"The Holiday" Sparkles with Love at First Sight

Movie Reviews
"The Holiday" Sparkles with Love at First Sight
By Leroy Douresseaux
January 7, 2007 - 08:19

Writer(s): Nancy Meyers
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black, Eli Wallach, Rufus Sewell, Edward Burns, Shannyn Sossamon
Directed by: Nancy Meyers
Produced by: Bruce A. Block, Nancy Meyers
Running Time: 2 hours, 18 minutes
Release Date: December 8, 2006
Rating: PG13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
Distributors: Sony Pictures
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Two women who live 6000 miles apart and have never met find their lives in the same place. In Los Angeles, Amanda (Cameron Diaz), who directs movie trailers, realizes that her live-in lover, Ethan (Edward Burns), has been unfaithful. In London, newspaper writer Iris (Kate Winslet) has been in love with Jaspar (Rufus Sewell) for three years, and now he's about to marry someone else. Amanda and Iris meet online at a home exchange website and impulsively switch homes for the (Christmas) holiday.

Iris moves into Amanda's large house in sunny California. She befriends Amanda's neighbor, Arthur Abbot (Eli Wallach), a legendary screenwriter, now retired, who peps up her spirit and encourages Iris to befriend Miles (Jack Black), a film composer and acquaintance of Amanda's. Meanwhile, Amanda moves into Iris' small cottage in the snow-covered English countryside where she finds herself charmed by Iris' handsome brother, Graham (Jude Law). However, both women soon find old issues creeping into their holiday cheer.

Nancy Meyers, writer/director of the delightful chick flick Something's Gotta Give, delivers The Holiday, another fluffy film confection best served on a holiday winter evening. After an awful start in which Kate Winslet babbles a dry opening narration, The Holiday rights itself with lovable characters. To that end, the four leads don't so much deliver great performances as they deliver great big dollops of charm every time they appear on screen.

The Holiday plays to the female audience, but this is also the kind of pure gooey entertainment that, during the holidays, can ensnare the unsuspecting heart of any guy who is a romantic at heart.

B+

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