Sappy But I liked It

Rating: 7/10 (24 January 2007)

Holiday is the definition of "chick flick." It has everything it needs for chick flick material  attractive male and female leads, drama, humor and a believable happy ending. Two females unlucky in love decide to do a 2 week vacation home exchange. Amanda who lives in a posh estate in L.A. trades houses with Iris who lives in a quaint cottage in England. Both these ladies meet men they were not expecting and discover truths about themselves uncovering qualities they did not know they had. The movie chronicles the journey of these women's self-discovery and it was often humorous and at times heart breaking.
This movie worked with the excellent acting, especially Kate Winslet who plays Iris. I would not have enjoyed the movie as much if she was not in it. I should have known I would have been moved; there was a reason Titanic was a huge hit and she was part of why that movie was a success. Her heartbreak was very convincing. I also enjoyed Jack Black's brand of comedy. The singing of the movie scores in the movie rental store is my favorite scene. Jude Law also does an amazing, convincing job of Graham, the widower who falls in love and gets his heart broken to the point of him crying. The Graham crying scene is also one of my favorites.
The background theme of this love story was very interesting as well. The fact that all characters were involved in the entertainment industry was uncommon and I liked it. The movie trailers of Amanda's life were amusing and Arthur, the screen writer's journey, was also a pleasant subplot.
Although the pacing of this movie could be slow, I highly recommend this movie to all those people needing that fuzzy warm feeling during the holiday season.