that defines Christmas movies in terms of theme at least as much as time of year. There are many movies set in December, or winter generally, that are not Christmas movies at all. David Lynch’s The Straight Story is more of a Christmas movie to me than Die Hard. Die Hard is an action movie set near Christmas. (Spouse comes back all ashamed and stuff is an element of 95%+ of all action movies where the hero has one, regardless of the season.)

 

[payn]

I’m on the side that defines Christmas movies in terms of theme at least as much as time of year. There are many movies set in December, or winter generally, that are not Christmas movies at all. David Lynch’s The Straight Story is more of a Christmas movie to me than Die Hard. Die Hard is an action movie set near Christmas. (Spouse comes back all ashamed and stuff is an element of 95%+ of all action movies where the hero has one, regardless of the season.)

Not near, its on.

 

[Autumnal]

I figured that the office party wouldn’t be actually on Christmas Day. They generally aren’t. More likely the weekend before or after.

 

[Parmandur]

I figured that the office party wouldn’t be actually on Christmas Day. They generally aren’t. More likely the weekend before or after.

Christmas Eve, in fact.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I figured that the office party wouldn’t be actually on Christmas Day. They generally aren’t. More likely the weekend before or after.

Maybe because the company is one of those "the Japanese are taking over" movies sprung from 1980s paranoia/xenophobia, the party is on Christmas Eve, and they knocked off work just before the party begins.

 

[Tonguez]

. (Spouse comes back all ashamed and stuff is an element of 95%+ of all action movies where the hero has one, regardless of the season.)

really? I cant think of any action movies featuring ‘spouse comes back all ashamed‘ as a trope, got any examples of this?

uniting with family and friends is a very hallmark christmas thing but action movie?

 

[trappedslider]

It was also a double celebration since due to Holly the company had closed on a major deal. But as Hans explained he and his gang of models (yes his gang is made up of actual models who got into acting at least some of them) picked the Christmas party because they know how light security would be.

 

[payn]

really? I cant think of any action movies featuring ‘spouse comes back all ashamed‘ as a trope, got any examples of this?

uniting with family and friends is a very hallmark christmas thing but action movie?

This is a well trotted cop trope, but yeah I dont recall the hero story being filled with these types.

 

[ichabod]

really? I cant think of any action movies featuring ‘spouse comes back all ashamed‘ as a trope, got any examples of this?

uniting with family and friends is a very hallmark christmas thing but action movie?

This is the Relationship-Salvaging Disaster Trope, and is more common in disaster movies like San Andreas, which are not strictly action films, but can be adjacent.