No matter who weighs in, here’s why the debate around Die Hard being a Bruce Willis Christmas movie will likely never end. One thing there seems to be no real debate about is that Die Hard, directed by John McTiernan and starring Bruce Willis as the iconic hero John McClane, is an all-time classic movie. Sure, there are movies with more spectacular stunts, but Die Hard‘s overall package is second to almost none. Die Hard has a great hero in McClane, a devilishly entertaining villain in the late Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber, lots of hard-hitting, practically realized battles in the days before CGI, a sharply sarcastic sense of humor, and a surprising amount of nail-biting tension. Die Hard is one thrilling time, and it’s no wonder the movie has been preserved in the U.S. Library of Congress. For lots of people though, Die Hard is definitely a Christmas tradition, something as comforting to put on as Home Alone or The Santa Clause.
For as many people who believe with zero doubt that Die Hard is a Bruce Willis Christmas movie staple, however, there are just as many who believe it doesn’t even belong in the conversation. Die Hard certainly doesn’t fit the traditional Christmas movie mold, as there’s no heartwarming sentimentality, no Santa Claus, and the plot doesn’t revolve around buying presents or family gatherings. With those factors, and all the factors the opposing side would offer up in rebuttal, the debate over whether Die Hard is a true Christmas movie has grown bigger than the movie itself. It’s now to the point where arguing about its merits as a holiday film is itself a Christmas tradition.
Is Die Hard Officially A Christmas Movie?
By now, Die Hard stars Bruce Willis and Rejinald VelJohnson, director John McTiernan, and co-writer Steven E. de Souza have all publicly weighed in on the Die Hard Christmas movie debate. Fittingly, this did nothing to settle things, as Willis and McTiernan fall on the side of it not being a Bruce Willis Christmas movie while VelJohnson and de Souza are in the camp of those who believe it is. If the people involved with the movie can’t agree on whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie, it’s not really fair to expect the general public to be any less divided.
Even if everyone who made Die Hard agreed that it was or wasn’t a Christmas movie, though, that still likely wouldn’t end the Die Hard Christmas movie debate, because realistically, no one wants it to end. Every year, the arguments for and against are rehashed, but instead of causing frustration, the debate just offers another opportunity to talk about Die Hard, one of the most beloved action movies ever. The debate itself is just another fun way to spend the holiday season, with those who think it’s a Bruce Willis Christmas movie choosing to watch it to get in the yuletide spirit, and those who don’t watching the more traditional holiday classics. While both sides offer their various hot takes leading up to Christmas Day, no hard feelings are had, with everyone moving on until the Die Hard Christmas movie debate rolls around again next year. After all, the one thing both sides have in common is that they think Die Hard is a great movie that’s worth discussing and the best of the franchise.
Why Die Hard Is A Christmas Movie
While the debate will rage on forever about whether the Bruce Willis Christmas movie should actually be a holiday staple, there are some viable points to be made when it comes to classifying Die Hard as such. First and foremost, Christmas means different things to different people. The Christmas holiday has made its way across the globe, spawning all types of different traditions from a vast array of cultures, so its true meaning is malleable. When Die Hard is broken down, however, there are clear indicators that it’s a Christmas movie. For starters, the basic narrative is about a man trying to return home for Christmas. Sure, there are high-octane action sequences and general thrills such as the Hans Gruber death scene, but the bottom line is that John McClane just wants to be with his family for the holidays. In addition, the movie could’ve taken place on any other holiday, but studios chose to base it on Christmas Eve. Another point to be made is that Hans Gruber perfectly embodies the capitalist villain. Similar to other Christmas Big Bads like Mr. Potter in It’s a Wonderful Life, Hans Gruber is out for cold hard cash and won’t let anything stand in his way — not even Christmas. Even Santa Claus shows up in Die Hard, albeit in the form of a dead terrorist.
