Writings. Thoughts. Musings.

Tag: Christmas

Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie? Maybe, Virginia, It Might Be.

The final analysis of a holiday classic

There’s a scene in my romantic comedy novella, The Wedding Routine, where the good Fr. Burke tells his niece, Celia, “Your mother invited me for dinner and a Christmas movie. I lost the coin toss and had to watch Going My Way.”

“What did you want?” Celia asks.

Die Hard,” the priest responds, tossing in a “Yippee-ki-yay!”

While the exchange might earn an “Amen, brother,” from a large swath of the male population, rebelling against their significant other’s binge of Hallmark pablum, it’s likely to scandalize holiday purists, who insist on gentler fare. The purists naturally expect any priest worth his collar to stand athwart the inclusion of a mayhem-rich shoot ‘em up in the Yuletide viewing canon. Of course, the question of whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie is not as cut and dried as the pine clippings its stalwart opponents weave into seasonal wreaths. The question has divided households across the country ever since Bruce Willis exploded on the scene as John McClane in July 1988.

“Well, see, there you have it,” the naysayers will neigh. “The producers didn’t even think it was a Christmas movie. They released it as a summer blockbuster.” Yet, a cursory look at film history reveals that Miracle on 34th Street was released on June 4, 1946, and It’s a Wonderful Life was released on January 7, 1947. So, release dates are far from definitive. Twentieth Century Fox released Hoffa on December 25, 1992. I doubt they meant it as a stocking stuffer.

“No,” the purists riposte, “what matters is the spirit of the film! Peace on Earth and good will towards men!” I couldn’t agree more, except that the scripture quoted can also be read “Peace on Earth to men of good will.” Men of bad will are asking for retributive justice, and this they shall receive, courtesy of John McClane. In spades. Moreover, peace, considered in isolation, is a bland concept; it only takes on meaning when contrasted with the cruel, violent and chaotic world that exists most of the time. The Christ Child entered a violent world. You’ll recall that one of the Wise Men brought myrrh to the cradle, which is the Biblical era equivalent of bringing embalming fluid to a baby shower. Herod quickly demonstrated this world was not safe for children, and if it had been, the nativity would have had little meaning. And it hasn’t proven ipso facto impossible to tell a Christmas tale with violent elements, as in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, where beloved characters face the peril of being eaten alive, and Home Alone, where brutal violence is played for laughs. As an annual feast, Christmas often falls on violent settings, as the brilliant French film Joyeux Noelle demonstrates.

So, why do I think Die Hard might qualify as a Christmas movie? Not because it takes place on Christmas Eve, but because it delivers a Christmas message of reconciliation and restoration. In this film we see how, because of one’s man’s actions, evil is thwarted, lives are saved, and people are made whole again. True, John McClane’s actions are violent, but they are not unchristian. Taking up arms and suffering the rigors of battle in defense of innocent life is an act of Christian charity.

On Christmas Eve, New York City cop John McClane arrives in Los Angeles. He’s a tough-nosed detective who wouldn’t follow his wife out west because he had work to finish in his hometown. He is a public servant who bears the burden of others’ sins to protect his community. His dedication to his work has caused a rift between himself and his wife, Holly, who has chosen to climb the corporate ladder, depicted as a veritable tower of Babel at Nakatomi Plaza. As a reward for her worldly pursuits, she’s given a gold watch as a Christmas present. Yet, Holly’s heart is torn, because she desires a reconciliation with her stubborn husband.

Enter Hans Gruber with his crew of murderous thieves, who have taken the pursuit of worldly wealth to its mortal extreme. Gruber is truly “the prince of this world,” from whom John McClane, the suffering servant, must rescue it. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in abundance.” (Jn. 10:10) Such is the contrast in Die Hard between Hans Gruber, the thief, and John McClane, the cop.

Gruber is a proud and haughty evil doer who fittingly meets his end by being cast from his lofty height. Of course, before Hans makes his drop, he threatens to take Holly with him. He’s caught on her shiny, new wrist watch; only when John is able to unlatch the bracelet, breaking Holly’s attachment to worldly wealth, is she saved. Thus, we see play out before our eyes this passage of Mary’s Magnificat from Luke 1: 52: “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has lifted up the humble.” At the close of the crisis, John and Holly seem on their way to reconciliation, which is a very Christmassy theme.

We must also consider the plight of Sgt. Al Powell, who becomes John McClane’s partner on the outside. Having accidentally shot a child, Al cannot bring himself to draw his gun. Once a promising young cop, Al retreated behind a desk and now must answer to the ignorant and corrupt men who rose above him. Yet, through the experience he shares with McClane, Al finds the strength of spirit to draw his gun in a righteous moment and terminate a threat to innocent life. If the restoration of a generous and courageous spirit isn’t central to Christmas, what was Dickens thinking when he wrote A Christmas Carole?

Of course, on the other hand, action movies that dress up blood lust in vestments of virtue are doing a bait and switch. They draw the audience in by presenting a dire situation that demands manly valor, then continually up the stakes until you’re rooting for the hero to disembowel the villain and feast on his vital organs. When a film manipulates the audience into demanding a graphic cinematic execution as catharsis, we are now wallowing in that which our spirits had risen to oppose. The spectacle has dehumanized us in a way incongruous to the spirit of Christmas. Thus, after the last body drops, the seasonal music that’s suddenly piped in is not just ironic but jarring. Our nervous giggles, as the ultra-cool Dean Martin invites us to “Let it Snow,” underscore what we know in our hearts: these two hours were not exactly what Christmas is all about. We’ve been indulging a guilty pleasure that could land us on the Naughty List.

Ultimately, given the contrary, yet well-founded arguments, it’s safe to say the debate will rage on. So, if we really want to enjoy Peace on Earth this Christmas, we’ll have to learn to agree to disagree and limit our holiday conversations to safe topics like national politics.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Wedding Routine by Kevin Rush

The Wedding Routine

by Kevin Rush

Giveaway ends December 20, 2021.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Disclaimer: Links in this column may be affiliate links. When you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, the website receives a small commission at no extra charge to you. These commissions help to subsidize the website and support future writing. Thank you.

P.S. If you’re one of the way-too-many people who haven’t scene this Christmas gem, click now, and get it in time for Christmas. You’ll thank me.

Enter the Goodreads Giveaway to Win a Free E-Book of “The Wedding Routine”

Enjoy a heartwarming tale of love for Christmas

As part of our promotional efforts for The Wedding Routine, we’ve launched a Goodreads Giveaway. One hundred lucky readers will win a free e-book version of this uplifting romantic comedy. Entering is easy and free! Just follow this link to Goodreads and sign up. In the first hour of the giveaway, more than 100 readers have entered! The contest runs for three weeks, and winners will have their downloads in time for Christmas.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Wedding Routine by Kevin Rush

The Wedding Routine

by Kevin Rush

Giveaway ends December 20, 2021.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

To Have and To Hold…for the Next Two Minutes!

Brighten your holiday season with this delightful tale of a struggling dance instructor who has all the right moves for wedding choreography, but can’t find the rhythm in her own romantic life. Comedic actress Laura Orrico calls The Wedding Routine, “real, raw and heartwarmingly funny.” Comedian Michael Pritchard calls Kevin Rush “a brilliant writer.”

Kevin Rush is the author of The Lance and the Veil, an adventure in the time of Christ, and Earthquake Weather, a novel for Catholic teens. He drew on his love of classic films and his years of experience studying Ballroom, Swing, Hustle, and Latin Rhythm dancing to write an engaging romance in the spirit of an old Bing Crosby Christmas movie. If you don’t want to wait for the chance of an e-book, the paperback version is available now. Just click the image below.

Disclaimer: Links in this column may be affiliate links. When you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, the website receives a small commission at no extra charge to you. These commission support the website and my writing. Thank you for your support.

Get Ready to Cheer “The Wedding Routine”

Author Kevin Rush serves up a heartwarming romantic comedy just in time for Christmas

If you’re looking for a fun and uplifting read during the holiday season, you’ve just found it. Here’s the description from the back cover:

To Have and To Hold…for the Next Two Minutes!

Celia Cleary is a champion ballroom dancer who makes her meager living choreographing wedding dances. But when her uncle, a Catholic priest, implores her to “Help these couples commit to their marriage,” Celia is adamant. “I am not anyone to be giving relationship advice.” Now, with her love life in tatters, her studio on the brink of bankruptcy, and her three Christmas wedding couples barely on speaking terms, Celia must reassess her mission. Her business has been all about the two-minute routine: a picture-perfect image to cherish forever. But maybe forever needs a little bit more.

As always, Kevin Rush delivers unsparing reality, rapier wit, and a Christian heart that ensures an emotional payoff. Funny and heartwarming, yet grounded in the bittersweet angst of single life, The Wedding Routine is an uplifting tale of love for Christmas and any time of the year.

“The Wedding Routine is real, raw and heartwarmingly funny. In the “song and dance” of life, this lovely story teaches how to lead with your heart. It showcases how helping people not only benefits those receiving, but is therapeutic for those who give.”

 Laura Orrico, TV and Film Actress and President of Laura Orrico Public Relations, LLC

Kevin Rush is the author of The Lance and the Veil, an adventure in the time of Christ, and Earthquake Weather, a novel for Catholic teens. He enjoys Ballroom dancing, Swing, Hustle, and Latin Rhythm. His commentary is found throughout the blogosphere, including his own website, kevinrush.us.

How to Get Your Copy of The Wedding Routine

The Wedding Routine is available right now in paperback at Amazon. There should be no supply chain problems, because the books are printed in the good ol’ USA. If you prefer a Kindle edition, you’ll have to wait a bit, because we’re running a Goodreads Giveaway for the e-book format. You can take a chance on the Giveaway starting Sunday 11/28 at noon. The Giveaway will end a week before Christmas, so this lovely story will help you get into the holiday spirit.

Independent authors need your support!

As an independent author, I’ve got no publisher, distribution or promotion machine behind me. I rely heavily on word of mouth and social media postings. If you agree there’s a place in our culture for this kind of literature, and you want to help me reach my audience, here are a few steps you can take.

  1. It’s the season of giving, so why not buy a few copies to give to the readers in your life?
  2. Share this post and future promo posts on social media.
  3. Get the word out to friends who might be interested, especially avid readers and book club members.
  4. Go to Goodreads and enter the Giveaway, even if you’re going to buy a paperback
  5. While at Goodreads, mark The Wedding Routine “Want to Read”
  6. Once you’ve read the book, leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. Positive reviews are like gold to independent authors.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Wedding Routine by Kevin Rush

The Wedding Routine

by Kevin Rush

Giveaway ends December 20, 2021.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Thank you for your generous support during this busy Christmas season.

I hope that reading The Wedding Routine will make your holidays a little brighter, funnier, and heartfelt. Given what we’ve all been through for the last 20 months, we can use the laughter, the tears and the irrepressible optimism this book delivers.

Disclaimer: Links in this article might be affiliate links. When you click on a affiliate link and make a purchase, the website gets a small commission at no additional charge to you. These commissions support the website and my creative efforts. Thank you for your support.

© 2024 kevinrush.us

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑