It's Official, A Jeopardy Clue Just Listed Die Hard As A Christmas Movie

[The Night Rider]

Die Hard is a Christmas movie:

“The basic narrative situation of Die Hard is a man returning to his family for Christmas.

His wife is called Holly.

It takes place on Christmas Eve. Not Thanksgiving or the Fourth of July. It could have been set any week of the year, but wasn’t.

The chief villain Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) explicitly invokes the Christmas spirit: “It’s Christmas, Theo, it’s a time for miracles.”

Gruber is a classic bad capitalist villain: he’s there to steal money. Just as Old Man Potter does in It’s a Wonderful Life.

The soundtrack features Christmas tunes new and old: Run DMC’s Christmas in Hollis and Vaugn Monroe's rendition of Let it Snow.

Santa Claus makes an appearance (in the form of a dead terrorist).

The film ends with the of character of limo driver Argyle (De'voreaux White) looking forward to New Year’s Eve.”

 

[mikep]

I knew Jeopardy would go downhill without Alex at the helm!

 

[Grayfox]

Die Hard is my traditional Christmas movie. I watch it every year.

 

[Shibadog]

 

[Winchester67]

Thank you! Now perhaps my wife will concede it is in fact a Christmas Movie. As is Rambo, if you notice in the background at the Police Station there are Christmas decorations! Just saying. Jimmy Stewart is not the only bad*** in Christmas Movies! (Despite being a movie star, he enlisted in MARCH of 41, before the brewing war, and flew 20 combat missions). Back in Black and White Movie days, we had proper heroes to look up to.

 

[The Night Rider]

Jimmy Stewart is not the only bad*** in Christmas Movies! (Despite being a movie star, he enlisted in MARCH of 41, before the brewing war, and flew 20 combat missions). Back in Black and White Movie days, we had proper heroes to look up to.

There's a little bit more to that story, Jimmy Stewart was in the United States Army/ United States Air Force from 1941 to 1968. He retired from the Air Force Reserve as a Major General*. He also flew a couple of missions as an observer over Vietnam.

He commanded the 703 bombardment Squadron of the Air Force Reserve.

When you're at that level in the guard/reserves it's not one weekend a month and two weeks a year, you are essentially on full-time active duty.

* he retired as a Brigadier General and was promoted to Major General upon retirement but he never actually served as a Major General.

 

[Musashi]

To top it off the trauma he suffered during the war helped him in his convincing role of despair in the movie.