So after watching the movie Love Actually- I had to watch another Christmas Rom Com- so I chose The Holiday. I'm not sure I had quite as many insights as I did on Love Actually... but I do have some thoughts and some favorites with this movie so... I thought I could mention them here.
If you've never seen or heard of this movie it follows 2 different leads and 2 different stories. Cameron Diaz plays Amanda- an ambitious and successful movie trailer editor. She lives in Los Angeles and is going through a break up from a pretty loveless relationship with her boyfriend- who cheated on her with his secretary. She decides after the breakup that she needs to get away, and sees this beautiful little house in England- which is owned by Kate Winslet's character Iris. Iris is going through a similar lonely situation at Christmas. She was in a toxic relationship with a co-worker who ended up cheating on her with another co worker... but she had to remain friends with him because the two worked together... and at the holiday party she finds out that he proposed to this woman that he cheated on her with. So Iris needs to get away also.
Amanda thinks Iris's house is up for rent, but it's for something called a "Home Exchange" program where she and the other person switch houses, cars and everything. So Amanda goes to Iris's house in England and Iris goes to Amanda's LA home.
Amanda
I feel like Amanda gets the big love story and Iris has a smaller love story thats also really sweet. Anyway Amanda is very surprised when someone comes knocking on her door, and it's Jude Law- who is Iris's brother. Amanda was planning on leaving and going back to LA the next day because she just feels more lonely than she did at home... so she feels like she should sleep with Graham (Jude Law), who is Iris's brother that was going to sleep at her place after a night at the pub. Amanda decides not to leave, and she keeps seeing Graham... and she ends up meeting his daughters and learning that his wife passed away. The daughters love Amanda and Amanda is really good with them and it's just really cute. And Jude Law tells Amanda that he loves her.
Iris
Iris's story isn't quite as romantic but it is very sweet and... I kind of like it better. Iris sees an old man having trouble walking down the street and she ends up taking him home and she becomes friends with him- and finds out he's a film legend! His name is Arthur and he's just a good guy with a lot of advice. So during all of this Miles (Jack Black) stops over to pick up Amanda's Ex Boyfriend's things... and he ends up becoming friends with Iris and Arthur too. And they have a really sweet story where you can kind of see a relationship forming. Miles is in a similar relationship to Iris's toxic relationship and he doesn't even know it... but they just kind of gradually flirt and he ends up asking her out for New Years- in London!
I also don't think Iris has a trouble as much with Romantic love as she does self love and self worth. She is kind of looking for romantic love, but I think that she really does need to find self acceptance... and Arthur and Miles help her realize that she has the courage to do that. Her ex comes to visit her and tries to get back with her... but she doesn't fall for it because she knows he wasn't really going to end his engagement... so she tells him off and kicks him out and tells him that she has gumption- which Arthur told her she had when he first met her. This is a really important message- and it's just so nice to see. Iris's story is kind of a breath of fresh air... she just kind of does these nice things and then it ends up helping her realize more about herself than she knew. It's really cute!
And the end is really cute- we get to see the 4 leads and the 2 kids dancing together at New Years and Iris and Amanda gossip and everyone just has a lot of fun. It's a very sweet movie with a good ending.
I think this is a good movie to kind of let people know it's okay to feel lonely and sad around Christmas, it isn't always easy. Plus it shows toxic relationships in a way that is very real and sad. I don't think I've seen this movie in a few years- but this is one that I like to see every year at Christmas and I want to kind of make a point to watch it more often. It's a cute movie and a cute idea that you can kind of trade lives with someone and you can end up finding yourself. I really like this and I feel like I like it a little more every time I see it.
Bye!
-Shannon
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