The Holiday is Nancy Meyers latest production, the director who has brought us Goldie Hawn classics like Private Benjamin and Protocol, Jumpin' Jack Flash with Whoopie Goldberg and Diane Keaton vehicles like Baby Boom and Father of the Bride. Also on Meyers CV is The Parent Trap with Lindsay Lohan. In other words, Nancy Meyers is a sure bet for romantic comedies. The Holiday is no exception and is a holiday film. Meyers feels that Cameron Diaz is recalls an earlier Goldie Hawn and in this film she plays a zany movie trailer producer who lives in LA. Amanda Woods who has just lost her boyfriend who has cheated on her. She decides to get away and house swap in a country where English is spoken, England. Carmen Diaz is however no Goldie Hawn. Her silliness and cute looks seem as real on camera as off- surprisingly the airhead actress Kelly played by Anna Faris in Sophie Coppolas Lost in Translation who is in Japan to promote a movie was based on Cameron Diaz. Not an altogether flattering portrait of the actress. Oliver Stone does her far better justice in Any Given Sunday as the owner of a football team. In a small town outside of London lives Iris Simkins, played by Kate Winslett. She is one of the unfortunate souls who is unhappily in love with a man at her office who is unavailable. When he decides to get engaged Iris decides to get away too. A rather simple movie theme, The Holiday naturally pairs up Iris with two eligible bachelors, For Amanda it is Graham Simkins, Iris brother played by Jude Law. Iris first befriends a 90 year old Hollywood writer Arthur Abbot played by Eli Walach. At the same time she meets a colleague of her ex boyfriend Miles, played by Jack Black who is going out with a woman who soon is to cheat on him. Meyers wrote the script and despite the romantic angle the film is about two women coming into their power - that is, choosing a better partner then the last one. Although The Holiday is uncomplicated it pairs up several bankable actors in story that is light entertainment It is embellished with life in LA during the holiday season with sunshine and blooming trees and flowers, and winter in Surrey with picturesque snow and a charming village. Meyers is one of most successful woman working in Hollywood and seems to be able to keep on belting out films with a solid box office draw. The 2006 DVD edition of The Holiday contains interviews with the actors and how they felt to work with each other and the director.
Kate Winslet takes a stab at romantic comedy and pulls it off and both Jack Black and Jude Law do no harm as the two suitors.



For Movie Magazine this is Moira Sullivan

© 2008 - Moira Sullivan - Air Date: 12/08