A Christmas lesson from ‘Die Hard’

This just-past Christmas offered a time for some important questions to be discussed among friends and family. With some bravado, any of us could have shared different opinions about several ongoing foreign wars and domestic cultural wars. Sometimes that might work well. But in my family’s case we avoided starting our own modern family civil war. We stayed safe — my opening conversational line in a University of Washington-dominated environment was some variation of, “Are the Huskies going to win it all?”

While we didn’t mix it up on any sensitive issues, we touched the surface of some classic personal struggles, even when we didn’t realize it. For example, a friend noted the interest shown on social media about whether the 1988 movie “Die Hard”, starring Bruce Willis, is a Christmas movie.

Taking that lead, on Christmas Eve I did a survey around my family and found near unanimity that “Die Hard” was in fact a Christmas movie. One family member said it certainly was. Another said it was; and in fact they had a “Die Hard” ornament on their Christmas Tree. Another went into a quick pro-con analysis, yet concluded it was one. However, as a father of several youngsters, that son of mine issued the clear warning that while it’s a Christmas movie, it’s not for children.

I agree with his judgment both as to whether the movie can be called a “Christmas movie,” as well as his significant caveat that it’s not one age-appropriate for youngsters. While we could have then diverted into the debate between book banning and age-appropriate selection, we ignored that hot topic, and stuck with “Die Hard.”

A wise move, because while discussing the political controversy over certain books is likely to either reinforce one’s ideology or inflame one’s relationship, “Die Hard” uniquely contains plenty of more Christmas-like themes of forgiveness and reconciliation. In the right context, it’s a near must-see movie.

Let’s look at the basic movie before venturing deeper.

For those unfamiliar with the movie, Bruce Willis plays a New York cop, John McClane, who is traveling at Christmas time to visit his estranged wife, who has taken the name of Holly Gennaro, and who works in an executive position for a Japanese company in the top floors of a high rise building in Los Angeles. Just after he arrives at the building, terrorists invade and take over. Of course, McClane single-handedly saves the day.

While the movie is set at Christmas time and Christmas music plays throughout, it’s the side story of the