Former child star Macaulay Culkin found himself at the centre of a festive firestorm this past Saturday when he publicly declared the classic action film Die Hard is not a Christmas movie.
A Nostalgic Night Turns Controversial
The contentious statement was made during 'A Nostalgic Night with Macaulay Culkin', an event held at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center in California. The gathering was intended to celebrate the 35th anniversary of his iconic holiday film, Home Alone.
According to reports from People magazine, the 45-year-old actor was asked about his favourite holiday films. After listing classics like A Christmas Story and Scrooged, Culkin delivered his bombshell opinion. 'Die Hard isn't a Christmas movie,' he proclaimed, referring to the 1988 action thriller starring Bruce Willis.
The immediate reaction from the audience was a wave of boos. Unfazed, Culkin responded with characteristic wit, saying, 'I know. Some of you guys want to fight me, I’ll meet you at the loading dock.'
The Heart of the Festive Debate
Culkin went on to defend his position, arguing that the festive setting was incidental to the plot. 'It's just a movie that’s set at Christmas,' he explained. 'If you set it at St. Patrick's Day, the exact same movie. But you set Home Alone at St. Patrick's Day...' he added, implying his own film's narrative is intrinsically tied to the holiday season.
This ignited one of pop culture's most enduring debates. While Die Hard begins on Christmas Eve and features a holiday office party, Christmas music, and snowy settings, its status as a bona fide Christmas film remains divisive.
Even the film's own star, Bruce Willis, who retired from acting in 2022, famously weighed in during a 2018 Comedy Central roast. He joked, 'Die Hard is not a Christmas movie! It’s a goddamn Bruce Willis movie.'
However, not everyone behind the camera agrees. Director John McTiernan told the American Film Institute in 2020, 'We hadn't intended it to be a Christmas movie, but the joy that came from it is what turned it into a Christmas movie.' Meanwhile, writer Steven E. de Souza has publicly championed the film's festive credentials on social media.
A Home Alone Celebration
The debate unfolded at an event dedicated to Culkin's most famous role. The actor is currently on a screening tour for Home Alone, which catapulted him to global fame at the age of 10. The 1990 film was a colossal commercial success, earning $476.7 million worldwide from an $18 million budget.
Promoting his tour on Instagram to his 2.1 million followers, Culkin had already teased the Die Hard argument, writing, 'Why watch ‘Die Hard’ since it’s not a Christmas movie? (fight me).' His on-stage comments proved he was more than willing to follow through on that challenge, ensuring his Home Alone anniversary will be remembered for more than just booby-trapped houses.
