movie review the holiday

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Upcoming Movies and TV shows
Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

What's the Tomatometer®?
Login/signup

Movies in theaters

Opening this week
Top box office
Coming soon to theaters
Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

Fandango at Home
Netflix streaming
Prime Video
Most popular streaming movies
What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Link to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
The Fall Guy Link to The Fall Guy
The Last Stop in Yuma County Link to The Last Stop in Yuma County

New TV Tonight

Doctor Who: Season 1
Blood of Zeus: Season 2
Pretty Little Liars: Summer School: Season 2
Black Twitter: A People's History: Season 1
Dark Matter: Season 1
Bodkin: Season 1
Hollywood Con Queen: Season 1
The Chi: Season 6
Reginald the Vampire: Season 2
Love Undercover: Season 1

The Holiday

Where to watch.

Watch The Holiday with a subscription on Netflix, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

What to Know

While it's certainly sweet and even somewhat touching, The Holiday is so thoroughly predictable that audiences may end up opting for an early check-out time.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Nancy Meyers

Cameron Diaz

Kate Winslet

Eli Wallach

Arthur Abbott

Movie Clips

More like this, movie news & guides, this movie is featured in the following articles..

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

For Parents
For Educators
Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

Get the app
Movie Reviews
Best Movie Lists
Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

Best TV Lists
Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
Common Sense Selections for TV
Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

Book Reviews
Best Book Lists
Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

Game Reviews
Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

Podcast Reviews
Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

App Reviews
Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

YouTube Channel Reviews
YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

Explaining the News to Our Kids

Family Tech Planners
Digital Skills
All Articles
Latino Culture
Black Voices
Asian Stories
Native Narratives
LGBTQ+ Pride
Best of Diverse Representation List

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

The holiday, common sense media reviewers.

Women swap homes in festive romcom; language, sex.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Romantic comedy features silly and sad situations

No real positive role models.

Amanda's movie trailer features explosions and stu

Several instances of kissing and embracing (twice

Language includes one "f--k" and one near "f--k" (

Sony Vaio laptop, Audi , Lexus, Pepcid, Google.

Drunkenness used as means to sexual liaisons; drin

Positive Messages

Romantic comedy features silly and sad situations (cheating partners, recollections of missing parents) in order to motivate the eventual appropriate coupling.

Positive Role Models

Violence & scariness.

Amanda's movie trailer features explosions and stunts (very brief); Amanda punches Ethan, knocking him to the ground; Amanda hits her head on the cottage stair.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Several instances of kissing and embracing (twice in bed, though no nudity); two drunken sexual encounters -- characters drink together and discuss what happened later; two men admit cheating on their partners; discussions of "foreplay."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Language includes one "f--k" and one near "f--k" (it's obvious what she's saying, though the word ends before the "k"); sexual slang ("shagging," "boob"); at least one of each of these: "s--t," "piss," "ass," "bitch," "hell," "codger," "schmuck."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Drinking, drugs & smoking.

Drunkenness used as means to sexual liaisons; drinking in social situations (parties) as well as to assuage heartache; liquor, wine, sake, and beer; cigarette smoking; reference to valium.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this romcom will probably appeal to teens, who could get mixed messages from some of the characters' behavior. Several scenes focus on drinking and drunkenness; two of them lead to sexual encounters. This unsafe behavior is presented as cute comedy. Plus, a single father suggests that he sometimes gets drunk to "compartmentalize" his life and deal with his sadness over his lost wife and the pressures of being a fulltime dad. Characters frequently get emotional. A woman punches her cheating boyfriend so hard that he falls to the ground. A couple of "f--k"s and other minor language. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

Parents say (7)
Kids say (28)

Based on 7 parent reviews

Predictable but cute.

What's the story.

Trying to forget a romance gone wrong, London-based journalist Iris ( Kate Winslet ) trades her cottage for movie-trailer-editor Amanda's ( Cameron Diaz ) Beverly Hills mansion. Amanda is also angry at an ex-boyfriend. Book editor Graham ( Jude Law ) shows up drunk on the English cottage porch, expecting to be put up by his sister (Iris). He winds up having sex with lonely, angry, and perfectly witty Amanda instead. In L.A., Iris is charmed by her retired screenwriter neighbor ( Eli Wallach ), but soon finds her age-appropriate mate in composer Miles ( Jack Black ), who's grappling with his own relationship troubles, but seems instantly attracted to Iris as well.

Is It Any Good?

Seasonal and sweet, THE HOLIDAY offers precious few surprises. Like almost every romantic comedy, it introduces the to-be-coupled characters, sets a couple of emotional obstacles in their paths, until at last -- 138 minutes later -- they realize what you've known all along.

While Black is plainly still too much in love with himself, he does bring a welcome energy to his role. Writer-director Nancy Meyers has developed a kind of shtick in which beautiful, wealthy, well-dressed characters articulate recognizable but abstract clichéd "issues" as substitutes for more compelling details or developments. Since such issues are easily fixed (or deflected) by the proper partner in movies, the plots tend to just go through the motions. The movie's one surprise may be that by the end, even Winslet, so consistently lovely and frankly brilliant, looks as stifled as Iris.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the idea of swapping houses, lives, or situations, which is increasingly popular in the age of reality TV and the Internet. Who would you want to switch with? Where might you like to spend two weeks?

What's the appeal of romcoms? Does it bother you if the story is predictable? Why or why not?

How does this compare to other romantic comedies you've seen?

Movie Details

In theaters : December 7, 2006
On DVD or streaming : March 13, 2007
Cast : Cameron Diaz , Jude Law , Kate Winslet
Director : Nancy Meyers
Inclusion Information : Female directors, Female actors, Latino actors
Studio : Columbia Tristar
Genre : Comedy
Run time : 138 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : for sexual content and some strong language.
Last updated : February 4, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

Bridget Jones's Diary

Want personalized picks for your kids' age and interests?

Love Actually

Something's Gotta Give

Romantic comedies, romance movies.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Notice: All forms on this website are temporarily down for maintenance. You will not be able to complete a form to request information or a resource. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reactivate the forms as soon as possible.

DVD & Streaming

The Holiday

Comedy , Romance

Content Caution

In Theaters

Kate Winslet as Iris Simpkins; Cameron Diaz as Amanda Woods; Jude Law as Graham Simpkins; Jack Black as Miles; Eli Wallach as Arthur Abbott; Rufus Sewell as Jasper Bloom

Home Release Date

Nancy Meyers

Distributor

Sony Pictures

Movie Review

In England, Iris Simpkins just can’t seem to get over her dream man. More than three years after her relationship ended with a co-worker she still eyes his every move from across the room and turns spineless whenever he’s around. It’s even rumored she continues to do his laundry. Finally, their odd, lingering connection hits a wall when he conveniently fails to mention his engagement to another co-worker. Iris is devastated.

In Los Angeles, Amanda Woods is at a similar crossroads. The Hollywood advertising exec has just dumped her boyfriend after discovering he cheated on her. She’s had it with men, with relationships, with life . On a whim she searches the Internet for a getaway locale and discovers Iris’ cozy English cottage is up for rent. There’s a catch, though: it’s a “house exchange,” meaning Iris and Amanda would have to literally swap homes for two weeks.

With the loneliness of the Christmas holidays already setting in on these two singles, they both decide to go for it and take a much-needed vacation. Iris quickly finds out that sometimes a change of scenery is all it takes as she stumbles into a friendship with Miles, a movie soundtrack composer who works with Amanda. Meanwhile, back in England, Amanda’s hitting it off with Graham—who just happens to be Iris’ brother.

Positive Elements

Iris sees an old man wandering lost around her neighborhood in L.A. and gives him a ride back home. The kind gesture sparks a sweet relationship between the two, and Iris comes to discover that the retiree, named Arthur Abbott, used to be one of Hollywood’s premier screenwriters. She later convinces him to accept a lifetime achievement award from the Writers Guild Association by offering to help him walk again without the use of a walker. In the end, Iris’ tough love helps him achieve the unexpected.

The negative impact of divorce on teenagers gets highlighted through a story shared by Amanda. In a tender scene, a couple of Arthur’s friends considerately reminisce and sing the praises of his remarkable wife who’s passed on.

Spiritual Elements

Amanda jokingly prays for the ability to shed a tear. After getting invited to a Hanukah party hosted by Iris, Miles comments that he didn’t know she had joined the local temple.

Sexual Content

Scant minutes after meeting, Amanda and Graham kiss passionately and end up in the bedroom. More than once we see them tangled in the sheets post-sex. On one occasion Amanda is shown in her bra while Graham appears shirtless.

Why do the two consummate their infatuation so quickly? Despite being a widowed father of two who’s earnestly trying to do the best he can as a single parent, Graham is a womanizer with a long list of one-night stands. He justifies this “other side” by explaining that compartmentalizing his life in such a way is the only way he can stay sane and potentially meet the right woman.

Amanda, on the other hand, is too wrapped up in her work to be concerned about sex. Therefore, with the same segregating mentality as Graham, she reasons away her impromptu physical relationship as simply a no-strings-attached, two-week fling. “This is what a vacation is all about—do the unexpected,” she says, trying to justify it to herself.

When their purely physical relationship seems to be turning into something more, the couple does admit that “sex makes everything complicated, even when you don’t have it.” Unfortunately, their conclusion is simply that, in light of this, “it’s usually better to have sex.”

Beyond this flimsy philosophizing about carnal desires, several crude and frank comments revolve around sex. Stories are told about both Iris’ and Amanda’s sexual pasts, and how their former lovers cheated on them with co-workers. (Amanda’s ex has the nerve to partially blame his cheating on her.) During a phone call, Iris’ old flame seductively reminisces about the way she looked in a bikini, despite the fact that he’s engaged to another woman. She also comments about Graham “getting into [Amanda’s] knickers.”

After a night of drinking, Amanda is embarrassed to find her bra on a chair in the living room. The camera also catches her bathing in a tub filled with bubbles. Several women wear low-cut dresses.

Violent Content

Amanda lands two hard blows to the face of her cheating boyfriend. One of her movie trailers is shown twice, and the action-flick promo is loaded with gunshots and a big explosion. Once in England, Amanda has trouble adjusting to driving on the opposite side she’s used to, and during a trip into town she almost runs over a bicyclist and comes close to colliding with an oncoming vehicle. While staying at Rosewood Cottage, she accidentally bumps her head (hard) on one of the house’s beams.

Crude or Profane Language

Miles uses the f-word once. Iris starts to, but the obscenity gets cut off. The s-word is also spoken once. God’s name gets misused almost two-dozen times. And more than a dozen other milder profanities are used, as are British crudities “bloody” and “b-gger.” Graham predicts one of his young daughters will be “a real ball-buster.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

Alcohol plays a major part in this cross-Pond singles scene. While casual drinking at holiday parties, dinners, etc., is predictably omnipresent, the movie also makes light of getting drunk. Graham first meets Amanda while he’s “inordinately p—ed,” and she later drinks herself unconscious. She also guzzles from a bottle while shopping. Wine, champagne, sake, brandy and beer all get downed or mentioned.

A friend of Iris’ smokes a cigarette at an office party. While playing a favorite character for his young daughters, Graham pretends to smoke, but later tells them that “smoking’s really bad for you.” Iris jokes that her last New Year’s was brought in with tears and valium.

Other Negative Elements

A depressed Iris lights a match over her gas stove, then, after putting out the match, tries to inhale the toxic fumes. She almost immediately chokes and questions her own sanity, and the whole scene ends up getting played for laughs. While standing outside Iris’ house, Graham threatens to urinate on her doorstep if he isn’t allowed to use the restroom.

As the “totally with it,” modern, über-chick flick, The Holiday leaves no stone unturned when it comes to offering the expected benchmarks of the genre. If women don’t swoon over Jude Law’s good looks or single-dad charm, they’ll certainly fall for Jack Black’s surprising sensitivity and (less surprising) sense of humor. They’ll be expected to cry over the tenderness of Kate Winslet’s friendship with an old Hollywood veteran, and they’ll cheer at her “you go, girl!” rant against an ex. They’ll laugh at the Cameron Diaz dance-in-your-pajamas montage. The moviemakers even toss in an adorable puppy that’ll melt the hearts of even some men.

Incredibly, none of those formulaic concepts are a detriment to this slow-building affair. They actually end up adding up to what becomes an unexpectedly inspired take on singleness in the 21st century. As Iris, Kate Winslet brilliantly offers a telling glimpse of the tragic depths those searching for love will go to receive it, even when they know it will soon fade away. Yet it’s the follow-through on that insightful point that spoils the film—namely, the lax, completely postmodern take on sex. Iris and Miles’ friendship is not at fault here, as it remains refreshingly innocent throughout. But Graham and Cameron Diaz’ Amanda are a whole other—immoral—story.

In the movie’s opening scenes, the camera catches a glimpse of Graham as Iris narrates to us that “love can be found—even for just a night.” It’s a minor, foreshadowing line that’s hardly noticed in the midst of her monologue. And yet it becomes an underlying theme of The Holiday . Graham and Amanda’s meet-greet-and-slip-between-the-sheets introduction seemingly happens because these two attractive, lonely people have nothing better to do. That wild, impromptu, “meaningless” sex leads to more fooling around until, eventually, true love comes and slaps them in the face, rewarding them for their wanton efforts.

Of course by the time that magic moment rolls around, most moviegoers will have already dismissed the couple’s torrid beginnings. We’ve learned too much about their tragic histories to blame them for such a “minor” indiscretion, haven’t we? Sure, they may be imperfect individuals who sleep around a lot, but boy, are they perfect for each other or what?!

And without realizing it, we’ve bought the lie that sex is a singles’ sport. Winners are awarded lifelong love. Losers just have to keep playing the game. And the prettier (or handsomer) you are, the better your odds become.

Marcus Yoars

Latest reviews.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Not Another Church Movie

Mother of the Bride

The Fall Guy

Weekly reviews straight to your inbox.

The Holiday Review

08 Dec 2006

NaN minutes

Holiday, The

Writer-director Nancy Meyers proved she knew what women want with her 2000 hit of the same name, and satisfied the under-served older female audience with Something’s Gotta Give. Now she’s lunging for the Christmas chick-flick market with a festive romantic comedy that makes Love Actually look positively gritty.

Beautiful, rich, workaholic Amanda (Diaz) has just ejected her cheating boyfriend (Ed Burns) from her palatial LA mansion and fancies a change of scene. Like, say, a snow-covered Surrey cottage where lovelorn Iris (Winslet) pines for the roguish colleague (Rufus Sewell) who might still be dating her if he wasn’t engaged to someone else. A few clicks on a holiday-exchange website later, and Iris is giddily exploring her new capacious Cali accommodations, while Amanda looks quizzically at her quaint bathroom plumbing.

Love arrives, as it must, in the form of Iris’ drunken brother Graham (Law), who hopes to crash at his sister’s pad and instead discovers a horny goddess who thinks foreplay is “overrated”. Over in LA, film composer Miles (Black) hits it off with Iris. Since this is a movie, obstacles are placed in the path of both romances, and not just the ticking clock that will tear both couples apart after two weeks.

If the Long Island-set Something’s Gotta Give was a slice of pure Hamptons porn, then this is Hollywood porn and English countryside porn: rustic charm and LA luxury living, all wrapped up in a big, red Christmas bow. Meyers revels in every glossy detailof upscale consumption, the big-screen incarnation of Elle Decoration magazine.

One fresh development is an unlikely strain of in-joke knowingness about movie narrative. Iris should be the leading lady of her story, she’s told at one point, but she’s stuck playing the best friend part. Amanda hallucinates her own life story as a series of corny film trailers. These flourishes won’t be giving Charlie Kaufman any sleepless nights, but do give the film a fun, brainy sheen.

We could, however, have done without Meyers’ sermons indicting the hollowness of modern film production and distribution (yes, really); also her nostalgic yearning for more innocent Hollywood times. Let’s face it, The Holiday is a tinsel-tied package of cute comedy and skilfully performed emotion that will be relentlessly marketed at its target demographic of females over 25. Who, in other words, is she kidding?

Movies | 04 12 2018

Movies | 11 12 2006

Movies | 06 12 2006

Become a Critical Movie Critic
Movie Review Archives

Movie Review: The Holiday (2006)

Caitlin Maggs
Movie Reviews
One response
--> July 18, 2008

It’s been a while since a decent romantic comedy hit our screens since the likes of Richard Curtis’ Notting Hill in the late 1990’s. Recently though, I had the opportunity to see an engaging Christmas film, The Holiday . It stars Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet in roles that us ‘non-celebrities’ can actually relate to.

The Holiday tells the story of two women living completely opposite lives. Iris, played by Kate Winslet ( Titanic ), is an insecure English journalist living in a beautiful country cottage. Amanda, acted by Cameron Diaz ( Charlie’s Angels ), is a wealthy advertiser living in a swanky Hollywood estate. The only things Iris and Amanda have in common is their man headaches and their dire need for a holiday to escape them. So they swap homes for two weeks and soon discover there is more to life than their own problems.

This witty, yet rather slow moving tale is the perfect movie to cull up to and watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It boasts a star studded cast and pairs them up in an unusual sort of way. Cameron Diaz hooks up with the dashing Jude Law, who plays Iris’ older brother Graham, while Kate Winslet teams up with the comic Jack Black (of all people) who plays Amanda’s musician friend Miles. Amazingly these couplings work and watching the chemistry between them sizzle is enough to even keep your granny awake! There is some superb acting from Winslet – her choice in this role really shows off her variability. Diaz, on the other hand, continues to play the ditzy blonde with a conscience role, which, though it is repetitive, is not boring…yet. All together this becomes a much deeper story than your average chick-flick.

The standout however, is the What Women Want director Nancy Meyers – she clearly does know what women want! Her writing and directing of The Holiday has produced another strong showing about how people can change for the better, how life does have ups and has downs and how you just have to deal with it and have a good time. That is what it is all about and I think that the message will really rub off on the audience as they watch it. It also has itself a satisfying and heart-warming ending that, aside from being a little cheesy, suits the film well (it is the kind of finish you need for a Christmas flick).

The Holiday will genuinely surprise you with its unique pairings and its well-told story that has the ability to make you laugh with joy one moment and cry out loud the next. It is a decent, fun movie, good for all.

I'm a hopeless romantic and will tend to watch anything in that genre. My favourite shows are Doctor Who, Grey's Anatomy, The Vicar Of Dibley, Charmed and Jane Austen adaptations. Movies I enjoy are Narnia, Indiana Jones, Walk The Line, musicals like Oklahoma and Sound Of Music. X

Movie Review: An Education (2009) Movie Review: The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009) Movie Review: Doubt (2008) Movie Review: The Reader (2008) Movie Review: Brideshead Revisited (2008) Movie Review: The Duchess (2008) Movie Review: Miss Potter (2006)

'Movie Review: The Holiday (2006)' has 1 comment

June 18, 2010 @ 6:25 am Lynne

I really like the sound of this movie. I am not normally a chick flick fan but you seem to rate it a bit better than that, sounds like its well worth a look.

| Log in

Life & style
Environment

The Holiday

The Holiday: “20 thoughts I had while watching the romcom for the first time”

Newsletters
Account Activating this button will toggle the display of additional content Account Sign out

Move Over, Love Actually. There’s a New Christmas Movie to Fight About This Year.

Bickering over christmas movies is a hallowed holiday tradition. and no film is more deliciously divisive than the holiday ..

Holiday checklist time: You’ve sent out your cards. You’ve got your presents. You’ve made your travel arrangements. But there’s one last thing to take care of: Have you settled on the pointless Christmas movie fight you’re going to have this year?

The Die Hard thing has grown stale . I checked to see if there’s anyone out there who thinks Die Hard specifically isn’t a Christmas movie, and there is exactly one person: Bill Simmons . If that’s the company you want to keep, have at it.

And Love Actually ? Do you think society hasn’t adjudicated to death whether that movie—celebrating its 20 th anniversary this year!—is problematic, fatphobic, and bad, actually? It’s all been said, often very delightfully , but still, so many times .

You need a better low-stakes debate to wage with your family or significant other this year, and that is why I humbly suggest a new entry to the “dumb movies to fight about at Christmas” canon: The Holiday . You may have seen it before, given that it came out in 2006, but you may not have realized quite how perfect it is for this specific purpose. The Holiday , despite being on the surface a harmless rom-com that takes place at Christmas time, is actually surprisingly divisive.

The movie is also literally divisive, or at least divided , in the sense that it tells two parallel stories. To refresh your memory, The Holiday drops us into the lives of two unlucky-in-love women: Kate Winslet’s sad-sack Iris is an English newspaper writer who finds out the co-worker who’s been stringing her along for years has gotten engaged to another woman, while Cameron Diaz’s Amanda has a booming business editing movie trailers in L.A., but her boyfriend can’t handle her independence and Type A–ness, which leads to him cheating on her and them breaking up. Both feeling an itch to escape their problems and get out of town, the two women find each other online at a vacation rentals website, and then, after an instant message conversation where they act like it’s normal to read all your messages out loud, Amanda heads for Iris’ cozy cottage and Iris to Amanda’s sun-dappled mansion. In their new locations, each happens to meet a charming man, and then we’re off to the races.

When The Holiday first came out, consensus skewed negative: It was only a modest hit in theaters, and critics didn’t exactly embrace it, with reviews calling it “formulaic” and “flat.” But opinion has shifted more and more toward the positive over the years, as writer-director Nancy Meyers herself has acknowledged: In 2020, she told Vulture , “If anybody in 2006 in December, when that movie came out, told me 14 years later someone’s going to say, ‘When it’s December, you watch The Holiday ’—what can I tell you? Time will tell. The audience is everything.”

Cut to this year, and we’ve got movie theaters hosting special screenings — at least one of which Diaz popped by —and outlets like Yahoo News running articles headlined, “ Why Are Gen Z and Young Millennials So Obsessed With 00’s Rom-Com ‘The Holiday’ ?” The Yahoo piece poses a few answers to that question, from the plausible (like “aughts nostalgia,” which is definitely a big thing) to the less so (“astrological relevance” seems like a stretch), but doesn’t fully get to the bottom of it. Elsewhere in the content mines, listicles and pieces about The Holiday overfloweth: People is telling us where the cast is now , Vogue is calling Diaz’s movie wardrobe its “winter style inspiration,” Mashable loves the scene set in a Blockbuster, Refinery29 wants to argue about whether it’s a Christmas movie, someone baked a miniature version of one of the houses from the movie … and so on. It’s getting out of hand. Last year, there was a whole news cycle about how the movie wasn’t getting a sequel , despite fans’ clamoring.

But The Holiday isn’t universally beloved, and is in fact weirdly polarizing—I know this firsthand because, to out myself, I happen to be one of the people who doesn’t like it. It’s not because I don’t like this sort of thing—I am, on the contrary, very dorkily so into this sort of thing that earlier this year I took a class on the work of Nora Ephron and Nancy Meyers . But The Holiday has always felt like two not-interesting-enough-to-be-their-own-movie stories grafted together to me, with stock characters who weren’t nearly as interesting as Meyers’ middle-aged protagonists. When it came time to discuss it in my class, I assumed everyone would be on the same page as me in considering it easily one of Meyers’ worst films. That wasn’t the case at all: Extremely smart people whose taste I respected spoke very convincingly about how much they adore this movie, to my utter bewilderment. They found its writing charming, they were moved by Iris’ friendship with the old man who turned out to be a screenwriter in Golden Age Hollywood, and they noted how perfectly it fit that Amanda, who hasn’t cried since her father left when she was a kid, winds up with a single father.

Their exaltations and the movie’s sizable online fandom notwithstanding, I don’t see it. To me (and the rest of what I assume is the silent Holiday majority out there), this movie is a nothingburger. But I can’t deny that others very much do see it, that to them it’s a somethingburger, and that’s what makes this movie a perfect candidate for fighting about with your loved ones. I’m telling you, I have a hunch that if you polled viewers on whether they like this movie, the results would be both unpredictable across normal party lines and swing state–level close. As a thread on Twitter (aka X) that got millions of views last week illustrated, people get up in arms about this movie, and some of the people picking the fights are the people who claim to love it most.

The twin storylines are key to this movie’s strength as an object of debate: They mean there’s double the things to disagree about. A common refrain is to say that you wish the movie was actually all one story, but strangely enough, this gets said about both narratives: For every person who claims they wish the movie was just Kate Winslet and Jack Black, there’s another one who says it would be better if they cut out Winslet and Black and the movie was only Diaz and Jude Law. You can also disagree about the levels of chemistry: Winslet and Black have none! No, it’s Diaz and Law who have none! And where Love Actually ’s body-shaming is so passé, there’s a more subtle discussion to be had here concerning beauty standards: Are Winslet and Black supposed to be the more normal-looking and approachable couple here? Is that a knock on Winslet? Or is it a knock on Black to even suggest as much? I’m telling you: Endless matrices for disagreement!

After revisiting The Holiday to write about its elevation to Christmas movie fight classic, I still don’t like it, but I do appreciate it more. It’s not one of those paper-thin TV Christmas movies that get churned out nowadays. That it can withstand all these rewatches and arguments has to mean something about how it was built. In 2006, they still knew how to make bad movies that were also kind of good … or good movies that were also kind of bad, depending on how you see it. In any case, may The Holiday hold over you and yours until next year, when we can pick another movie to fight about.

Holiday, The (United States, 2006)

The Holiday is no vacation. Sloppy writing, an overindulgent editor, and poor casting have taken an intriguing premise and transformed it into an uneven mess. The movie follows the lives of two women at Christmastime who trade houses. One story, while neither surprising nor groundbreaking, is moderately entertaining. The other feels like filler and ends up consuming about 45 minutes of the film's bloated 135-minute running time. The theory, I suppose, is that viewers get two romances for the price of one. In reality, one isn't always the loneliest number - sometimes it's the best fit.

With films like What Women Want and Something's Gotta Give , director Nancy Meyers has established herself as a filmmaker who aims squarely at the adult female demographic. In the past, however, her films have possessed a broad enough entertainment base to appeal to members of both sexes. The Holiday , however, is an inferior product. Sure, it addresses some interesting female issues, but it's way too long and plodding, the dialogue is a string of clichés, and the term "overly familiar" would be a kind way to describe the narrative. 30 minutes into the movie (it takes that long to wade through the setup and figure out who all the characters are), you know with absolute certainty how things are going to end.

Although the premise is simple, it takes forever to get going. The movie spins its wheels for a half-hour establishing that British newspaper writer Iris (Kate Winslet) has been struck down with a bad case of unrequited love and that American movie marketer Amanda (Cameron Diaz) has lost part of her soul. Both need to get away for Christmas so, via a house-swap site on the Internet, they agree to switch domiciles for two weeks. Iris gets a swanky Beverly Hills pad, complete with a pool and eccentric neighbors like composer Miles (Jack Black) and Hollywood writing legend Arthur Abbott (Eli Wallach). Amanda ends up with a picturesque Surrey cottage whose sole benefit is a nighttime visit by Iris' drunk brother, Graham (Jude Law). Of course, Iris is paired with Miles and Amanda hooks up with Graham.

The movie is free of anything resembling a surprise, which would be okay if the romances were appealing enough to captivate an audience. After all, some of the best romantic comedies are entirely predictable. Unfortunately, there are issues in The Holiday . The Cameron Diaz/Jude Law pairing is fine. There's a light connection between these two and we don't mind watching them fall in love while pretending they're not. Unfortunately, Kate Winslet doesn't fare as well. Her story appears to have been included as an afterthought. It lacks direction and cohesion. Jack Black is a disaster as a leading man; one can't take him seriously in a romance, and he includes off-the-wall moments of "Black humor" (humming theme songs at the top of his lungs in a video store) that take him completely out of character. As for Winslet's love affair, suffice it to say there's more chemistry between her and Eli Wallach than between her and Black. Viewers end up hoping for a May/December romance if only to spare her from having to melt into Black's embrace.

One of the biggest flaws with the movie is its failed attempt to interweave Iris' story with Amanda's. For those who aren't overly cynical, the latter tale exhibits a certain level of low-key magic. We care about the characters and would like to see them end up together. However, the constant cuts to Iris' Los Angeles experiences leave us stranded in a plot we couldn't care less about. Much as I like Winslet (and her acting in this film is of the highest caliber), she is let down by the writing here. Meyers is evidently a lot more interested in Amanda than Iris, and it shows in the screenplay. (Maybe this has something to do with identifying with Amanda, who is escaping from the Hollywood rat-race.)

The Holiday doesn't contain a lot of laugh-out-loud moments, although there is a hilarious sequence in which Iris conducts a three-way call (via call waiting) with Amanda and Graham. Jack Black's antics, although kept mostly in check, may cause a few of his fans to giggle, but I found them to be both out of place and unfunny. At this stage of his career, Black does not have the acting chops to play a straight role as his occasional slips into broad comedy prove. One can't help wonder how much more compelling Iris' story might have been with a different male lead.

The best that can be said about The Holiday is that it's the best of 2006's crop of Christmas-themes movies, but that's not high praise considering that the other contenders are The Santa Clause 3 and Deck the Halls . There are some good ideas here and some worthwhile scenes, but Meyers can't figure out how to streamline her chick-flick version of The Prince and the Pauper and the result is frustrating (because it could have been better) and annoying (because it isn't). For the most part, women will like The Holiday better than men, but it's hard to imagine anyone thinking of this as more than a romantic misfire.

Comments Add Comment

Say Anything (1969)
It Happened One Night (1934)
Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
Bounty Hunter, The (2010)
Home Again (2017)
He's All That (2021)
Shrek (2001)
Being John Malkovich (1999)
My Sister's Keeper (2009)
Other Woman, The (2014)
In Her Shoes (2005)
Any Given Sunday (1999)
Titanic (1997)
Hamlet (1996)
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Collateral Beauty (2016)
Wonder Wheel (2017)
All the King's Men (2006)
Gattaca (1997)
Closer (2004)
Hugo (2011)
eXistenZ (0199)
Breaking and Entering (2006)

Skip to main content
Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Performing Arts
Pop Culture

The 2021 holiday movie guide: 100+ new films to get you in the spirit

Linda Holmes

Nina Dobrev and Jimmy O. Yang in Love Hard . Bettina Strauss/Netflix hide caption

Nina Dobrev and Jimmy O. Yang in Love Hard .

Every year, more outlets offer holiday movies (and by that I mean overwhelmingly Christmas movies, but occasionally not). And the places that offer them seem to offer more . It has become a kudzu situation. How are we getting VH1 holiday movies now? How did Food Network get involved ?

Nonetheless, here we are for the third year in a row to look at this year's crop, complete with trope elements in bold. A few notes:

1. I didn't cover most of the kids' movies or animated movies. This is primarily a guide to the romances and romantic comedies that are so very thick on the ground at this time of year, plus a few that seem to be specifically aimed at adults but not aren't romances (some are kind of mushy and inspirational).

2. It's entirely possible I missed something somewhere. There is no centralized repository of holiday offerings other than ones created by other fallible journalists and writers, and so I tip my hat to some of the people who I cross-checked with to make sure there wasn't anything I missed: especially TV Line and the very helpful and exhaustive catalog maintained by this Tumblr user . The ones that have already premiered are most likely still rerunning from now until Christmas, so don't be dismayed if they've already aired once!

In honor of one of my favorite titles of the year, An Ice Wine Christmas , here's a photo from that film, starring Roselyn Sanchez and Lyriq Bent. Lifetime hide caption

In honor of one of my favorite titles of the year, An Ice Wine Christmas , here's a photo from that film, starring Roselyn Sanchez and Lyriq Bent.

3. As a concession to the shortness of life and a desire to keep this guide somewhere in the vicinity of a hundred movies, there are a few outlets I didn't individually write up , but who do have movies coming. Being a completist at this point is just not practical. I skipped a few from ION Television, Roku, Tubi, Crackle, and a couple other places, including two that are only going to be on Hallmark's streaming service. (I think two different Hallmark cable networks is enough.) Also of note, former Hallmark executive Bill Abbott is now running a new cable channel called GAC Family, which says it celebrates "American culture, lifestyle and heritage." There's very little information on their site about most of their films, but if that sounds appealing, you can check out their lineup .

4. More inclusive content is something I hope for every year and am glad for every year when it comes up. I commend to you some commentary from the writer Tressie McMillan Cottom recently about holiday movies, and especially about Hallmark's Christmas In Harmony . If you're looking for more Black leads, you'll find more at Lifetime than at Hallmark, but even at Hallmark, the tide is turning somewhat. There is a lot to be said about this. Take Dr. McMillan Cottom's words under advisement.

With that said, let's dive in.

You, Me & The Christmas Trees

A headstrong expert on evergreens ( cool job alert ) heads to a man's family business , a tree farm, to help him save his trees from certain death. (Hallmark, 10/22)

Raymond Ablack and Catherine Haena in Boyfriends of Christmas Past . Albert Camicioli/Crown Media hide caption

Raymond Ablack and Catherine Haena in Boyfriends of Christmas Past .

Boyfriends of Christmas Past

Lauren is visited by ... well, the ghosts of her old boyfriends. (Hallmark, 10/23)

Christmas In My Heart

A violinist and a "reclusive country music star" are "joined through the connective power of music." Sounds dangerous. (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 10/23)

The Santa Stakeout

Two undercover detectives (Tamera Mowry-Housley, Paul Campbell) put on a fake relationship as newlyweds to bust a string of ... holiday party heists? Sure, okay. (Hallmark, 10/24)

Christmas in Harmony

You'll note that some of these premiere dates are in the past; the reason those are included is that in most cases, they will continue to air and stream all season, and this way you can look them up if you're interested.

A woman named Harmony (yuuuup) auditions for a chorus so she can perform music directed by her ex-boyfriend . (Hallmark, 10/29)

Coyote Creek Christmas

Event planning brings two people together. (Seriously, that's all I know. I don't know any more!) (Hallmark, 10/30)

The Christmas Promise

A grieving woman hires a hot helpful man to help renovate a house . (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 10/30)

Here are the Books We Love: 360+ great 2021 reads recommended by NPR

Christmas sail.

A woman comes back to her hometown with her moppet daughter and meets up with her old friend . (Hallmark, 10/31)

A Rich Christmas

A dad sends his spoiled daughter off to work with unhoused folks to teach her a lesson about the true meaning of Christmas . (BET+, 11/4)

A woman impulsively flies out for a holiday visit with a guy she's been talking to on a dating app on the Amazing Internet. When she realizes she's been catfished and identities are scrambled , the regular guy agrees to make it up to her by setting her up with the guy she thought she was getting. (Netflix, 11/5)

Gingerbread Miracle

They are packing a lot into this one: His family business is a Mexican bakery that makes cookies that grant wishes . She's his old friend . (Hallmark, 11/5)

Next Stop, Christmas

We all get frustrated with holiday travel , but this woman has a particularly peculiar experience: She gets on a magic train back to her hometown and goes 10 years into the past, where she gets to consider: What if she picked a different guy? (Note: The supporting cast includes Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson! In a time-travel movie! Get it?) (Hallmark, 11/6)

Debbie Macomber's A Mrs. Miracle Christmas

There are a lot of branding words in this title. As for what it's actually about: Mrs. Miracle helps a couple rediscover the true meaning of Christmas . (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 11/6)

Want to make tastier, prettier pies? A baker tells us where to tart

Father christmas is back.

Kelsey Grammer plays the big jerk dad of four daughters who are reunited at their ostentatious house and surprised when said dad shows up. (Netflix, 11/7)

A Christmas Treasure

Former American Idol Jordin Sparks plays a woman opens a time capsule and meets a chef (...sure), which motivates her to consider moving to New York (as you do after opening a time capsule and/or meeting a chef). (Hallmark, 11/7)

Christmas With A Prince: The Royal Baby

Did you know there's a "Christmas With A Prince" series about the royal-ish that's different from the "Christmas Prince" series on Netflix? There is, and this is the third movie in it. (UPtv, 11/7)

Open by Christmas

A woman and her friend look for the writer of an anonymous Christmas card from high school. (Hallmark, 11/12)

Ice Wine Christmas

A sommelier goes home to ... Evergreen (PUN TOWN ALERT!) ... for the annual "ice wine festival ," only to find that a Suit Man is planning to commercialize Christmas ice wine after taking over from her "ice wine mentor." Seriously, I missed holiday movies so much. (Lifetime, 11/12)

My Christmas Family Tree

In a premise so potentially sketchy it makes my teeth itch, a woman takes a DNA test, finds new relatives , and goes to see them for Christmas. (Hallmark, 11/13)

A Picture Perfect Holiday

A photographer (Tatyana Ali!) goes to a "Christmas photography retreat" (sure) and winds up in trapped together in a cabin with a wildlife photographer. (Lifetime, 11/13)

One December Night

I hardly know where to begin! Peter Gallagher (!) and Bruce Campbell (!!) play rock star dads (!!!) who have to be brought together at Christmas . (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 11/13)

A Snowy Christmas

A woman goes back to her family home for Christmas, and she needs to save the place ! Will she be able to rely on this hot helpful man who just showed up? (UPtv, 11/13)

A Holiday in Harlem

Another one jam-packed with classic setups: A hard-charging career woman returns to her hometown to care for her injured grandmother and winds up reconnecting with her old best friend to run the neighborhood holiday party . (Hallmark, 11/14)

Snowed In For Christmas

An au pair is snowed in with the family she works for, and she's going to teach these moppets and their hot uncle about the true meaning of Christmas . (UPtv, 11/14)

Vanessa Hudgens, Vanessa Hudgens and Vanessa Hudgens star in The Princess Switch 3: Romancing The Star . Mark Mainz/Netflix hide caption

Vanessa Hudgens, Vanessa Hudgens and Vanessa Hudgens star in The Princess Switch 3: Romancing The Star .

The Princess Switch 3: Romancing The Star

You might remember that The Princess Switch , in which there were two royal-ish Vanessa Hudgenses, was followed by The Princess Switch 2 , in which there were three Vanessa Hudgenses. It appears that they have decided three is the limit for now, because there are still the same three Vanessa Hudgenses in The Princess Switch 3: Romancing The Star . If you want four Vanessa Hudgenses, you might have to wait for Princess Switch 4: Four Vanessa Hudgenses . (Netflix, 11/18)

Nantucket Noel

In a setup so familiar it seems like they have to have already made this movie at least once, a woman discovers that developers are going to take down the wharf (!) where her adorable small business , a toy store (!!), is located. But the developer's son is a surprisingly hot enemy , soooooooo maybe that will help? (Hallmark, 11/19)

Dancing Through The Snow

When a clip of a hot single dad and his moppet daughter doing ballet together goes viral on the Amazing Internet , he suddenly becomes a sensation. But he's into his daughter's ballet teacher! (Lifetime, 11/19)

Candy Coated Christmas

Okay, apparently it's now mandatory for everyone to make a Christmas movie, which is the only explanation I have for the fact that Discovery+, via the Food Network, has this one coming out, in which a woman goes back to her mom's charming hometown to save the family business and runs into a baker played by the Pioneer Woman. CAN WE JUST STOP ADDING OUTLETS THAT MAKE CHRISTMAS MOVIES? (Discovery+, 11/19)

A Christmas Together With You

A woman and her "father figure" head out on a road trip looking for the love of his life, but maybe she'll find the love of hers ! (Hallmark, 11/20)

You Make It Feel Like Christmas

A career woman is too busy to come home for Christmas, but an ex-boyfriend sets out to get her to return. (Lifetime, 11/20)

How to host meaningful gatherings — without stressing yourself out

Here's how to host a meaningful gathering

Five more minutes.

Anything I tell you about this movie would pale in comparison to the fact that it is based on a song about the passage of time by Scotty McCreery, the former American Idol contestant. (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 11/20)

Mistletoe and Molly

A woman who's a "waitress and animal lover" is getting desperate for a break, because she needs to fix her car and it's almost Christmas! I wonder if this hot helpful man can do anything for her. (UPtv, 11/20)

Who Is Christmas Eve?

A woman who was left at a church as an infant learns about her past with the help of her boyfriend. (Bounce, 11/21)

A Kiss Before Christmas

A guy who's too nice to get ahead in business (sigh) magically wakes up in an alternate reality where he wasn't so nice, and he doesn't have his family but he has lots of money, and only you can make a guess as to what he will conclude about the big question: What if he had money but not love? (Hallmark, 11/21)

Baking Spirits Bright

A woman's family business is selling fruitcakes. (Hey, she likes fruitcakes.) They hire a Suit Man to help with marketing, and she has to, I'm sure, make sure that the true meaning of fruitcake is not lost. (Lifetime, 11/21)

Christmas on 5th Avenue

A "professional wish granter" ( cool job alert ) is redecorating for a writer who won't be home for Christmas. But then he is home after all! Can she make him rediscover the true meaning of Christmas ? (UPtv, 11/21)

The Nine Kittens of Christmas

If you know anything about these movies, you know that The Nine Lives of Christmas , in which Brandon Routh played a firefighter who met a girl and got a cat , is one of the best ones. Now, there's a sequel that's been given prized placement on Thanksgiving. But it suggests that the couple from the first one is getting back together in this one, which means they broke up so that they have to be brought together at Christmas , and now all my old Christmases are ruined. (Hallmark, 11/25)

Christmas Deja Vu

Amber Riley plays a woman who wishes she had pursued a singing career, and an angel is ready to give her a look at what if she had that life. (BET+, 11/25)

House of Gucci is a spicy meatball

LISTEN & FOLLOW
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Amazon Music

Your support helps make our show possible and unlocks access to our sponsor-free feed.

A Castle For Christmas

Netflix has put a lot of its Christmas muscle into somewhat younger demos with movies like The Princess Switch franchise and the Christmas Prince franchise. But like Hallmark and Lifetime, it knows that some of the holiday-movie bread is buttered with cholesterol-free alternatives, so it's putting a lot of weight behind this more mature romance starring Cary Elwes and Brooke Shields as a royal-ish castle owner and a writer who do not hit it off when she tries to buy his ostentatious house , a.k.a. castle. (Don't you hate it when somebody you don't like wants to buy your castle?) (Netflix, 11/26)

Christmas CEO

A woman who owns a small business (a toy company !) gets a chance to sell out big-time, but her former business partner — is he the one who got away ? — has to agree. (Hallmark, 11/26)

An Unexpected Christmas

A writer gets his ex-girlfriend to enter into a fake relationship and pretend to be his current girlfriend. (Hallmark, 11/26)

Reba McEntire and John Schneider in Reba McEntire's Christmas In Tune. Lifetime hide caption

Reba McEntire and John Schneider in Reba McEntire's Christmas In Tune.

Reba McEntire's Christmas In Tune

In a movie that pulls out all the stops for its intended audience, beloved famouses Reba McEntire and John Schneider play exes , an estranged singing team whose daughter (too old to be a moppet , but same difference) tries to bring them together for Christmas to participate in a charity event . But they still hate each other! Just kidding. (Lifetime, 11/26)

Making Spirits Bright

This story involves — let me consult my notes — "the son and daughter of rival holiday decorating families." Oh, that old story. Anyway, decorating contest , hot enemies , new bonds, and probably somebody pitching in at the end when somebody else has trouble. Maybe they'll team up? (Hallmark, 11/27)

Christmas at Castle Hart

Hallmark staple Lacey Chabert plays a woman who goes to Ireland to research her family and is mistaken for an elite event planner when identities are scrambled , which winds up getting her stuck planning a party for a big fancy royal-ish Irish dude. I hate when that happens. (Hallmark, 11/27)

Merry Liddle Christmas Baby

The next installment in this franchise finds Jacquie (Kelly Rowland!) getting ready for a baby . (Lifetime, 11/27)

Time For Them To Come Home For Christmas

This somewhat unwieldy title belongs to a movie about a woman with amnesia who can only figure out who she is by going to the Christmas festival . Producer is ... Blake Shelton. (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 11/27)

Christmas in Tahoe

A woman's family owns a charming hotel , which naturally has an annual Christmas show (...?). To save the show this year, she has to approach her former boyfriend ... and his band (NO!). (Hallmark, 11/28)

The Christmas Contest

Hallmark staple Candace Cameron Bure stars as a woman who competes against some hot rival to win money for charity ? And the whole charming town gets in on it? Details are sketchy. (Hallmark, 11/28)

Tia Mowry and Smokey Robinson in Miracle in Motor City. Lifetime hide caption

Tia Mowry and Smokey Robinson in Miracle in Motor City.

Miracle in Motor City

Tia Mowry plays a woman who's event-planning her church's Christmas celebration and winds up leading them to believe beloved famous Smokey Robinson is coming. (Shades of Marcia Brady and Davy Jones.) She and her ex-boyfriend have to get together and try to get Smokey to come! (No spoilers, but, uh, Smokey's in the movie.) (Lifetime, 11/28)

Welcome to the Christmas Family Reunion

A singer named Tiffanie Christmas (YES!) is having a family reunion, and her event planner has enough challenges without falling for Tiffanie Christmas' cousin! (Lifetime, 11/29)

Adventures in Christmasing

Kim Fields plays a talk show host whose hot enemy is a survivalist dude she has to work with for a Special Christmas Event . (VH1, 11/29)

A Christmas Wish

A single mom needs a miracle at Christmas. Information is very minimal! (BET+, 11/30)

A Chestnut Family Christmas

A live-in chef invites her family to her boss' place for the holidays, but identities are scrambled to the degree that her family thinks she lives there herself. (OWN, 11/30)

Match Made In Mistletoe

A woman is hired to do the interior design for an embassy, but the ambassador (whom you can consider royal-ish for this purpose) doesn't like her style and makes her his hot enemy , because he's "minimalist." (LOL.) Will they learn to get along while she decorates? (Lifetime, 12/1)

The Business of Christmas 2

It's a sequel , obviously, and the children of the Franklin family are learning to get along without their dad. (BET+, 12/2)

The trailer for Netflix's Single All The Way.

Single All The Way

My personal pick for "I can't wait to see this one" is this film in which (the great) Michael Urie plays a guy who gets a friend to fake a relationship and pretend to be his boyfriend when he goes home for Christmas . When his mother, played by (the great) Kathy Najimy sets him up with an entirely different hottie, things get awkward. Jennifer Coolidge is around also, and it's a story with a gay lead going home to his family where it seems to have nothing whatsoever to do with either coming out or family disapproval, and that is a nice change. (Netflix, 12/2)

A Christmas Village Romance

I could not stop laughing at this title, because I kept wanting to type it as A Christmas Village Christmas , which would be the best movie title ever. Aaaanyway, a romance novelist discovers that a "charming pioneer village" (absolutely no idea) is "struggling to stay afloat" (in what sense?), she sponsors a big party for Christmas. But she gets all kinds of friction from the (checks notes) "blacksmith and town historian." (Lifetime, 12/2)

The Bitch Who Stole Christmas

RuPaul and some absolute queens appear in this parody in which a journalist goes to a small town where someone is trying to destroy Christmas. (VH1, 12/2)

Eight Gifts of Hanukkah

Someone asked recently whether Hallmark made Hanukkah movies, and I said occasionally, and hey, here is one! And unlike some in the past, it doesn't look like it's exclusively about Hanukkah as an alternative to Christmas. This one has a Hanukkah secret admirer . (Hallmark, 12/3)

Book Reviews

Ann patchett reflects on love and relationships in new essay collection, a christmas dance reunion.

They're closing the resort! Better try to save the place with one last Christmas celebration ! That's why Lucy and her mother go off into the snow, where they run into her ex-dance-partner who are brought together at Christmas . There's presumably some pretty good dancing here, since Monique Coleman and Corbin Bleu (reuniting from High School Musical !) are the leads. (Lifetime, 12/3)

A Very Merry Bridesmaid

A woman whose birthday is on Christmas Eve (the worst) also has a brother whose wedding is going to be on Christmas Eve (sir!). So it's up to her old crush to give her an actual birthday. (Hallmark, 12/4)

Kirk Franklin's A Gospel Christmas

A woman becomes lead pastor of a church only a month before Christmas, and she needs some help to get ready for the Winter Jamboree ! Kirk Franklin appears in and wrote music for this one. (Lifetime, 12/4)

A Clusterfunke Christmas

A comedy parody of the kind of movie that populates the rest of this list, this movie is by Ana Gasteyer and Rachel Dratch, and it's about a career woman who goes to a small town to buy an inn, and I can't really list tropes because it's specifically about tropes! But I will watch it. (Comedy Central, 12/4)

Our Christmas Journey

Holly Robinson Peete is a single mom of a son with autism, and something happens around Christmas, but the description doesn't really say what it is. I guess that's the Christmas journey! (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 12/4)

Movie Reviews

New york times doc on janet jackson's super bowl scandal leaves questions unanswered, christmas under the stars.

A "Christmas blogger" ( job from 2006 alert ) heads to a place called Christmas World (I mean, it makes sense) to get some delicious content. The guy who's about to inherit Christmas World needs her help to save the place ! (UPtv, 12/4)

Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday

I'm not sure how I went this long without knowing that Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Ashley Williams are actual sisters, but they are, and they're both experienced holiday movie people, so here they are together! Real relatives playing relatives! Apparently, their uncle has just died , and he owned the theater in their town. So the sister, widowed single mom, comes back to town to help save the theater (maybe?), and she meets up with her onetime rival from the debate team, so that sounds hot . (Hallmark, 12/5)

My Favorite Christmas Melody

Mýa plays a woman who can write real songs but is off writing jingles. (This is nothing to be ashamed of, it seems to me!) The high school music teacher in her hometown gets her involved in trying to save the arts programs at the school. Hopefully, she teaches all the kids that there's no shame in making a living in the arts, even if it means you write jingles! (Lifetime, 12/5)

A Furry Little Christmas

(I just want to make it clear that I don't write the titles of these things.) A doctor (a city guy) meets a vet (a small-town girl), just in time for Christmas. (UPtv, 12/5)

Secretly Santa

There's one every year where I just think, "You have to quote the entire thing, or it won't come through." So here's the official description: "Miranda (Alicia Dea Josipovic) and Paul (Travis Nelson) are business rivals who accidentally meet at a costumed Santa crawl and spend a romantic evening together without learning each other's identities. As their anonymous romance continues online, their businesses merge, forcing them into an unwanted partnership. As they clash while working together on a holiday gift-giving app, their hearts must reconcile their online love when unexpected feelings develop for one another." (Lifetime, 12/6)

Hip Hop Family Christmas

A hip-hop celebrity family agrees to do a Christmas special to improve their image. Ne-Yo is in it! (VH1, 12/7)

Christmas Movie Magic

A woman journalist is assigned to write about the anniversary of a beloved Christmas movie, so she goes to the small town where it was filmed. (So far so good; this could be my life.) She meets up with the theater owner, and they explore the history of the movie's big song. (Lifetime, 12/7)

A Sisterly Christmas

Two sisters who just couldn't be more different (one loves Christmas! one hates Christmas !) are brought together on a vacation, but they encounter an old rival . (OWN, 12/7)

Christmas with a Crown

A woman goes back to her hometown to look after her family's Christmas festival . There, she meets a man whom she does not realize is royal-ish : a prince in disguise! That never happens to me when I'm planning my family's Christmas festival! (Lifetime, 12/8)

Merry Switchmas

Twin sisters decide to switch places at the family Christmas party ! Identities are scrambled ! (BET+, 12/9)

A Fiance for Christmas

A woman invents a fiance, and then she has to get a guy to pretend to be her fiance , and that sounds like a recipe for disaster! (Hey, it's beloved famous Marie Osmond!) (Lifetime, 12/9)

A Dickens of a Holiday!

So ... a woman lives in a small town that has a "Victorian festival ." And the best way to make its 100th anniversary a smash is to invite back a local celebrity: the guy she went to high school with , who's now a movie star , and who she wants to play Scrooge in A Christmas Carol . (Hallmark, 12/10)

Mario Lopez and Emeraude Toubia in Holiday in Santa Fe . Lifetime hide caption

Mario Lopez and Emeraude Toubia in Holiday in Santa Fe .

Holiday in Santa Fe

Mario Lopez plays a guy whose family business makes holiday decor. When a Suit Woman shows up who might want to buy the company, they have to get to know each other. (Lifetime, 12/10)

A Royal Queens Christmas

I think you will agree this title sounds like it could be about a lot of things, but here's what it's actually about, per the Hallmark description: "A prince finds his way to Queens during Christmas when a local woman enlists his help with a children's Christmas show ." I have a lot of questions. (Hallmark, 12/11)

The Holiday Fix-Up

A TV star who does a home renovation show gets assigned to fix up a hotel in her hometown for Christmas. But who's the contractor she'll be working with? HER OLD FLAME ! (Lifetime, 12/11)

A Godwink Christmas: Miracle of Love

So this is a continuation of this Godwink franchise in which the idea is that coincidences are God winking. Like, they are literally winks of God. "Godwinks." Apparently, this movie about a woman who wants to be a nurse and a man who also is "at a crossroads" (...?) involves a sort of Habitat For Humanity-like setup as well as a "medical miracle." (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 12/11)

Hot Mess Holiday

Again, I know everyone wants to get into this business, but Comedy Central, guys? COMEDY CENTRAL? Anyway, a woman gets dumped during Diwali (okay, I do appreciate an expansion of what "holiday movie" means!), and she and her best friend go on a wild partying tear through Chicago, and they end up with a diamond. (Comedy Central, 12/11)

Sister Swap: Christmas in the City

I originally thought they had listed a movie twice, but no! See, while the one sister goes back home to save the theater, her sister goes and takes her place at her restaurant to help prepare for a contest . And she meets a man! So these movies are paired, you see: it's a sister swap, and each one gets a movie. It's like The Holiday , if it had been two movies. (Hallmark, 12/12)

People Presents: Blending Christmas

I am candidly irate that this is not a movie about someone who owns a Santa-themed smoothie company, but WHATEVER. It's actually about a couple who comes together with their wacky families for what's supposed to be a proposal, but then things get crazy and the families have to cooperate to get them back together. Note that this movie features not one but four members of the original Brady Bunch cast plus Cousin Oliver playing, I believe, various family members! What a time to be alive. (Lifetime, 12/12)

Fixing Up Christmas

A woman who does event planning for "difficult clients" has to put together a party for a Suit Man . (UPtv, 12/12)

Maps & Mistletoe

A "cartographer of school maps" (um, cool job alert) has to get together with an actual North Pole explorer to work on a special Christmas project for work. (Lifetime, 12/13)

Let's Get Merried

A woman (who hates Christmas ) is on a bachelorette weekend right around Christmas when she meets and marries some dude. Will it remain a fake relationship ? (VH1, 12/13)

Dan Jeannotte and Annie Clark in Ghosts of Christmas Past. Danielle Blancher/Lifetime hide caption

Dan Jeannotte and Annie Clark in Ghosts of Christmas Past.

Ghosts Of Christmas Past

A woman who ghosts people on dating apps (PUN TITLE!) gets into a whole thing with a fortune teller who says she has to close the loop with some of her dates or she'll never fall in love. (Wow, okay, worst fortune teller ever.) (Lifetime, 12/14)

A Christmas Stray

I mean, it is what it says it is! A man is not at all into Christmas, but then a stray dog finds him. (OWN, 12/14)

The Enchanted Christmas Cake

(Don't eat cursed food, guys.) Anyhoo, a woman running the family bakery after her grandmother's death is trying to figure out the Enchanted Christmas Cake recipe , and when a baking TV show wants to film in her town, she agrees to help. And that producer is looking pretty good! (Lifetime, 12/15)

A California Christmas: City Lights

In a sequel to last year's classic (?) A California Christmas , hard times come upon the owners of the ... dairy-farm-slash-winery. (Netflix, 12/16)

Christmas By Chance

The woman's name is Chance, and her small business is By Chance Gifts, and the rich guy who comes in to get her to put together a proposal to his girlfriend probably never suspects that she's going to be his big ... chance. (Lifetime, 12/16)

Mistletoe in Montana

Melissa Joan Hart owns a ranch that entertains city people, including a hot single dad and his kids. What a ... ride! (Lifetime, 12/17)

The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls

The Christmas House was famous last year for being the Pigs Flying movie for people who believed Hallmark might never include a gay couple, even in a supporting position in a family ensemble. This year, the whole wacky family is back to decorate houses in a brutal competition . Including the gay brother! (Hallmark, 12/18)

Toying With The Holidays

A "workaholic" woman and her moppet son go back to her hometown , only to find that the model train she loves isn't running anymore this Christmas! She better fix that, because tradition is the true meaning of Christmas , and she better hope there's an old friend and model-train guy in town to help. (Lifetime, 12/18)

Christmas For Keeps

Some friends get together over the holidays to celebrate their high school teacher back in their hometown . (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 12/18)

'Tis the Season to be Merry

A writer wants to work on her relationship book, so she goes off to Vermont (the most Christmas-y of destinations) and meets a guy. (Hallmark, 12/19)

Elise Bauman and Tattiawna Jones in Under the Christmas Tree. Albert Camicioli/Lifetime hide caption

Elise Bauman and Tattiawna Jones in Under the Christmas Tree.

Under The Christmas Tree

A "marketing whiz" and a "Christmas tree whisperer" (!) ( cool job alert ) clash over the latter's discovery of a perfect tree for a special project in the former's backyard. Will they get over themselves and stop being hot enemies ? WILL THEY? Take note and note well: They're both women! (Lifetime, 12/19)

Christmas Together

A woman rents a young father's guest house and falls in love. (UPtv, 12/19)

Candy Cane Candidate

A woman smarting from a city council loss retreats to her hometown , but what's this? She meets up with her old high school rival who beat her in student government elections? And the mayor just resigned, meaning they have to run against each other again in an emergency election? That sounds like she's going to have a terrible Christmas full of nothing but stress! (Lifetime, 12/20)

Miracles Across 125th Street

Nick Cannon stars as a rapper who goes to church on Christmas Eve to deal with some pretty heavy personal business. (VH1, 12/20)

The Christmas Ball

A fired ballerina goes home to find that her family's ostentatious house is at risk, and the only way to save it is to work with a local historian to put on a grand ball that will recall the place of the "family manor" in history. (Lifetime, 12/21)

It Takes A Christmas Village

The town has a " Christmas market ," but the beautiful mayor can only make it work by convincing a local mean recluse to let the city use his mill! I bet it won't work and Christmas will be canceled. (Lifetime, 12/22)

Rebuilding A Dream Christmas

(Not, by the way, Requiem for a Dream Christmas , which would be a whole different thing.) A woman returns to her hometown to fix up a property she inherited. Whom will she hire to work on the place? Not this hot single dad ! (Lifetime, 12/23)

Hot Chocolate Holiday

A woman whose coffee shop (the coziest possible small business ) is famous for its hot chocolate decides that a rival shop has ripped off her hot cocoa "recipe," which she can tell from its distinct taste. (Let me guess: Chocolate and milk?) But of course, as they are literally fighting over hot cocoa as hot enemies , they can't help falling in love. (Lifetime, 12/24)

Writing Around The Christmas Tree

A romance novelist goes on a writing retreat and meets a dude who is also a writer , who tells her she shouldn't write romance unless she gets herself some, and I am here to tell you this man should be escorted out the nearest window, but apparently he has some serious charm, because she gets to know him instead. (Lifetime, 12/25)

Christmas For Sale

A real estate agent impersonates the yoga instructor to a billionaire (yes, with a B) in order to pursue a real estate listing (?), but even though identities are scrambled , she kinda likes him. (BET+, date TBD)

The Jenkins Family Christmas

The first Christmas in a big family after the death of a parent is a big deal, but it's safe to say it's a bigger deal when, as here, a previously unknown additional sibling shows up for the holidays. (BET+, available now)

A man who owes money to the mob goes into hiding as a mall Santa. (This is a pretty good setup. Easy moppet story!) (BET+, available now)

Tickets & Showtimes
Trending on RT

"Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong" About... The Holiday

Special guest and rare beasts writer-director billie piper takes on the grinches who called nancy meyers' modern yuletide classic an over-egged, rotten christmas mess..

TAGGED AS: christmas movies , Holidays , movies , Rom-Com , romantic comedy

No podcast fans, your ears do not deceive you: It’s August, the country is sweltering, and we – like your local Cracker Barrel gift shop – are rolling out the Christmas things, with a brand-new episode devoted to Nancy Meyers’ house-swap rom-com, The Holiday .

Now, before you can say “But we haven’t even done pumpkin season yet!”, hear us out. The Holiday is an absolute Christmas cracker of a film and worthy of debate, any time of year: two rom-coms in one, with some of Hollywood’s most charming and beautiful people at the peaks of their powers, and enough real-estate porn to rival a 24-hour HGTV marathon.

Also, it was the film of choice for a very special podcast guest, but we will get to that in a minute.

If you are one of the rare movie lovers who doesn’t check in with the movie every December, here’s a quick refresher: LA-based movie trailer producer Amanda (Cameron Diaz) swaps her SoCal manse for the Surrey cottage of British journalist Iris (Kate Winslet), both women looking to get away from their day-to-day lives for a holiday. (OK, “vacation” for the Americans.) Each discovers a little something about themselves while away, as well as the potential loves of their lives in the form of Jude Law (for Amanda) and Jack Black (for Iris).

Oh, and Eli Wallach shows up to steal the entire movie as a Golden Age Hollywood screenwriter.

Sounds divine, right? Well, according to critics at the time of its 2006 release, it was a little too divine, with the schmaltz laid on too thickly and the story far too predictable. They slapped the film with a Rotten Tomatometer Score of 49%; fans, on the other land, have grown to love it, and its Audience Score stands at a very lovely 80% Fresh.

One such fan is British actor Billie Piper , who joins us for our latest episode of Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong to stand up for The Holiday as well as to chat about her debut film as a writer and director, the very un- Holiday -like Rare Beasts , a savage comedy that some critics are calling a nervy and auspicious debut. Will she convince regular RT Is Wrong co-hosts and notorious grinches Mark Ellis and Jacqueline Coley that The Holiday deserves to be a Christmas classic?

Check in every Thursday for a new episode of Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong (A Podcast From Rotten Tomatoes) . Each week, hosts Jacqueline and Mark and guests go deep and settle the score on some of the most beloved – and despised – movies and TV shows ever made, directly taking on the statement we hear from so many fans: “Rotten Tomatoes is wrong.”

Check out some more episodes of Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong:

Episode 29: “Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong” About… Joker
Episode 30: “Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong” About… Video-Game Movies (with WWE superstar Xavier Woods)
Episode 31: “Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong” About… Game of Thrones ‘ Final Season
Episode 34: “Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong” About… Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
Episode 35: “Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong” About… Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
Episode 36: “Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong” About… Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
Episode 37: “Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong” About… Aladdin
Episode 41: “Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong” About… Tenet
Episode 42: “Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong” About… Armageddon
Episode 43: “Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong” About… Iron Man 2
Episode 44: “Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong” About… Space Jam
Episode 46: “Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong” About… Constantine (Bonus Episode)
Episode 47: “Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong” About… Suicide Squad (2016)
Episode 48: “Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong” About… Twilight

If you have a suggestion for a movie or show you think we should do an episode on, let us know in the comments, or email us at [email protected] .

Meet the hosts

Jacqueline Coley is an editor at Rotten Tomatoes, with a focus on awards and indie coverage but with a passion for everything , from the MCU to musicals and period pieces. Coley is a regular moderator at conventions and other events, can be seen on Access Hollywood and other shows, and will not stand Constantine slander of any kind. Follow Jacqueline on Twitter: @THATjacqueline .

Mark Ellis is a comedian and contributing editor for Rotten Tomatoes. He currently hosts the Rotten Tomatoes series Versus , among others, and can be seen co-hosting the sports entertainment phenomenon Movie Trivia Schmoedown. His favorite Star Wars movie is Jedi (guess which one!), his favorite person is actually a dog (his beloved stepdaughter Mollie), and – thanks to this podcast – he’s about to watch Burlesque for the first time in his life. Follow Mark on Twitter: @markellislive .

On an Apple device? Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Apple News .

Related News

Owen Teague and Wes Ball Break Down a Scene From Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes First Reviews: A Thoughtful, Visually Stunning, Action-Packed Triumph

Furiosa First Reactions: Brutal, Masterful, and Absolutely Epic

More RT Podcast

Rotten Tomatoes Awards Tour Podcast

Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong

“Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong” About… How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Movie & TV News

Featured on rt.

Rotten Tomatoes Predicts the 2024 Emmy Nominations

May 10, 2024

100 Best Movies on Tubi (May 2024)

The Best Shows on Amazon Prime Video to Watch Right Now (May 2024)

66 Best Baseball Movies of All Time

Top Headlines

100 Best Movies on Tubi (May 2024) –
The Best Shows on Amazon Prime Video to Watch Right Now (May 2024) –
66 Best Baseball Movies of All Time –
The 100 Best Movies on Amazon Prime Video (May 2024) –
Planet of the Apes In Order: How to Watch the Movies Chronologically –
Planet of the Apes Movies Ranked by Tomatometer –

Movie review: 'The Fall Guy' jumpstarts the summer movie season

May 9, 2024
Sebastian Petrou Griffith

Ryan Gosling, left, and Emily Blunt in “The Fall Guy.” Credit: Universal Pictures/TNS

When April meets May, the unofficial summer movie season kicks off, ending a long and treacherous few months of movie purgatory between the holiday season and summer break.

Around this time, theaters begin to bloom with an abundance of “popcorn flicks” — fun, lighthearted action or comedy movies that serve as a good time out for a wide range of audiences. “The Fall Guy,” the latest film starring Ryan Gosling (“Barbie,” “La La Land”), checks all those boxes as it commences 2024’s summer movie season.

Directed by stuntman-turned-director David Leitch, who oversaw “Deadpool 2” (2018) and “Bullet Train” (2022), “The Fall Guy” co-stars Emily Blunt (“Oppenheimer,” “A Quiet Place), as Jody Moreno, a first-time director in need of a stuntman after her previous one disappeared under mysterious circumstances. This comes in the form of Gosling’s Colt Seavers, who just so happened to date Moreno on a past movie set before he suffered a back-breaking accident performing a stunt and was forced to quit his job.

The awkward romance that still lingers between the duo grows even more complicated when Colt is tasked with tracking down the superstar actor he stunts for, Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), who also has gone awol.

“The Fall Guy” is Leitch’s love letter to the underappreciated role of the stuntman, a theme that absolutely permeates throughout the 125-minute runtime. Every aspect of the film is over-the-top and in-your-face, from the constant explosions of the stunts to the absurdist subplot of Colt investigating the absence of his missing actor.

Like Leitch’s previous films, particularly “Deadpool 2,” the humor is meta, with Gosling often breaking the fourth wall, as well as the plot centering around the behind-the-scenes of a campy space film that frequently pokes fun at movies like “Dune” and “Mad Max.” The humor works most of the time, though the physical comedy and recurring jokes are more consistent than the one-liners, which sometimes fall flat.

It’s ironic that “The Fall Guy” starts off with Gosling’s character breaking his back, because Gosling’s back must hurt from carrying the film. He and Blunt both put in excellent performances, and no one would expect any less after their respective Oscar nominations for “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.” The pair has innate chemistry that sustains the movie and keeps audiences entertained in a surprisingly touching romance.

“The Fall Guy” is at its best when Leitch takes a step back from directing the written quips and lets Gosling drive the movie forward with his natural charisma, but runs into issues when it gets too caught up in replicating the success of Leitch’s prior films.

In particular, Colt’s meta dialogue often seems like it was written for Ryan Reynolds, the star of “Deadpool” who is infamous for breaking character and the fourth wall, instead of Gosling. Gosling fits much better into the role of the character than Reynolds would, so it’s a shame that there’s a dissonance that lingers over the movie when it becomes obvious that some of Colt’s character quirks weren’t molded for the “right” Ryan.

In addition to the sometimes half-baked jokes, the CGI for “The Fall Guy” is genuinely awful, although it doesn’t necessarily always detract from the experience. Most of the time, it adds to the tacky charm of the backstage comedy; however, there are points at which it seems pretty ironic that a movie about stuntmen relies so heavily on computer-generated action.

All in all, “The Fall Guy” is a refreshing, digestible action-romcom that highlights an unsung subgroup of Hollywood glamor. The movie doesn’t quite know when to step off the brakes at times with its layered plot and barrage of banter, but it’s hard not to have a fun time sitting in a theater with a full bucket of popcorn watching Gosling — and his stuntman — set themselves on fire, bungee jump off buildings and drive cars over cliffs.

Rating: 3/5

On Tuesday, the Franklin County Coroner’s Office identified the individual who died after falling from the southeast side of the Ohio Stadium during Sunday's commencement ceremony. Credit: Katie Good

Coroner’s office identifies individual who died at Sunday’s commencement ceremony, says incident is being investigated as death by suicide

One dead and one injured after saturday night shooting near fairgrounds, men’s tennis: no. 1 buckeyes sweep cleveland state 4-0 in first round of ncaa tournament, advance to face oklahoma state saturday.

Ohio State freshman left fielder Isaac Cadena stands on second base in the Buckeyes 13-9 victory over Youngstown State. Cadena would knock in his career-high in RBIs (4) in the contest. Credit: Courtesy of Ohio State Athletics

Baseball: Buckeyes notch win against Youngstown State, improve to two games above .500

One person dead after falling from the bell tower side of the shoe sunday, men’s basketball: buckeyes land duke transfer sean stewart.

Gigi Humeidan and her family at the ECMO Symposium Friday at the Wexner Medical Center. From left to right: Rola Humeidan, Kelly Renee, Gigi Humeidan, Dr. Nakush Mokadom, Monjed Humeidan, Manar Humeidan and Emily Humeidan. Credit: Courtesy of Gigi Humeidan

Ohio State student shares heart transplant journey at ECMO Symposium

Commencement speaker christopher pan gives speech, emphasizes importance of diverse perspectives, baseball: buckeyes total 18 runs on 16 hits to beat the akron zips.

Cast & crew

Chris Evans and Dwayne Johnson in Red One (2024)

After a shocking abduction from the North Pole, the Commander of the E.L.F. Task Force must partner with the world's most infamous bounty hunter to save Christmas. After a shocking abduction from the North Pole, the Commander of the E.L.F. Task Force must partner with the world's most infamous bounty hunter to save Christmas. After a shocking abduction from the North Pole, the Commander of the E.L.F. Task Force must partner with the world's most infamous bounty hunter to save Christmas.

Jake Kasdan
Chris Morgan
Hiram Garcia
Dwayne Johnson
Chris Evans

Dwayne Johnson and J.K. Simmons in Red One (2024)

Callum Drift

Jack O'Malley

Santa Claus

(credit only)

Machinist Merc

All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

Trivia Both Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans had cameo appearances in Free Guy (2021) .
How long will Red One be? Powered by Alexa
November 15, 2024 (United States)
United States
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Amazon MGM Studios
Chris Morgan Productions
Seven Bucks Productions
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

Runtime 1 hour 42 minutes
Dolby Atmos

More to explore

‘The Idea of You’ Review: Surviving Celebrity

Anne Hathaway headlines a movie that’s got a lot to say about the perils of fame.

Share full article

A man and a woman, both wearing sunglasses, walk down a city street. The man has his arm around the woman, who is holding a cup of coffee.

By Alissa Wilkinson

Women of a certain age (that is, my age) feel like they grew up alongside Anne Hathaway, because, well, we did. We were awkward teens together when she made “The Princess Diaries” in 2001. We felt ourselves to be put-upon entry-level hirelings right when “The Devil Wears Prada” came out in 2006. We understood her broken-down narcissistic addict in “Rachel Getting Married,” because who couldn’t? And we watched the Hathaway backlash, pegged to public perception that she was trying too hard, and worried that people saw us the same way.

Now we’re 40-ish. We know for sure that Gen Z considers millennials to be cringe, and, thankfully, we no longer feel the need to care. The greatest gift of reaching middle age is having settled into yourself, and that is apparently what Hathaway, age 41, has done . She has been through the celebrity wringer (and more ) and come out the other side looking radiant, with a long list of credits in movies that swing from standard commercial fare to auteurist masterpieces.

This is perhaps why it’s so satisfying to see her name come first — alone, before the title credit — in “The Idea of You,” which is on its surface a relatively fluffy little film. Based on the sleeper hit novel by Robinne Lee, “The Idea of You” is plainly fantasy, in the fan fiction mold, that poses the question: What if Harry Styles, the British megastar and former frontman of One Direction, fell madly in love with a hot 40-year-old mom? In this universe, the Styles character is Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine), the British frontman of a five-member boy band called August Moon.

Hathaway plays Solène Marchand, an art gallery owner whose arrogantly useless ex-husband, Daniel (Reid Scott), buys v.i.p. meet-and-greet tickets for their 16-year-old daughter, Izzy (Ella Rubin), and her two best friends, all of whom were huge August Moon fans … in the seventh grade.

The event is at Coachella, and Daniel is set to take the teenagers but backs out at the last second, citing a work emergency. Solène reluctantly agrees to take them, and while at the festival, mistakes Hayes’s trailer for the bathroom. They meet, it’s cute, and you can guess what happens next.

Or can you? It was clear about 10 minutes into the movie that what was required for enjoyment was to surrender to the daydreaming, and so, with very little internal protest, I did. How could I resist? Solène is smart, competent, kind and secure; she has great hair and a great wardrobe; and most important, she seems like a real person, even if the situation in which she finds herself greatly stretches the bonds of credibility.

More than once, I was struck by how authentically 40 Solène seemed to me — a woman capable of making her own decisions, even ones she thinks might be ill-advised — and how weirdly rare it is to see that kind of character in a movie. She has a kid, and friends, and a career. She reads books and looks at art, and she is flattered by this 24-year-old superstar’s attention but takes a long time to come around to the idea that it may not be a joke.

Solène also feels real shame and real resolve in the course of the winding fairy tale story, which predictably has to go south. But most of all, she’s in a movie that doesn’t try to shame her, or patronize her, or make her appear ridiculous for having desires and fantasies of her own. She’s just who she is, and it’s simple to understand her appeal to someone whose life has never been his own.

Directed by Michael Showalter, who wrote the adapted screenplay with Jennifer Westfeldt, “The Idea of You” succeeds mostly because of Hathaway’s performance, though she and Galitzine spark and banter pleasurably (and he can dance and sing, too). It tweaks the novel in a number of ways — Hayes is older than the book’s character, for one thing — and also seems to implicitly know it’s a movie, and that movies have a strange relationship with age-gap romances.

In fact, that’s one of its strengths. Several times, characters remark on the double standard attached to people’s judgment of Solène and Hayes’s relationship, hypothesizing that in a gender-swapped situation, people would be high-fiving the older man who landed the hot younger star. Sixteen years looks like a lot on paper, but in the movies, at least, it is barely a blip.

That musing is interesting enough, if a familiar one. More fascinating in “The Idea of You” is its treatment of the cage of celebrity. Hayes seems mature compared with his bandmates and the girls who follow them around, but he’s also clearly stuck in some kind of arrested development. And I do mean stuck: He is self-aware enough to tell Solène, plaintively, that he auditioned for the band when he was 14 and not much has changed beyond his level of fame. He wants a life beyond the spotlight, badly.

And that’s just what he can’t get. Neither can Solène, nor, eventually, anyone around her. The idea of living a quiet life might obviously be out of reach, but the added elements of tabloid news and rabid fans unafraid to treat Hayes as if they know him make things far worse. The film starts to feel a little like the tale of a monster, but the monster is parasociality, encouraged by the illusion of intimacy that the modern superstar machine relies on to keep selling tickets and merch and albums and whatever else keeps the star in the spotlight.

It’s probably coincidental that “The Idea of You” comes on the heels of Taylor Swift’s latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” on which she strongly implies that her carefully cultivated fandom has made her love life a nightmare. But spiritually, at least, they’re of a piece — even if the origins of the film’s plot seem as much borne of parasociality as a critique of it. And that makes Hathaway’s performance extra poignant. She’s been dragged into that buzz saw before. And somehow, she’s figured out how to make a life on the other side of it.

The Idea of You Rated R for getting hot and heavy, plus some language. Running time: 1 hour 55 minutes. Watch on Prime Video .

Alissa Wilkinson is a Times movie critic. She’s been writing about movies since 2005. More about Alissa Wilkinson

Explore More in TV and Movies

Not sure what to watch next we can help.a.

Andy Serkis, the star of the earlier “Planet of the Apes” movies, and Owen Teague, the new lead, discuss the latest film in the franchise , “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.”

The HBO series “The Sympathizer” is not just a good story, it’s a sharp piece of criticism on Vietnam war movies, our critic writes .

In “Dark Matter,” the new Apple TV+ techno-thriller, a portal to parallel realities allows people to visit new worlds and revisit their own past decisions .

The tennis movie “Challengers” comes to an abrupt stop midmatch, so we don’t know who won. Does that matter? Our critics have thoughts .

If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings on Netflix , Max , Disney+ , Amazon Prime and Hulu to make choosing your next binge a little easier.

Sign up for our Watching newsletter to get recommendations on the best films and TV shows to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox.

IMAGES

The Holiday
The Holiday (2006)
Synopsis and Review The Holiday
Synopsis and Review The Holiday
The Holiday
Movie Review: The Holiday (2006)

VIDEO

The Holiday Movie Review
The Holiday (2006) l Cameron Diaz l Kate Winslet l Jude Law l Full Movie Facts And Review
Holiday Nostalgia with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
So Fly Christmas Movie Review
Us (2019) Movie Review
Elf 2003 Movie Review

COMMENTS

The Holiday
Julie A great holiday movie with a fantastic cast and storyline. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 12/07/23 Full Review Hilife Health Care r I liked the movie. Yes it had corny parts ...
The Holiday
The Holiday. Directed by Nancy Meyers. Comedy, Romance. PG-13. 2h 18m. By Manohla Dargis. Dec. 8, 2006. The director Nancy Meyers gets a kick out of romantic love, but she also grooves to its ...
The Holiday (2006)
User Reviews. I think this film deserves a better rating than the current 6.9 on IMDb. I to expected it to be just like other rom com's but it was much better than i expected and very enjoyable. The story starts with Amanda (Cameron Diaz) and Iris (Kate Winslet) fed up with their love lives; Amanda's boyfriend has been cheating on her and the ...
The Holiday Movie Review
Our review: Parents say ( 7 ): Kids say ( 28 ): Seasonal and sweet, THE HOLIDAY offers precious few surprises. Like almost every romantic comedy, it introduces the to-be-coupled characters, sets a couple of emotional obstacles in their paths, until at last -- 138 minutes later -- they realize what you've known all along.
The Holiday
Ms. Meyers, whose ambitions are telegraphed by her film's title, which directly invokes George Cukor's lovely 1938 romp "Holiday," has created a cumbersome vehicle by saddling Iris with a flamboyantly glamorous Los Angeles double, Amanda. As played by Cameron Diaz with oodles of charm and not an ounce of persuasion, Amanda doesn't as much ...
The Holiday
The Holiday is a 2006 American romantic comedy film written, produced and directed by Nancy Meyers.Coproduced by Bruce A. Block, it was filmed in both California and England and stars Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz as Iris and Amanda, two lovelorn women from opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, who arrange a home exchange to escape heartbreak during the Christmas and holiday season.
The Holiday (2006)
31 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com. 88. Premiere. The Holiday is the type of welcome diversion that only Meyers still seems to specialize -- a romantic comedy where Barbara Stanwyck and Rosalind Russell would have been just as natural as Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet and where the one liners fly like confetti. 70.
The Holiday
In the movie's opening scenes, the camera catches a glimpse of Graham as Iris narrates to us that "love can be found—even for just a night." It's a minor, foreshadowing line that's hardly noticed in the midst of her monologue. And yet it becomes an underlying theme of The Holiday. Graham and Amanda's meet-greet-and-slip-between ...
The Holiday Review
Original Title: Holiday, The. Writer-director Nancy Meyers proved she knew what women want with her 2000 hit of the same name, and satisfied the under-served older female audience with Something ...
Movie Review: The Holiday (2006)
The Holiday will genuinely surprise you with its unique pairings and its well-told story that has the ability to make you laugh with joy one moment and cry out loud the next. It is a decent, fun movie, good for all. Critical Movie Critic Rating: 3. Movie Review: Meet Dave (2008)
BBC
The Holiday (2006) Reviewed by Stella Papamichael. Updated 06 December 2006. Contains strong language and moderate sex references. Overindulgence is part and parcel of the festive season, but ...
The Holiday
Fri 8 Dec 2006 18.57 EST. "I 'm a book editor from London - you're a trailer-maker from LA. We're worlds apart!" In this new romantic comedy about Americans and Brits falling in love, Jude Law ...
Movie Review: "The Holiday" by Nancy Meyers
The movie itself has very funny moments. The phone call scene might be my favorite, but there are many others that make me laugh, as if I have never watched them before, every single time. When I watch a film, I am not only on the search for fun, but also for something capable of moving me and teaching me. The Holiday managed to do that for me.
The Holiday
This week's reviews. More about The Holiday. The Holiday Sunday 10 December 2006 The Observer. A traditional (that is, sectarian) Christmas movie, Nancy Myers's rom-com The Holiday, has British ...
THE HOLIDAY
THE HOLIDAY is a charming romantic comedy with witty, heartwarming dialogue. The leads have nice, funny lines to say. Eli Wallach gives an outstanding performance as the elderly screenwriter. Regrettably, the relationship between Amanda and Graham is based on sex. THE HOLIDAY also contains plenty of foul language, including one "f" word.
20 thoughts I had while watching 'The Holiday' for the first time
15. Oh come the f**k on, Iris, Jasper is the absolute WORST. Tell him to shove his writing where the sun doesn't shine! I'm concerned that both women only need a few hours to ensure their ...
The Holiday (2006)
Synopsis. Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet), a society column editor for The Daily Telegraph in London, has been in love with Jasper Bloom (Rufus Sewell) for over three years, despite his infidelities. When she finds out that he is engaged to the "other woman," Iris begins despairing over the state of affairs in her life.
The Holiday: The movie that usurped Love Actually for this year's most
The movie is also literally divisive, or at least divided, in the sense that it tells two parallel stories.To refresh your memory, The Holiday drops us into the lives of two unlucky-in-love women ...
Holiday, The
Holiday, The (United States, 2006) A movie review by James Berardinelli. The Holiday is no vacation. Sloppy writing, an overindulgent editor, and poor casting have taken an intriguing premise and transformed it into an uneven mess. The movie follows the lives of two women at Christmastime who trade houses. One story, while neither surprising ...
The 2021 holiday movie guide: 100+ new films to get you in the spirit
You, Me & The Christmas Trees. A headstrong expert on evergreens ( cool job alert) heads to a man's family business, a tree farm, to help him save his trees from certain death. (Hallmark, 10/22 ...
"Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong" About... The Holiday
Now, before you can say "But we haven't even done pumpkin season yet!", hear us out. The Holiday is an absolute Christmas cracker of a film and worthy of debate, any time of year: two rom-coms in one, with some of Hollywood's most charming and beautiful people at the peaks of their powers, and enough real-estate porn to rival a 24-hour HGTV marathon.
Movie review: 'The Fall Guy' jumpstarts the summer movie season
When April meets May, the unofficial summer movie season kicks off, ending a long and treacherous few months of movie purgatory between the holiday season and summer break. Around this time ...
Holiday Movies
There's no place like home for the holidays. Get cozy and unpack a digital stocking's worth of Christmas movies and other seasonal favorites.
How The Phantom Menace Set the Stage for 21st Century Hollywood
A not so long time ago in a galaxy very close by, the idea of new entries in blockbuster franchises that were guaranteed to be the biggest movies of the year wasn't actually a given ...
Red One (2024)
Red One: Directed by Jake Kasdan. With Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka. After a shocking abduction from the North Pole, the Commander of the E.L.F. Task Force must partner with the world's most infamous bounty hunter to save Christmas.
'The Idea of You' Review: Surviving Celebrity
The event is at Coachella, and Daniel is set to take the teenagers but backs out at the last second, citing a work emergency. Solène reluctantly agrees to take them, and while at the festival ...
Stay in the know about shows with Music Network of Maine on Facebook
Questions about your account? Our customer service team can be reached at [email protected] during business hours at (207) 791-6000.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Email not verified

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Movies / TV

The Holiday

What to Know

Critics Reviews

Movie Clips

Or browse by category:

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

Common Sense Selections for Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

Explaining the News to Our Kids

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

A Lot or a Little?

Positive Messages

Positive Role Models

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Products & Purchases

Parents Need to Know

Where to Watch

Community Reviews

Predictable but cute.

Is It Any Good?

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Suggest an Update

Bridget Jones's Diary

Love Actually

Something's Gotta Give

Notice: All forms on this website are temporarily down for maintenance. You will not be able to complete a form to request information or a resource. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reactivate the forms as soon as possible.

The Holiday

Content Caution

In Theaters

Home Release Date

Distributor

Movie Review

Positive Elements

Spiritual Elements

Sexual Content

Violent Content

Crude or Profane Language

Drug and Alcohol Content

Other Negative Elements

Marcus Yoars

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Not Another Church Movie

Mother of the Bride

The Fall Guy

The Holiday Review

Related Articles

Movie Review: The Holiday (2006)

'Movie Review: The Holiday (2006)' has 1 comment

The Holiday

The Holiday: “20 thoughts I had while watching the romcom for the first time”

Move Over, Love Actually. There’s a New Christmas Movie to Fight About This Year.

Holiday, The (United States, 2006)

Comments Add Comment

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The 2021 holiday movie guide: 100+ new films to get you in the spirit

You, Me & The Christmas Trees

Boyfriends of Christmas Past

Christmas In My Heart

The Santa Stakeout

Christmas in Harmony