Movie Review: The Holiday

The Holiday is a light, fun romantic comedy. Cameron Diaz stars as Amanda, an American woman whose boyfriend has cheated on her. Kate Winslet stars as a British woman, Iris, whose object of desire is about to marry another woman. Both women are dedicated career women, though Amanda is decidedly better off financially. Amanda owns an advertising agency that makes movie trailers, and Iris is a reporter for London's Daily Telegraph. Facing the holidays alone, the women connect through a home exchange website. In an effort to take a break from their problems, they decide to switch homes for the holidays.

Staying in Iris' picturesque cottage outside of Surrey isn't quite what Amanda thought it would be. She has to hike some distance with all her belongings in the snow to get to it, first of all. Then there's the fact that it is a just a bit more, shall we say, rustic, than she is used to, not to mention lonely, with no neighbors around for miles. She is all set to head back to LA when her luck starts to change and she finds the last thing she expects.

Amanda meets Iris' brother Graham (Jude Law). They are immediately taken with each other, though they are both hesitant to admit it, preferring instead to consider their involvement a temporary fling.

Meanwhile, Iris is loving Amanda's luxurious mansion. In sunny LA, Iris befriends a legendary screen writer named Arthur (Eli Wallach). She helps him prepare for his first public appearance in ages, and he helps her rebuild her self-esteem. In the meantime, she meets Miles, a composer, (Jack Black). Miles has a girlfriend, one whom he cannot believe chose him when she has so many options. He is shattered when he finds her with another man. Iris and Miles are a comfort to each other, and then it develops into something more.

I wouldn't have pictured Jack Black as a romantic lead before seeing this, but actually it worked. His sweet, lovable side comes through in this, as well as his sense of humor. Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet are both favorites of mine, and Jude Law is wonderful as Graham. This is a rather fluffy movie, but the stars make it work.

I would classify this as a "chick flick" and a good date movie. It was just right for the holidays and it's also a good movie for chasing away the post-holiday blahs.