Home Alone has been crowned the UK’s favourite Christmas movie, 35-years after the family comedy was first released in cinemas.
But according to a new survey, 1988 action thriller Die Hard, which is set on Christmas Eve, has officially been voted not a festive film – following decades of discourse.
When asked the age-old question, 44% of respondents said the Bruce Willis flick is not a Christmas movie, while 38% defended its credentials, with 5% declaring it their favourite movie to watch over the snowy season.
The survey, conducted by the BBFC, saw Home Alone top the list, followed by Love Actually in second, It’s a Wonderfully Life third and finally Elf in fourth place.
1990’s Home Alone told the story eight-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) fending off robbers, which was followed by and 1992 sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
Meanwhile Die Hard sees action stars Bruce as detective John McClane who, on Christmas Eve, must save hostages, including his estranged wife, from a group of terrorists who have taken over a LA skyscraper – which was followed by four sequels.
Home Alone has been crowned the UK’s favourite Christmas movie, 35-years after the family comedy was first released in cinemas (Macaulay Culkin in 1990s Home Alone)
But according to a new survey, 1988 action thriller Die Hard, which is set on Christmas Eve, has officially been voted not a festive film – following decades of discourse (Bruce Willis pictured)
When it comes to what makes the perfect Christmas film, a heartwarming story led the way with 33%, followed by family-friendly flicks (15%) and humour (13%).
It comes after Home Alone star Macaulay riled up the crowd at an event on Saturday when he also proclaimed that the Die Hard is not a Christmas movie.
The 45-year-old actor waded into the controversial debate at ‘A Nostalgic Night with Macaulay Culkin’ event, celebrating the 35th anniversary of his iconic holiday movie, at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center in California.
He was booed by the crowd after stating that classic 1988 action thriller Die Hard, which begins on Christmas Eve, ‘isn’t a Christmas movie’, according to People.
After hearing boos from the audience, he responded: ‘I know. Some of you guys want to fight me, I’ll meet you at the loading dock, but it’s just a movie that’s set at Christmas.’
‘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.
The debate started after the actor was asked about his favorite holiday films and shared: ‘A big one in our household growing up was A Christmas Story, certainly was always on.’
‘A lost classic or one that people kind of forget: Scrooged…. Scrooged is awesome though. Yeah, we watch it all the time. Those were ones that really stick out,’ he went on.
1990’s Home Alone told the story eight-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) fending off robbers, which was followed by and 1992 sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
The survey, conducted by the BBFC, saw Home Alone top the list, followed by Love Actually in second (pictured)
1946 classic It’s A Wonderful Life came in third place
Followed by 2003’s Elf starring Will Ferrell (pictured)
He added: ‘There’s some ones that come later. Elf is a really good one, but I wasn’t raised on Elf so it doesn’t have that nostalgia factor. And also, okay guys for real: Die Hard isn’t a Christmas movie.’
The status of Die Hard being a Christmas movie has been an ongoing debate among fans.
The opening scene of the film shows John McClane (Willis) arriving at LAX International Airport with a Christmas gift in hand, before heading into a holiday office party with his wife, whose name is Holly.
The film also features a lot of Christmas music, including Winter Wonderland, Let it Snow, Christmas in Hollis, and Ode to Joy.
However, leading man Willis, 70 — who retired from acting in 2022 amid his battle with dementia — himself famously weighed in on the issue in 2018.
During Comedy Central’s Roast of Bruce Willis, the star joked, ‘I did this roast for one reason and for one reason only, to settle something once and for all. Now, please listen very carefully: Die Hard is not a Christmas movie! It’s a goddamn Bruce Willis movie.’
It comes after Home Alone star Macaulay riled up the crowd at an event on Saturday when he also proclaimed that the Die Hard is not a Christmas movie
Willis — who retired from acting in 2022 amid his dementia battle — weighed in on the issue in 2018, joking, ‘Die Hard is not a Christmas movie! It’s a goddamn Bruce Willis movie’
But not all share that opinion.
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.’
Die Hard writer Steven E. de Souza previously shared a different take.
In 2017 he responded to a tweet that read, ‘I’m sure you’ve weighed in on it before, but I’ve never heard you or Jeb Stuart offer your take on whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie.’
‘Yes, because the studio rejected the Purim draft #DieHardIsAChristmasMovie,’ he responded.
