"The Holiday" Movie Review

About.com Rating 3.5 Star Rating

User Rating 3.5 Star Rating (2 Reviews) Write a review

By Rebecca Murray, About.com Guide

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Cameron Diaz and Jude Law star in "The Holiday."

The Bottom Line

There haven't been that many decent romantic comedies with a holiday theme in recent years, so when one comes along that's adorable, entertaining, and requires absolutely no brain power to enjoy, it's tough to pass it up. Directed by Nancy Meyers, The Holiday's a star-studded holiday treat, although it's not without its drawbacks. There's a repetitive feel to the middle section and the set-up is highly improbable, but there's enough fun and frolic to make The Holiday a good choice for romantic comedy fans looking for an alternative to the Oscar-caliber dramas and other more serious end of the year fare.

Pros

Cute, fluffy piece of romantic comedy that goes down easy
Diaz, Winslet, Law and Black do admirable jobs
Even the dog's adorable

Cons

The improbable circumstances test our ability to go with the flow

Description

Starring Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jack Black, and Jude Law
The Holiday marks Winslet's first starring role in a true romantic comedy
Rated PG-13 for sexual content and some strong language
Theatrical Release Date: December 8, 2006

Guide Review - "The Holiday" Movie Review

The Story

How do you get over a horrible relationship? Well, you can drown your sorrows in ice cream and hours of watching lousy television programs. Or, if you have the financial resources, you can do what the leading ladies of The Holiday do: exchange homes with someone you've never met who lives in a city far, far away from the man who killed your desire for romance.

Amanda (Cameron Diaz) lives in an exclusive neighborhood in Los Angeles and owns a hugely successful company that puts together trailers for movies. Iris (Kate Winslet) lives in a small community outside of London and works as a wedding columnist for the Daily Telegraph. Both ladies are fresh out of troubled relationships and heading into the holiday season without much to look forward to.

On impulse, workaholic Amanda decides to get away from it all. An online ad promoting house-swapping catches her eye and after exchanging instant messages with Iris, the two decide to really switch things up by swapping lives for a couple of weeks.

City dweller Amanda's not quite ready for the challenges facing her when she tries to settle into Iris' small country cottage. But Amanda soon finds life a bit more enjoyable when Iris' delicious brother, Graham (Jude Law), stops by to sleep off a night of drinking. Meanwhile Iris has found a couple of men to while away the time with in sunny California. A co-worker (Jack Black) of Amanda's ex catches her eye and turns out to be an engaging conversationalist who's fun to hang out with. She also befriends an elderly gentleman (Eli Wallach) who turns out to be an Academy Award-winning screenwriter.

To Sum It Up

The Holiday is a sweet romantic comedy featuring pretty people, pretty houses, and pretty decent acting. If you're ready for the cinematic equivalent of cotton candy, then The Holiday is just the sweet confection for you.

GRADE: B

User Reviews

2 out of 5

Good idea, passable script, AWKWARD performances, Member Stella9275

Even when the plot and concept seem to have come from a demension that we will never see, it is up to the actors, directors and producers to do their best to make it believable. Mission: NOT ACCOMPLISHED. The performances were rushed, seemingly unrehearsed, and entirely unbelievable. I'm especially insulted, being a woman - or ""chick"" - that the producers and director have the idea that a chick-flick should be entirely void of depth and substance. I must say that I am disappointed in the quality of acting put forth by all four of the stars in this movie. These regularly talented people did not put their best into their performances. This was by far the worst cast I have ever seen for Jack Black. Not once did I sense any on-screen chemistry btwn his character and Kate's, and his attempt at being a ""good guy"" just didn't gel. I say this even though I am a Jack Black fan. Maybe this was his attempt at breaking out of the bad boy, slacker type-cast into which he's been pigeonholed. Whatever the case, this just wasn't the role for him. How frustrating. Cameron Diaz was entirely immature in the portrayal of her character, and poorly cast as well. To watch her at any point in the movie was worse than being on a first date, or even worse - a disappointing BLIND date - AWKWARD! I was nervous watching her throughout the movie. I would have to have been pretty hard pressed for talent to have cast her in this role opposite Jude Law. Kate and Jude did a more convincing job than the two Americans, but that's not saying much. Jude did a good job at being a sexy dad, not something that would be difficult for him, but still, even he could have put a bit more spirit into it. (Maybe Cameron was making him nervous.) And Kate, though convincing, was just average in her representation of every ""had"" woman I know (including myself). In all, I give this movie a 2 star rating. Through the entire movie I sat just willing it, wanting it, and rooting for it to get better. Again, I'm so disappointed. This script and concept had such potential - even as a chick flick.

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