The Holiday

"The Holiday" was released in 2006.  The main stars are Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, and Jack Black.

This movie is about two women.  Amanda lives in Los Angeles and owns a company that creates movie trailers.  Iris lives in England and is a newspaper writer who does society pages.  Amanda has just dumped her most recent live-in boyfriend for cheating and Iris has found out that the coworker she loves, who has been stringing her along, is engaged.  They are both looking to get away from their problems.  To do this they house swap.  Amanda goes to England to stay in Iris' house and vice versa. 

To read my review click here.   I want to warn you this blog entry contains spoilers.

I'd like to talk about Amanda first.  Because her business is movie previews, they insert narration over some of her scenes that sounds like a soundbite from a preview.  It's quite funny.  Amanda is a woman who has shut down her emotions.  She hasn't even shed a tear since her parents divorce.  She meets Graham who is a man who feels everything and in contrast to her, in his words, is a weeper.  Graham is a widower with the two sweetest little girls.  We get to watch as they Amanda feel her emotions again, even as she fights it.  

Iris and Amanda are basically opposites.  Iris is sensitive whereas Amanda is closed off.  Iris lives in a quaint English cottage and Amanda has a Los Angeles mansion.  Iris embraces life and people and Amanda stays in her little zone.

Now let's talk about Iris.  She is devastated at the loss of Jasper following his engagement.  It might be easier if he wasn't still acting as though he was interested in her.  She does the house swap to get as far away from home as possible.  Once in LA, she meets Arthur, an elderly neighbor of Amanda's.  As they become friends, we learn Arthur is a retired screenwriter.  He is an engaging and amazing character.  He adds true emotional depth while also adding some humor.  Iris also meets Miles, a composer, with an actress girlfriend.  They become friends and she is there when he realizes his girlfriend, who is supposed to be filming out of town, is cheating on him right in LA.  Miles and Arthur help Iris find her strength and get over Jasper.

It is so hard to describe the magic of this movie.  I've watched it at least 20 times.  Every moment has something special to it.  This isn't just about romantic relationships.  It's about all relationships including our relationship with ourselves.  It's easy to get swept up in this story.  We can all relate to love, loss, friendship, and learning from our mistakes.  If you get a chance to see this movie, I believe you'll love it as much as I do. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the movie.  Happy Viewing!