Review: The Holiday

#114 - The Holiday


The Holiday is a story of two women who are fed up with men, so they swap houses for two weeks to try and sort out their lives. Amanda is a successful movie trailer maker from Los Angeles, and Iris is an editor from Surrey, England. When they agree to live in one another's houses for two weeks, they had no idea their lives would be so effected. Amanda meets Iris's brother, Graham, and sleeps with him under the pretense that she will never see him again...she is wrong. They fall for each other, and Amanda finds out how to care about someone for the first time since she was 15. Iris meets two men while on her visit to LA: Miles, a musical score composer, and Arthur, a 90-year-old man...one of the original Hollywood movie writers. Exploring the history of Hollywood with Arthur brings Miles and Iris together. Both Amanda and Iris weren't planning on finding love, but they did. They are able to finally let go of the things and people who had been holding them back, and they open themselves up to happiness.

This movie started my infatuation with living in a little cottage in the English countryside. I mean, really. The house in this movie is perfection.

I think there is a certain charm to this story. I love that it's not only about finding someone who makes you happy, but it's also about becoming more confident in who you are so you can have control of your own life. Iris turns into a very empowered woman by the end of the film. Amanda was the opposite of Iris. She was a very empowered woman, which is why she wouldn't let anyone in. She pushed away every guy she ever dated because she was afraid of commitment. Here comes Graham, who seemed to be having his own issues with commitment as well, and they found a common ground. These two people who didn't expect to find love, found it. And not only did Amanda open herself up to Graham, but also to his two daughters, Olivia and Sophie. To me, that's what makes Amanda such a great character. She learns a lesson in what is actually important in life. Iris always knew what was important in life, she was just constantly robbed of it by awful men. When she meets Miles, he's the perfect person to fill the gap in her heart. Miles needed someone like Iris in his life too. He even makes a comment about being a perfect gentleman is his problem...women take advantage of it, and they stray from him. Iris is the perfect woman for Miles' perfect gentlemen-like ways.

There are some very touching moments in the movie - like Arthur finally giving in to Iris and agreeing to attend his honor ceremony. He thought only 11 people would show up, but when the doors open and the entire theatre is filled with people...I teared up a bit. Not to mention the score of this movie is great - which it needed to be with how much talk there is about the composition of music in movies by Miles' character. So the music playing when the doors open and then when Miles' special song for Arthur starts playing as he approaches the stairs...waterworks, like seriously.
I also must point out that if you watched the scene where Amanda meets Graham's daughters for the first time, and you DIDN'T feel your heart warm, then you are a horrible person. I mean, as soon as Graham turned on "Dad-Mode" and did Mr. Napkinhead, I fell in love. I am not someone who ever wants kids, but when I see a man who is a great dad and treats his children like gold, I melt.

I hate to bring it up, but now I must mention what I don't like about this film. I do not understand the casting of Cameron Diaz and Jack Black. You have Jude Law and Kate Winslet, who are absolutely phenomenal English actors...and then for the American side of it, we have Black and Diaz? Don't get me wrong, I pull for Miles and Iris to end up almost immediately, but it would be more believable if Jack Black wasn't so annoying. I get that Miles loves movie scores, but Jack Black brings a really irritating personality to Miles' character. And Cameron Diaz has never been good in any movie I've ever seen her in, so for Jude Law to fall in love with her...uh uh. For her character to even hesitate to fall deeply in love with Graham's character, I'm like - you are Cameron Diaz, take what you can get. She also brings an irritating quality to Amanda's character. The whole crying thing is ridiculous as well, but that's a writing issue, not a Cameron Diaz issue.
I don't like to complain without giving a solution, so I will tell you who I would've cast as Amanda and Miles: Miles - Luke or Owen Wilson...heck, I'd even say Ben Stiller. Amanda - ScarJo. Hands down. I think she would've added a lot to this movie.

Overall, this movie is very much like Love Actually...I love it.


I give The Holiday 4.5 out of 5 stars.