My wife and I were discussing that the other day. She's never seen it and asked a similar question as to how it's a Christmas movie. I gave her the plot synopsis of: "It's only a Christmas movie because it takes place at Christmas. It's about how the dude wants to kill himself because he's all depressed about screwing up a bunch of people's lives, so the angel shows him how much more their lives would have been messed up if he'd never been around, convincing him to not neck himself by taking a gainer off the bridge. Doesn't fix anything else about how shit his current situation is, just shows him how everyone else's lives would have been worse, making him feel better about himself."
Her reply: "Jesus, that's dark as hell! This is a Christmas movie?!?!? Suicide rates are high enough at Christmas time, people don't need that shit!"
Yup. All things being equal, I'd rather go watch Miracle on 34th Street or White Christmas if I'm looking for a classic Christmas movie to watch.
I'd slot Die Hard in the "Modern Christmas Movies" category, along with Gremlins, A Christmas Story, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and Elf. My wife still argues that both Die Hard and Gremlins don't count, but I figure if the movie takes place at Christmas time and there are Christmas elements that play into it, it's a Christmas movie.
I see it as a movie about a local elite who reluctantly embraces his role because for reasons he doesn't entirely understand he gives a damn about the town and the people in it and learns "heavy lies the crown". The sort of elite who nowadays, like George wanted to do, fuck off to college and never return to their home town.
Maybe being a George Bailey is a thankless job, but without people like that all that's left is Blackrock, Citi, Bank of America, Chase, etc...
Another one of those Communist propaganda pieces that ends up having a lot of right-wing themes.
My wife and I were discussing that the other day. She's never seen it and asked a similar question as to how it's a Christmas movie. I gave her the plot synopsis of: "It's only a Christmas movie because it takes place at Christmas. It's about how the dude wants to kill himself because he's all depressed about screwing up a bunch of people's lives, so the angel shows him how much more their lives would have been messed up if he'd never been around, convincing him to not neck himself by taking a gainer off the bridge. Doesn't fix anything else about how shit his current situation is, just shows him how everyone else's lives would have been worse, making him feel better about himself."
Her reply: "Jesus, that's dark as hell! This is a Christmas movie?!?!? Suicide rates are high enough at Christmas time, people don't need that shit!"
Yup. All things being equal, I'd rather go watch Miracle on 34th Street or White Christmas if I'm looking for a classic Christmas movie to watch.
I'll be watching Die Hard.
I'd slot Die Hard in the "Modern Christmas Movies" category, along with Gremlins, A Christmas Story, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and Elf. My wife still argues that both Die Hard and Gremlins don't count, but I figure if the movie takes place at Christmas time and there are Christmas elements that play into it, it's a Christmas movie.
I see it as a movie about a local elite who reluctantly embraces his role because for reasons he doesn't entirely understand he gives a damn about the town and the people in it and learns "heavy lies the crown". The sort of elite who nowadays, like George wanted to do, fuck off to college and never return to their home town.
Maybe being a George Bailey is a thankless job, but without people like that all that's left is Blackrock, Citi, Bank of America, Chase, etc...
Another one of those Communist propaganda pieces that ends up having a lot of right-wing themes.