There are lots of Romantic Comedies out there where the characters fall in love instantly but must overcome a series of artificially contrived obstacles to be together. But how many movies have you seen that do a really good job on the falling-in-love process itself? Movies are surprisingly reluctant to tackle this realistically. Sometimes the characters fall in love during some wildly improbable adventure. Other times they realise they're in love through how much time they spend fighting! But rarely do we get much insight into why they love each other.
Holiday is one of the few movies to realistically portray the process by which two people meet, become friends, and gradually develop romantic feelings. Because they meet as prospective brother- and sister-in-law, they have to get to know each other as people – no Love at First Sight for these guys! But it's not Belligerent Sexual Tension, either. From their first conversation they find that they like and respect one another, that they understand each other and share values. They don't go on zany adventures, but they bond through song, dance, and acrobatics, and through keeping it real while everyone around them is keeping up appearances. They begin to feel affection for each other. And then they begin to feel something more.
The handling of this is particularly touching in Linda's case. Most rom-com Love Epiphanies are euphoric, but Linda's is a private tragedy. Having fallen for her sister's fiancé, she now faces a lifetime of loving a man she can never have. The scene is subtle and understated, and all the more powerful for it. It's not in words or gestures that we see the strength of her love for John, but in the quiet, lonely depths of her grief.
By the final scene, there's no doubt about why the heroes should be together. Yes, they're Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, and they have wicked chemistry! But they're also friends; they care about each other; they understand each other; they want the same things out of life; and they want that life together. This is love - not just some cinematically reimagined take on the idea, but love as real people experience it. And that's what makes Linda and John such a good couple: because they have the kind of relationship we imagine finding in our own lives.
One of the best romantic movies ever! (Not that there's a lot of competition)
There are lots of Romantic Comedies out there where the characters fall in love instantly but must overcome a series of artificially contrived obstacles to be together. But how many movies have you seen that do a really good job on the falling-in-love process itself? Movies are surprisingly reluctant to tackle this realistically. Sometimes the characters fall in love during some wildly improbable adventure. Other times they realise they're in love through how much time they spend fighting! But rarely do we get much insight into why they love each other.
Holiday is one of the few movies to realistically portray the process by which two people meet, become friends, and gradually develop romantic feelings. Because they meet as prospective brother- and sister-in-law, they have to get to know each other as people – no Love at First Sight for these guys! But it's not Belligerent Sexual Tension, either. From their first conversation they find that they like and respect one another, that they understand each other and share values. They don't go on zany adventures, but they bond through song, dance, and acrobatics, and through keeping it real while everyone around them is keeping up appearances. They begin to feel affection for each other. And then they begin to feel something more.
The handling of this is particularly touching in Linda's case. Most rom-com Love Epiphanies are euphoric, but Linda's is a private tragedy. Having fallen for her sister's fiancé, she now faces a lifetime of loving a man she can never have. The scene is subtle and understated, and all the more powerful for it. It's not in words or gestures that we see the strength of her love for John, but in the quiet, lonely depths of her grief.
By the final scene, there's no doubt about why the heroes should be together. Yes, they're Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, and they have wicked chemistry! But they're also friends; they care about each other; they understand each other; they want the same things out of life; and they want that life together. This is love - not just some cinematically reimagined take on the idea, but love as real people experience it. And that's what makes Linda and John such a good couple: because they have the kind of relationship we imagine finding in our own lives.