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As far as movies go, 2006 hasn’t been the best of years for women. I can list tons of guy movies that came out this year—movies about fighting and death and war and sports…and beer. I can list plenty of kids’ movies, too. But movies for women? They’ve been few and far between. How many romantic comedies can you name that came out this year? My guess is not many. So, after weeks of watching men get shot and beaten and decapitated, I was looking forward to the latest film by Nancy Meyers (Something’s Gotta Give)—and, fortunately, Meyers didn’t let me down.
Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, and Jack Black (no, I’m not kidding) star in this romantic comedy about finding love where you least expect it. Diaz is Amanda, a workaholic California girl who finds herself at the end of yet another relationship after she discovers that her boyfriend has been sleeping with his receptionist. With Christmas right around the corner, the last thing she wants is to be alone in her big house. What she needs is to leave work and men and all of her stress behind and go on a vacation. While she’s searching online for vacation spots, she finds Iris (Winslet).
Iris hasn’t been having the best of luck with men, either. For the last three years, she’s been madly in love with her ex—who’s just announced his engagement. She wants to get as far away from the happy couple as possible—so she and Amanda agree to a house exchange. For two weeks, Amanda will live in Iris’s cottage in England, and Iris will live in Amanda’s house in L.A.
Once in England, Amanda realizes that it isn’t exactly the vacation she was hoping for. Actually, it’s pretty boring. She’s about to pack her bags and head home—until Iris’s brother, Graham (Law), shows up at her door. And, back in L.A., Iris befriends Amanda’s neighbor, aging screenwriter Arthur (Eli Wallach), and Miles (Black), a soundtrack composer whose actress girlfriend is on location in New Mexico.
The Holiday really surprised me. Not the story, per se, since the story is cute but predictable nonetheless (though it’s still better than the average romantic comedy story). But, first of all, I was surprised that, despite the fact that it’s over two hours long (which is totally unheard of for a romantic comedy), it flies by. The story is engaging, and the characters are (for the most part) interesting—and real. And there isn’t a single slow moment. But I was also surprised by the performances. In fact, the only member of the cast who (unfortunately) didn’t surprise me was Diaz, who is just as childish as usual. But Winslet, who’s probably better known for dramatic roles, is absolutely adorable as Iris. She gets to be cute and sappy and even a bit silly—and it really suits her. And while I’ve often been okay with Law, I’ve never loved him as much as I did in this movie. He’s charming and sweet and lovable, and I had no problem forgetting about that whole nanny debacle and falling madly in love with him. But the big surprise came from Black. The outrageous rocker-comedian could have ruined the film, but (can you believe it?) he really makes it work (much like Will Ferrell in Stranger Than Fiction).
Finally, women get another reason to go out with the girls and hit the theater—and The Holiday makes the wait worthwhile.
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