Rated PG-13 for sexual content and some strong language.
Directed by Nancy Meyers (Something’s Gotta Give, What Women Want, The Parent Trap-98…)
Starring Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black, Eli Wallach…
In my quest for good romantic snuggling movies to enjoy with my wife… The Holiday really delivered.
How often do good romances come along? Maybe one a year? I’m talking about the kind of movies that you can see on a date, or maybe for those that are married like me, a movie that you can snuggle on the couch hand in hand under a big blanket and really enjoy. For me, these films of recent years have been Hitch, Little Manhattan, The Notebook, Something’s Gotta Give, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, As Good as it Gets… and maybe even 13 Going on 30 and The Perfect Man (those being on a lower tier).
The Holiday just made that list.
The story is about two women (Winslet and Diaz) from different countries who swap homes during Christmas break to escape their guy problems. Each meet a local guy (Law and Black) and fall in love.
The dialogue is brilliantly written, bringing likeable characters to life. It’s romantic and funny.
One of my favorite characters is that of an old Hollywood writer named Arthur (played by Eli Wallach). Wallach’s character brings a lot of life to the film, in the same way that Shirley McClain did with Diaz again in the film In Her Shoes.
A delightful film.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
First… kids would be bored with it. Even teenagers might find it slow. This film is geared toward Gen X and above (people in their late twenties and up).
The film has implied sex, brief sexual references and typical PG-13 language. The kids should skip this one.
Side Note:
As said above, we don’t recommend your kids see this film. But on the occasion that they actually have already seen it, you may want to dialogue about the film with them. These questions below may be a help to you.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
