The Holiday  (PG-13)

Released: 8 December 2006, Columbia Pictures, Universal Pictures, Relativity Media
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black
Directed by: Nancy Meyers

3.5 stars (out of 4)

When Amanda and Iris experience romantic tribulations just before the holidays, they decide to swap homes and end up falling in love anew.

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Whenever I find myself in need of a little romantic comedy throughout the year, this is one of the DVD’s I turn to most often.  I enjoy all these actors (as well as Edward Burns and Rufus Sewell as the two cads the women are trying to escape) and to have them all in one movie is a real treat.

When Amanda (Diaz), a movie trailer creator in Los Angeles, finds out just before the holidays that her boyfriend, Ethan (Burns), has been cheating on her with another woman she kicks him out of her house and decides she really needs to get far away from everything in her life.  She checks out a home-swapping website and chooses a little cottage in Surrey, England, owned by Iris (Winslet), as the perfect holiday escape.  Iris also wants to get away from everything – she has just discovered that co-worker and love of her life Jasper (Sewell) has become engaged to another woman.  Amanda’s request to swap homes is a life-saver.  On the spur of the moment the women pack their bags and passports and head to each other’s countries.

In Surrey, Amanda finds things a little more difficult than she envisioned (driving on the left side of the road, the remoteness, etc.) and just as she is about to turn around and head home she is visited by Iris’s brother, Graham (Law), who has come to crash on his sister’s couch after a night at the local pub.  The two decide a no-strings-attached relationship is just what they both need and end up spending the night together.  When Graham asks Amanda to reconsider leaving and she agrees, a light-hearted relationship ensues.  But Graham has a secret that could halt their romance prematurely.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Iris has moved into Amanda’s mansion and found herself living in paradise.  She strikes up a friendship with one of Amanda’s neighbors, 90-year-old Arthur Abbott (Eli Wallach), who was once a Hollywood insider.  In Arthur, Amanda finds someone who can help her reclaim her self-esteem.  She also meets a young Hollywood composer, Miles (Black, in a wonderfully subdued role), when he comes by the house to pick up some belongings for Ethan.  Miles is in a relationship with a young actress, but he finds a friend in Iris and a link to Hollywood’s glamour days in Arthur.  When he experiences relationship woes of his own, Miles finds support with Iris.  But when their exes want them back, will Miles and Iris be hurt again?

I love the characters in this movie and the fact that while romance is obviously a big part of this movie, friendship has just as great a role.  Amanda and Iris, who have never met face-to-face, find their relationship problems bringing them together.  Graham and Amanda have definitely jumped into a relationship with both feet, but slowly find themselves opening up to each other in ways they haven’t with others.  Iris and Arthur find great support systems in each other; she has lost confidence in herself after her relationship with Jasper, and he feels Hollywood has forgotten him along with its golden age.  In addition, the friendship between Iris and Miles has a chance to grow before romance enters as they bond over their love of old Hollywood and the low self-esteem they both experience in relationships.

Acting-wise, everyone gives a great performance, although Diaz appears a bit more studied in her portrayal of Amanda than the other actors do with their roles.  Law is wonderful as the sensitive book editor; he doesn’t generally get a chance to cry in roles and it is rather funny and touching when he does in this one.  Winslet is her usual, fabulous self – she is always so natural in her acting that it is easy to relate to her character.  Black is my favorite surprise, however; I generally find him a little overbearing in his normal roles, so I love his quiet take on Miles and really enjoy how he scales back his presence as he does in this movie.  It is also nice to see Eli Wallach again on the big-screen, continuing to show how great acting is done.

With so many relationships given equal time, this movie runs a bit long (138 minutes) and may drag in a spot or two for some viewers – depending on if you find yourself invested more in one of the relationships than the others – but overall director Nancy Meyers keeps the story flowing and  gives every character a chance to shine (even the cads).  If you are in the mood for a touching romantic comedy with some great actors, give The Holiday a try.