TL;DR
- A poll by the British Board of Film Classification reveals that 44% of respondents do not consider Die Hard a Christmas film, while 38% argue it is.
- The debate has been fuelled by notable figures, including Bruce Willis, who stated in 2018, “Die Hard is not a Christmas movie,” supporting the view that it is merely set during Christmas.
- In the same poll, Home Alone was voted the favourite Christmas film, receiving 20% of the votes, significantly ahead of Love Actually and It’s A Wonderful Life.
Is Die Hard a Christmas film? The public have spoken – and you might not like the result | Ents & Arts News
It’s a debate that’s torn families apart for years – with selection boxes thrown in rage, and stony silences around the dinner table.
But now, the public have spoken and settled the matter once and for all: Die Hard is not a Christmas film.
That’s according to 44% of those who responded to a new poll by the British Board of Film Classification, anyway.
They narrowly outnumbered the 38% who argued that the Bruce Willis blockbuster is festive – with another 5% declaring it’s their favourite Christmas movie of them all.
A further 17%, who presumably have been embroiled in this debate before and want a quiet life, said they were unsure.
Willis himself waded into the row back in 2018, when he declared during a comedy roast: “Die Hard is not a Christmas movie. It’s a goddamn Bruce Willis movie!”
He has also found an ally in Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin, who was booed by an audience after sharing his opinion last month.
“It’s just a movie set at Christmas,” he said. “If you set it at St Patrick’s Day, the exact same movie. But you set Home Alone at St Patrick’s Day…”
Culkin kind of has a point there.
What’s the Christmas number one?
Thankfully, other questions in the BBFC’s poll weren’t as divisive – with respondents asked to crown their favourite Christmas film of all time.
Incidentally, Home Alone came out on top with 20% of the vote.
That’s streets ahead of Love Actually, which was in second place on 9%. (If Alan Rickman had been nicer to Emma Thompson, it would have easily won.)
It’s A Wonderful Life was third and chosen by 8%, with Elf fourth on 7%.
The research also revealed that 43% believe it’s acceptable to start watching Christmas movies from the beginning of December – with 13% turning on their favourite festive films from the start of November.
Meanwhile, 8% admitted enjoying Christmas movies all year round… presumably when they’re home alone.
