It’s that time of year! The lights are up, the cocoa is hot, and we’re all settling in to watch our favorite holiday films. But every year, the same infamous debate pops up over one movie in particular: Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?
Today on Geek Devotions, Dallas is tackling that controversial subject head-on! He’s laying out a strong case for why Die Hard is not only a Christmas movie, but why it’s a great one, filled with themes of sacrifice and reconciliation that mirror the deepest meaning of the holiday. Watch the video version below, or stick around to read Dallas’s full case for why Yippee Ki-Yay belongs in your Christmas rotation!
Hello Devoted Geeks and welcome to Geek Devotions, the show from devoted geeks who are devoted to letting you know you are loved. I’m Dallas, and I’m so glad you’ve hit the play button today. If you are new to our show, we take geek pop culture like movies, video games, and comic books and we use it to let people know they are loved. We love you, we care about you, and there is a plan and a purpose for your life. Don’t give up!
It is “Geekmas” here at Geek Devotions, and I’m going to tackle a controversial subject: whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie. Do me a favor, stick around to the end and hear my story out. Here is my case for Die Hard being a great Christmas movie.
Point #1: The Setting is Christmas
All your classic Christmas movies—like It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol—take place either at Christmas or leading up to it. Die Hard takes place literally on Christmas Eve, ladies and gentlemen.
It is set right there in Nakatomi Plaza at a Christmas party. They have Christmas trees, lights, and people are traveling in the airport for the Christmas time frame. They are talking about Christmas plans! The movie takes place at Christmas.
I think some people get caught up on this because they think Christmas requires snow. But ladies and gentlemen, I live in the South—we don’t always have snow! Christmas is about the time of year, not the weather.
Point #2: Christmas Music is the Soundtrack
Christmas music is used during the entirety of the film. You have “Winter Wonderland” continually played as a subtext. You have music like “Let It Snow, Let It Snow.” John McClane is even whistling “Jingle Bells.” And let’s not forget “Christmas in Hollis” by Run DMC is there also. The film’s soundtrack solidifies its place in the holiday genre.
Point #3: There’s a Redemption Story That Involves Sacrifice
Throughout classic movies like Christmas Carol and It’s a Wonderful Life, you see the main characters go through a transformation. They go from a grumpy, very selfish individual to someone who is self-sacrificing for the good of other people.
In Die Hard, that’s exactly what we see with John McClane. He’s a grumpy, angry man who is estranged from his wife, Holly. But he sacrifices himself to save not just the crowd of people in the tower, but his estranged wife also.
Point #4: Reconciliation is Taking Place
What do you have in all the classic Christmas movies? You have families reconciling, putting aside differences, and coming back together for some purpose. That’s what we see take place in Die Hard. John McClane is sacrificing himself, saving his wife, but the entire time he is actually trying to put his marriage back together. He realizes he really cares about his wife, and she realizes he cares about her. There is a joyous, celebratory moment on the ground when they are reunited. This idea of reconciliation is the undercurrent of just about every single Christmas movie out there. It is an essential aspect of Christmas itself.
How Die Hard Mirrors the Gospel
When you look at Christmas, the point of Christmas is we’re celebrating the day that Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth, born as a human being, lived and then proceeds to live a sinless life and die of the sacrifice for us, to reconcile us back to God. His birth is an act of reconciliation for you and I to the Father. That’s why this is such a special moment for us. That’s why all these Christmas movies really hit differently because that act of reconciliation really is the most Christian aspect, the most Christmas thing about Christmas movies.
The Ministry of Reconciliation
This is where the encouragement comes in for you and I, guys. We see in the scriptures in 2 Corinthians 5 that this passing on of reconciliation to us, once being reconciled unto God, leads us in a situation where we now are carriers of the message of reconciliation. Our job is to reach people and to help them reconcile back to God. That takes place in a variety of ways. Sometimes it’s us helping to reconcile marriages. Sometimes it’s us helping to reconcile moments in families and different aspects of life, all for the purpose of pointing them back to the Father to reconcile back to God himself. Throughout Die Hard, John McClain’s having to reconcile a lot of things. He having to reconcile some past mistakes that he’s made and coming back together and going, “I can do this for the sake of helping other people.” He reconciles his marriage. This aspect of reconciliation, like I said, guys, is essential to every Christmas story.
Your Christmas Challenge
I want to encourage you guys today as we kind of bring this to a close, look around for opportunities to help reconcile people. Help point them back to the Father. Not that you can sacrifice yourself and die for them so they can be with the Father, but what you can do is live the life that you’re supposed to live. Be caring. Be kind. Show them what the love of God really looks like and encourage them, pointing them back to him so they, again, can be reconciled to him.