Introduction
The Holiday is an American Christmas-themed romantic comedy film that premiered in the year 2006. It was written, directed and produced by Nancy Meyers and distributed by Universal Studios and Columbia Pictures. The whole story revolves around two lovelorn ladies, Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz, from the opposite sides of the Atlantic. It is a lovable love story with all Christmas trimmings.
Plot
It all begins when two victorious yet miserable women link through the website of home swapping and decide to exchange their homes for a while in an effort to forget their relationship crises and troubles. Living completely opposite lives, the two women are a world apart but equally unlucky in love. The film is a sweet romantic comedy with a Christmas theme. (Mazur, 2011). Amanda, acted by Cameron Diaz is a wealthy advertiser living in Hollywood estate. Iris acted by Kate Winslet is an insecure English journalist living in an elegant country cottage. After kicking her dishonest boyfriend to the curb, Amanda decides that going away will aid her fell less alone at Christmas.
When both the Amanda and Iris find themselves unexpectedly single, they swap houses for Christmas festive to get over their latest crises. (Stradling, 2010). Amanda owns a hugely successful company and lives in an exclusive neighborhood in Los Angeles. Iris, on the other hand, works as a wedding columnist for the Daily Telegraph. Both ladies are fresh out of troubled relationships and heading into a holiday season without much to look forward to.
In Nancy Meyers’ film “The Holiday”, a romantic comedy from the director of What Woman Want and Something’s Gotta Give, two women trade homes only to find that their lives can be changed by a change of address, across the globe. Iris is in love with a man who is about to marry another woman. Amanda realizes that the man she is in love with and whom she has been living with has been unfaithful. These two women who have never met and lives thousands of miles away from each other meets online at home exchange websites and switch their homes impulsively for the holiday.
Used to urban life, the city dweller Amanda is not ready for the challenges facing her when she tries to settle down into Iris’ small country cottage after switching things up by swapping lives for a couple of weeks. She is disappointed by the quieter, slower pace of life in Surrey (Iris’ old-fashioned cottage). After just a few hours, Amanda grows bored and books a flight back for the next day. Moments later that night, Amanda finds life a bit enjoyable after Iris’ brother Graham stops by to sleep off thinking Iris is home. Graham knowing Amanda is leaving, he tells her that if the flight gets cancelled, he will have to prepare dinner with friends at the pub and that she is free to join them. They get to the dinner and as they enjoy each other’s company, Amanda is troubled that their relationship will become more complicated and tries to keep Graham at arm’s distance end to end
In the meantime, Iris is enjoying his stay at Amanda’s residence she has come along a couple of men. She makes friends with an aged gentleman after finding him lost at the corner, and she takes him home. Arthur Abbott (Elli Wallach) she discovers that he was the script writer during the Golden Age of Hollywood; who helps her retrieve her self-esteem, and the film composer Miles, with whom she falls in love with at the end. Also, a co-worker (Jack Black) of Amanda’s ex turns out to be an engaging conversationalist who is fun to hang out with.
Amanda chooses not to visit Graham again but while alone in the house, she pays a visit to Graham and to her surprise Olivia and Sophie comes to the door revealing they are Graham’s daughters. Graham looks extremely nervous at the door when Amanda asks him whether he is married and why did he keep it a secret to her. He explains to her that he does not reveal to women about his daughters because he does not know how to date and be a father.
Iris writes a wedding column in a newspaper in London and nurtures an unrequited love for her workmate Jasper. She is informed later that Jasper is engaged to marry another colleague and her life turns upside down
Iris and Miles become friends gradually, and they go to the video store to rent movies recommended by Arthur. Miles sees his girlfriend Maggie being with another man and get shocked since she had told him she will be travelling to Santa Fe on an extended film for that Christmas Eve. He realizes that she had betrayed him. Miles and Iris return to Amanda’s house and discuss their tendencies to fall for people who are wrong choice for them, and they grew closer for it. Both being single; they spend more time together. Maggie calls Miles as they were having lunch wanting to see him, and he leaves promising Iris to come to Arthurs Award Ceremony that night. Iris gets back home only to find Jasper, and she breaks up with him after realizing that he was engaged. On the other hand, Miles breaks up with Maggie despite her persuading with him not to break up with her. He realizes that he can never trust her anymore and that she was never meant for him. He then rushes to attend Arthur’s awards ceremony.
Arthur and Iris arrive at the ceremony while Miles asks Iris for a date on New Year’s Eve, and she tells him that she will be back home in London. However, after a few dialogue, Iris tells Miles that she would love to spend the New Year evening with Miles. In the intervening time, Graham confesses his love for Amanda on the night before her departure but Amanda insists it is over since she is rest assured that long distance love would be controversial. On her way to the airport, something comes over her, and she burst into tears and returns to Graham where she finds him also crying. Graham and his daughters and Amanda enjoy the New Year evening together dancing and laughing as well
The film has a not many surprises, and most of all a great subplot around Eli’s character the film revolves around two relationships, the one in the US, and the other one in the UK, which gives it an enormous rhythm. The dialogue is well written, and nothing seems forced or exaggerated. The characters are interesting and shine in their roles.
“I am a book editor from London; you are a trailer maker from LA. We are a world apart” we find Jude Law saying these words to Cameron Diaz whose character makes film trailer. The line is very essential showing how adorably different characters are, yet how felicitously and deeply they tend to understand each other.
The Holiday provides an audience with a two-and-half an hour vacation filled with likeable actors playing charming, charming, likable characters. (Striner, 2011). The Holiday is set during the Christmas Holidays.
Sound Track
Cinematography and Production
This film was shot in different locations. It began in Los Angeles, after which the moved to England and later filmed it back at California. The principal cinematography started on the Westside of Los Angeles where it is reported that the famous Santa Ana winds gave Meyers and her production team a winter day as is depicted in the screenplay. This film portrays cinematography the mechanics of the formula about creating an illusion. It appears that the Lenses attached to the camera during that gives the effect of a Christmas feeling.
Theme of Love
In the film The Holiday we find that there is the theme of love as we find out that Iris and Amanda are swapping homes due to their horrible relationship status. We also find that Amanda is falling in love with Iris’ brother Graham and Iris is falling in love with Miles who is a film composer. The Holiday we find out that it is a sweet romantic comedy attributing, pretty decent acting, pretty houses and pretty people.
The Holiday Christmas Theme
We find out that in the film “The Holiday” has a Christmas theme as it is acted during Christmas festive. We find out that Amanda and Iris swap houses for the Christmas to get over their relationship crises. We find out that Iris is being informed that her spouse Jasper is about to marry another colleague near Christmas. The romantic comedy has a holiday theme. The Holiday’s an impressive holiday treat. There is sufficient fun and frolic to make The Holiday a good choice for a romantic comedy. The Holiday Film, with more Christmas songs, is a warm snuggly romance, seasonal entertainment comedy.
Theme of Appreciating Life
At the peak of the film The Holiday, one of the passionate leads suggests that there is need to celebrate being young and alive. It is should be the best season to smile and appreciate life while young, the writer and director of the film Nancy Meyers comes throughout with another joyful, viscous confection.
Styles Used in the Film
“The Holiday”
The title of the film The Holiday is used to symbolize that as Christ is being born during Christmas Festive, Iris and Amanda want to utilize this holiday to renew their lives by getting over their horrible relationship by swapping their homes.
Irony
It is ironical to find out that the two ladies choose to swap their homes so as go get over their terrible relationship issues. It is ironical to find out that Amanda ends up living in Surrey Cottage which is Iris residence and Iris ends up settling in the city at Amanda’s home.
Dialogue
Dialogue is another style used in the film The Holiday. For instance, we find the dialogue between Amanda and Graham after she realizes he has daughters. We find her asking Graham whether he is married and why he never mentioned to her that she has daughters, and we find Graham explaining that he never mentioned it to women because he does not know how to date and be a father. Also, there is dialogue between Iris and Miles as we see Miles asking Iris to spend with him the Eve of the New Year.
Critics
- The Holiday has been diced seriously by most of film critics in America. For instance one critic included the one who suggested that any many who goes to watch it should be forced to pay with an important part of his anatomy instead of capital.
- The film lacks humor that made “Something’s Gotta Give” have great success. While Graham and Amanda are fine to look at, they are no Nicholas and Keaton. The sad fact is that Iris and Amanda together do not add up to one Diane as much as they try to play the neurotic, stereotypical Meyers heroine. (Gillett, 2008). The routines of Wallach and Winslet though are a delight and ultimately somewhat save the day in a movie that is or else far too charming for its high-quality.
- The mysterious women’s initial meeting in the website is fixed, and it is not possible that they would be patient for approximately two third of their holiday is over so as to speak to each other for the very first time. Insignificant maybe, but there are numerous other evident examples
- The script is often too unfit, leading to scenes that go on for far away too long, and there exist too many explanations for minor plot annoyances.
- Meyers included a stronger male presence in previous films to counterbalance those unusual women, but Miles and Graham do not cut it, alternatively being soft, it is not believable either of Amanda and Iris would find these men attractive.
- Comparing Graham and Miles, Miles offers a bit of funny moments and charm but Graham is basically the same character he always plays.
- Arthur’s entrance as an elderly neighbor raises the bar a little bit, but it sends the movie off onto another unnecessary digression, making it far longer than it should be.
- Meyers knows her audience but she seem to be trying too hard to play up to them and frequently failing.
- The foundation of Meyers’ recent romantic comedy is not predominantly complex but it is not something that results to hilarious circumstances either. There is a lot of romance in the form of the characters with their extrapolation on relationship and love, but it is lacking actual laughs frequently resorting to easy physical restraints.
- Meyers comedy seems to be unoriginal due to its British setting as she seem to be stepping on Richard Curtis’ toes and also stealing the song from Zach Braff’s “Garden Estate”
Impact of the Film to the Society
Meyers’ film the holiday has a great impact on the society. It has a lesson that teaches the whole society on how life is not a swift move rather it is encompassed by ups and downs. The film produces a strong showing people can change from worse for the better. The Holiday teaches the society the need to be strong so as to be able to handle and deal with life challenges. Unlike Iris and Amanda, who swaps their homes so as to have their horrible relationship issues off their heads, one should be in a position to face challenges in life. (Gaines, 2013). We realize that, after swapping homes for two weeks, they discover that there is more to life than their own predicaments. Also, Iris’ character of helping the old man to get to his home is another wonderful trait. It makes her more real, more human and someone very likable and kind. The impact of this film therefore shows how human being should be helpful to the needy as this can bring one blessing and ends up with a good ending.
Conclusion
Women are likely to forgive Meyers for her idea of this formula-driven romantic comedy, as they pass out over the idealistic romantic circumstances. Perhaps The Holiday should be measured an honest date movie on condition that the guys were allowed to leave their testicles at home.
References
Gaines, C., & Petrella, I. (2013). A Christmas story: Behind the scenes of a holiday classic.
Gillett, P. (2008). The British working class in postwar film. Manchester [u.a.: Manchester University Press.
Mazur, E. M. (2011). Encyclopedia of religion and film. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO
Stradling, L. (2010). Production management for TV and film: The professional's guide. London: Methuen Drama.
Striner, R. (2011). Supernatural romance in film: Tales of love, death and the afterlife. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers.
