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Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this holiday-themed chick flick will probably appeal to older tween and teen girls, who could get mixed messages from some of the characters' behavior. Several scenes focus on drinking and drunkenness; two of them lead to sexual encounters. This unsafe behavior is presented as cute comedy. Plus, a single father suggests that he sometimes gets drunk to "compartmentalize" his life and deal with his sadness over his lost wife and the pressures of being a fulltime dad. Characters frequently get emotional. A woman punches her cheating boyfriend so hard that he falls to the ground. A couple of "f--k"s and other minor language.
Families can discuss the idea of swapping houses, lives, or situations, which is increasingly popular in the age of reality TV and the Internet. Who would you want to switch with? Where might you like to spend two weeks? Do you think it would turn out at all like the movie? What are the risks of swaps like this?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Cynthia Fuchs
Seasonal and sweet, THE HOLIDAY offers precious few surprises. Like almost every romantic comedy, it introduces the to-be-coupled characters, sets a couple of emotional obstacles in their paths, until at last -- 138 minutes later -- they realize what you've known all along.
In this case, the way the couples meet-cute is through a two-week house swap. Trying to forget a romance gone wrong, London-based journalist Iris (Kate Winslet) trades her cottage (all storybooky and quaint, nestled in snow, complete with puffing chimney) for a Beverly Hills mansion (sunny, sunny, sunny, with remote-controlled shades on the bedroom windows). Movie-trailer-editor Amanda (Cameron Diaz) is also angry at an ex, Ethan (Edward Burns), who appears just long enough to indicate that he cheated on her. He is, however, slightly less odious than Iris' ex, Jasper (Rufus Sewell), who keeps pressing her for contact (say, editing his manuscript) even though he's engaged to someone else.
Once ensconced in their temporary new environments, the women naturally meet their respective dreamboats. Book editor Graham (Jude Law) shows up drunk on the English cottage porch, expecting to be put up by his sister (Iris), but he seems plenty happy to have sex with lonely, angry, and perfectly witty Amanda instead.
Meanwhile, in L.A., Iris is immediately charmed by her retired screenwriter neighbor (Eli Wallach, who cuts through the mushiness well enough that he improves the movie every time he appears), but soon finds her age-appropriate mate in composer Miles (Jack Black). He's grappling with his own relationship troubles, in the form of a gorgeous young actress he introduces as "My Maggie" (Shannyn Sossamon), though he seems instantly attracted to Iris as well.
While Black is plainly still too much in love with himself, he does bring a welcome energy to his role, which is, like the others, simultaneously underwritten and full of cleverish repartee. Writer-director Nancy Meyers has developed a kind of shtick in which beautiful, wealthy, well-dressed characters articulate recognizable but abstract clichéd "issues" (divorced parents, an inability to cry, etc.) as substitutes for more compelling details or developments. Since such issues are easily fixed (or deflected) by the proper partner in movies, the plots tend to just go through the motions. The movie's one surprise may be that by the end, even Winslet, so consistently lovely and frankly brilliant, looks stifled as Iris.
Fans might want to see other similarly structured romantic comedies, such as Bridget Jones' Diary, Love Actually, and Meyers' previous film, Something's Gotta Give.
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Sexual ContentSeveral instances of kissing and embracing (twice in bed, though no nudity); two drunken sexual encounters -- characters drink together and discuss what happened later; two men admit cheating on their partners; discussions of "foreplay." |
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ViolenceAmanda's movie trailer features explosions and stunts (very brief); Amanda punches Ethan, knocking him to the ground; Amanda hits her head on the cottage stair. |
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LanguageLanguage includes one "f--k" and one near "f--k" (it's obvious what she's saying, though the word ends before the "k"); sexual slang ("shagging," "boob"); at least one of each of these: "s--t," "piss," "ass," "bitch," "hell," "codger," "schmuck." |
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Social BehaviorRomantic comedy features silly and sad situations (cheating partners, recollections of missing parents) in order to motivate the eventual appropriate coupling. |
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CommercialismSony Vaio laptop, Audi , Lexus, Pepcid, Google. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoDrunkenness used as means to sexual liaisons; drinking in social situations (parties) as well as to assuage heartache; liquor, wine, saki, and beer; cigarette smoking; reference to valium. |
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