Director:
Nancy Myers
Writer:
Nancy Meyers
Starring:
Cameron Diaz
Jude Law
Kate Winslet
Jack Black
Eli Wallach
Blurb:
Two women troubled with guy-problems swap homes in each other’s countries, where they each meet a local guy and fall in love.
Review:
I’m ashamed to say that this movie was recommended on my blog several years ago and I’m only now getting around to it. If I’ve got any defense it’s that anytime I saw it available to stream it was not during Christmas and I have a strict rule about watching Christmas movies before Thanksgiving(US). Finally, I’ve gotten around to it, though.
One of my favorite Christmas movies is a Debbie Macomber one called Trading Christmas. So I’m a fan of this trope. What I loved about The Holiday and this trope is that finding love isn’t necessarily the goal. Kate Winslet’s entire story arc was about finding herself and her romance with Jack Black was just a footnote. I love romance, but I enjoyed this story the most.
Cameron Diaz and Jude Law’s story was mainly about sex and attraction until Diaz discovered that Law had children. All of a sudden she saw him in a new light and while a long-term relationship was always there hovering I think the addition of seeing him care for his children pushed him farther into that category.
Ending wise, I again preferred Kate Winslet’s ending. There was so much possibility and promise there, while Cameron Diaz and Jude Law there was still the question of how they could manage a long-distance relationship. There really wasn’t a satisfying ending that could come from that so I can understand why it wasn’t expounded on. Diaz would either have to leave her company or he would need to uproot his children taking them away from everyone they know and love. I guess the kids are getting uprooted. It could be worse.
I’m not sure if I’ll add The Holiday into my yearly Christmas movie rotation, but it’s definitely a movie I would watch again and again.
4/5
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