Delightful romantic masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (11 December 2017)

Writer-director Nancy Myers has created a modern masterpiece in the delightful romance The Holiday. Not only are there extremely likable characters, a storyline that belongs in a fairytale book, fun and fitting music, great performances, and relationships that make us believe in love again, but it takes place at Christmastime! Everything's better at Christmas—how many terrible movies have we all sat through just because they take place in December?—and you can now add a modern classic to your box of black-and-white films you watch every holiday season.
Kate Winslet opens the film with a poignant narration about the different types of love, and a montage overlay introduces us to all the characters in the film. Then we see Kate at her office Christmas party, pining away for her former lover, Rufus Sewell. If there's a woman in the audience who doesn't swallow a lump in her throat inspired by their rapport together, that woman should turn off the film and only resume it after she's had her heart broken. The dialogue is so realistic it's painful, and Kate's expressions are absolutely perfect.
Next, we meet Cameron Diaz, who's having a terrible fight with her boyfriend, Edward Burns. It's a wonderful introduction to her character as well, because even though she appears to be tough and not as sensitive as Kate Winslet, we see subtleties that indicate she has deep feelings in her she's been repressing for a long time.
Without describing every single scene—which I could absolutely do, since I've seen this movie close to a hundred times—I'll get to the main plot. Kate and Cameron swap houses for the Christmas holiday, taking spontaneous vacations from their lives and getting a second chance when they need it the most. Kate is awed by Los Angeles and the sunshine, and she meets new friends Eli Wallach and Jack Black, both in the film industry. Cameron is a little frustrated by the snow and English countryside, but when Jude Law turns up on her doorstep—literally—she remembers what vacations are for.
One remarkable thing about this movie is it manages to take three actors, whom I normally dislike so much so that I try to avoid their movies, and completely change my mind about them. With the exception of the film Carnage, which I hadn't seen until years later, I've usually found Kate Winslet's acting style irritating. At the time of its release, The Holiday was the best acting she'd ever done. She's the heart of the movie, and through her moving performance, women everywhere will believe they'll survive after their heart's been broken. I'm the first to admit that my animosity towards Cameron Diaz had everything to do with her similarity to a rival in high school, but when I watched The Holiday, I completely forgot about the teenager who tried to steal my sweetheart. Cameron shows off her acting chops in this film, and as her character grows, she helps the audience vicariously grow. Jude Law, while normally drawn to upsetting roles, plays a character who should have been named "Every Woman's Fantasy." Everything you ever wanted in a man, but deep down know you'll never get, is represented by Jude in this film. If you don't develop a massive crush on him, you must have very bad taste. Plus, he's very believable when he speaks his unbelievable lines, which is a testament to his acting.
I've always liked Jack Black, so while The Holiday didn't change my mind about him, it did show me another side to his acting. He's extremely convincing as an L.A. Hollywood type, and the mixture of his confidence and uncertainty adds another layer to his character. Eli Wallach, at ninety years old, still has a wonderful screen presence. His scenes are some of the most touching, and the film wouldn't be the same without him.
The dual-settings of the film provide an ideal Christmas for everyone in the audience, so whether you like the sun or the snow, you'll be happy. Hans Zimmer's music, to quote Jack Black in the film, is "very unexpected", and it adds to the delight of the film, making it clear that someone should snatch up the rights and turn this into a Broadway musical! I absolutely love every part of this movie. It's funny, charming, sad, realistic, inspiring, heartwarming, and irresistible. It's simply wonderful, no matter what time of year you watch it.
DLM warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, there's one tiny part of the movie in which the camera spins in a circle. After Jack Black and Kate Winslet sing "Arthur is a doodle-y-doo" on the piano, look away for about ten seconds. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"