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Is “Die Hard” a Christmas movie? 

It’s that time of year again: time for the annual debate about whether “Die Hard,” the 1988 action movie starring Bruce Willis, is a “Christmas movie.”

The R-rated movie, which centers on off-duty officer John McClane (Willis) fighting back against a terrorist takeover of an office building on Christmas Eve in Los Angeles, is going to be shown for free on Thursday, Dec. 22, at 7 p.m. at the Maine Film Center at the Paul J. Schupf Art Center in downtown Waterville.

Some people argue the action movie is a holiday classic, since it takes place on Christmas Eve, features Christmas music, and has a plot that is can be seen as an allegory about redemption and the magic of Christmas. Others argue that’s all too much of a stretch, and it’s just an action movie that happens to take place near Christmas.

But what do you think? Is “Die Hard” a Christmas movie? Tell us what you think in the comments below.


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