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January 2007

THE HOLIDAY

by Krista Vitola

THE HOLIDAY


Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Director: Nancy Meyers
Screenplay: Nancy Meyers
Cinematography: Dean Cundey
Music: Hans Zimmer
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black, Eli Wallach, Edward Burns, Rufus Sewell
             

   

 

 

If you’re looking for a holiday classic this season, then The Holiday is the film to see. The film, which takes viewers into the lives of two women, Kate Winslet (Iris) from London and Cameron Diaz (Amanda) from LA, who decide to swap houses and live in another environment for their two week holiday. Filled with grief about previous relationships, these two women long to find what was missing in their lives and begin to heal while forging new relationships and seeing the world through another’s surroundings. What makes this film so wonderful is its charming and warm cast of characters. Kate Winslet finds Jack Black (who works flawlessly as a musically talented gentlemen –which is most unlike any of his previous roles). And Cameron Diaz falls head over heels for Jude Law, whose complex demeanor draws audience’s attention toward where their relationship will go. The cast works extremely well together (which is essential for a romantic film), allowing the audience to connect with the ups and downs of each couples’ journey toward love.

The plot revolves around these two weeks of new relationships, friends, and above all self- discovery. A classic figure in the film who becomes a catalyst for Winslet’s healing is Eli Wallach (Arthur Abbot). His good humor, and straightforward wit allow audiences to instantly fall in love with this “little old man,” who becomes a symbol of the film heritage in Hollywood. The underlying music within the film, composed by Hans Zimmer, is the epitome of the florid and legato melodies that charm viewers as they watch a love story. Each musical refrain surfaces the emotional impact of music within a film, expressed seamlessly throughout The Holiday.    

Each woman, while living on opposite sides of the world, come to learn that there is more to love than they expected and that it comes in many different forms, each just as wonderful as the next. There are so many times when I didn’t know whether to cry or to laugh, and I think that’s why I enjoy romantic films so much: they allow you to treasure the idyllic love we all long for. The film’s subject matter is so relatable to the everyday woman who always believes that she’s the only one that ends up with a crummy self-centered man.  As the film progresses, we see that there is someone out there that may not be the “perfect” man but who’s absolutely perfect for you (although in my opinion Jude Law and Jack Black are pretty perfect). Set in the UK and LA, the film captures the beauty of each landscape and the certain aspects of each area that characterize this beauty. A feel good, tear jerker this film will definitely be a holiday classic on many shelves for years to come.