12 Days of Christmas Movies: Die Hard

by Preston Tolliver
It’s the most wonderful time of the year where we all gather as families (though, unless they’re already in your bubble we don’t recommend that this year), decorate the house and tree with Christmas lights and ornaments and sit down in front of our television screens with a nice hot cup of cocoa to watch some of our many favorite Christmas movies. This year The Word is celebrating 12 Days of Christmas Movies with our favorites to watch around the happiest time of the year. I hope you enjoy these as much as we do and if you haven’t seen them be sure to seek them out. 

Photo: 20th Century Fox

“Is ‘Die Hard’ a Christmas movie?”
 
It’s a question that’s become as much of a tradition as all the others we ask every Christmas: What will Santa bring me this year? Whose turn is it to buy dad’s gift? Who the hell invited Uncle Jimmy to dinner?
 
At this point, all arguments about the time of year in which John McClane crawls through the air ducts of Nakatomi Plaza to save its drunk and coked up employees from minor league terrorists are moot. It doesn’t matter that it ends with the reunion of estranged husband and wife, who head home as the credits roll to make sweet, sweet Christmas Eve love.
 
It doesn’t matter because by becoming the source of so many debates every year, “Die Hard” has, despite the contents held within its 132-minute run time, transcended the action movie genre and earned its seat at the Christmas table.
 
Much like those recipients of honorary degrees from universities, “Die Hard” didn’t become a Christmas movie by conventional means. But the certificate is real, and “Die Hard” is absolutely a Christmas movie.

"Die Hard" is streaming on Hulu, Amazon Prime Video & HBO Max