Every Christmas, romantic comedies appear and consistently range from excellent to terrible. When a romantic comedy is poorly executed - say, with over-the-top clich?©s, silly physical comedy bits, unrealistic characters and a serious lack of onscreen chemistry - it is terrible. But when a romantic comedy is well executed, as is the case with "The Holiday," it can be one for the books.
"The Holiday" weaves the juxtaposed tales of Iris (Kate Winslet) and Amanda (Cameron Diaz), two women who decide to switch houses and lives for two weeks at Christmastime. Iris is a British journalist whose unrequited love for a colleague has only caused her pain, culminating in one revealing moment at her newspaper's Christmas party.
Amanda is an American in charge of a trailer house who has recently dumped her cheating boyfriend, Ethan (Edward Burns). The two unlucky-in-love women meet online and, through a home-exchange Web site, decide to go through with their plans of flying away from their problems for the holidays.
While on their vacations (in each other's respective cribs), both happen to meet their nearly ideal men: Iris encounters Ethan's assistant Miles (Jack Black), a sweet and entertaining musical composer, while Amanda falls for Iris' brother, Graham (Jude Law), a literary editor with his fair share of surprises. Both go through the usual ups and downs of relationships while, of course, discovering something important about themselves.
The plot sounds predictable, mostly because it is - but what rom com have you seen lately that wasn't incredibly predictable? After all, everybody wants the Cinderella/Prince Charming happy ending. What adds to the basic premise, however, are two things: First, the idea of two women switching lives is something unseen in recent rom coms and adds a certain inventive dimension to the film that others of the same genre lack.
Also, the inclusion of a subplot, Iris encouraging her elderly neighbor, Arthur (Eli Wallach), to attend a night in his honor as a major screenwriting legend, creates a little more depth to the otherwise boy-meets-girl flick. This gives rise to some great dialogue between Iris and Arthur, as well as a small, heartwarming tale to contrast the love pangs the two women experience.
"The Holiday" has high-quality acting, but with a few minor sore spots. Kate Winslet is, as always, fantastic, portraying Iris as a fragile flower stepped on time and time again, but who finally succeeds in breaking out of this cycle. Jude Law and Jack Black both provide entertaining performances, with the two demonstrating how funny Nancy Meyers' script can be when delivered with perfect timing. Black also shows his softer side well, contrary to his failed attempts to do so in 2001's "Shallow Hal."
The only real letdown is Cameron Diaz, whose goofball Amanda is never convincingly awkward or detached enough to portray the complex emotions that would give the character soul. Also, scenes in which she was the comic relief were not enjoyable to watch. Her failed attempts to crack a joke or take part in physical humor were neither funny nor amusing. The cast ably compensates for her, however, through the combined gifts of Winslet, Law, Black and Wallach, who provides the laughs as a delightful grumpy old man who requires a younger mentor in order to reclaim his livelihood and passion for life.
Meyers capably helms the film, and even makes a few interesting choices. For example, the director showed trailer-form recaps of Amanda's life, complete with Mr. Moviefone-esque voiceover and music.
The film's soundtrack is a supporting character in itself. Two especially bright spots were "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers and a tune from soundtrack fave Imogen Heap. The music definitely fluffs up the cheery side of the film, although much of "The Holiday" is depressing. It is this delicate balance that Meyers upholds so well that keeps the film a step above many other romantic comedies.
"The Holiday" is definitely a delightful romp filled with laughter, tears and some great characters. Meyers does a great job with her own script and shows the talents honed during her writing and directing of "What Women Want" (2000) and "The Parent Trap" (1998). Clearly "The Parent Trap" and "The Holiday" share common ground - both involve the switching of lives and homes.
Spend this upcoming "Holiday" break going to your local theater and taking a peek at what one little swap can do.
