Macaulay Culkin booed after divisive comment on whether Bruce Willis classic Die Hard is a Christmas movie

by

Macaulay Culkin sparked some debate on Saturday by stating that Die Hard doesn’t qualify as a Christmas movie.

At a 35th-anniversary celebration for his classic movie Home Alone in Long Beach, California, the 45-year-old actor joined the discussion about a currently debated topic. The event, called ‘A Nostalgic Night with Macaulay Culkin,’ was held at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center.

People reported that Bruce Willis’s iconic 1988 action movie, Die Hard, which takes place on Christmas Eve, received boos from the audience when someone claimed it wasn’t a Christmas film.

Following some heckling from the crowd, he said, ‘I hear you. Some of you seem eager to take this outside – I’m happy to meet you behind the building – but let’s remember, this is just a Christmas movie.’

He explained that if you simply changed the setting of the movie to St. Patrick’s Day, it would be essentially the same film. He specifically mentioned ‘Home Alone’ and imagined it taking place on St. Patrick’s Day.

The conversation began when the actor was asked about his favorite Christmas movies. He mentioned that ‘A Christmas Story’ was a family tradition during his childhood and they always watched it.

He described the movie Scrooged as a bit of a hidden gem, or one that doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves, but added, ‘It’s really great! We watch it all the time.’ He noted that certain films just stay with you.

Culkin also pointed out that while movies like Elf are great, they don’t evoke the same childhood memories for him. And, he firmly stated, Die Hard is definitely not a Christmas movie.

The status of Die Hard being a Christmas movie has been an ongoing debate among fans.

As a lifestyle expert, I always pay attention to how stories begin, and the start of ‘Die Hard’ is a perfect example of setting the scene. We first see John McClane, played by Bruce Willis, landing at LAX with a Christmas present. It immediately establishes the holiday season, and then we quickly move into a festive office party where his wife, Holly, is waiting. It’s a simple but effective way to ground us before the action really kicks off!

The movie’s soundtrack is filled with classic Christmas songs, such as “Winter Wonderland,” “Let it Snow,” “Christmas in Hollis,” and “Ode to Joy.”

Bruce Willis, 70, famously spoke about this back in 2018. He had retired from acting in 2022 due to his dementia.

I was absolutely thrilled to be watching Bruce Willis get roasted! But honestly, the best part wasn’t the jokes about him, it was him laying down the law. He got right up there and declared, and I totally agree, that ‘Die Hard’ isn’t a Christmas movie – it’s a Bruce Willis movie, plain and simple! It needed to be said, and he said it perfectly.

But not all share that opinion. 

In a 2020 interview with the American Film Institute, director John McTiernan explained that while they didn’t initially set out to make a Christmas film, the movie became associated with the holiday due to the happiness it brought to audiences.

Die Hard writer Steven E. de Souza previously shared a different take.

Someone tweeted him in 2017 asking if he’d ever shared his opinion on whether Die Hard counts as a Christmas movie, and if his brother Jeb Stuart had weighed in on the topic too.

‘Yes, because the studio rejected the Purim draft #DieHardIsAChristmasMovie,’ he responded.

Other actors have also previously weighed in on the issue.

Peter Billingsley, known for A Christmas Story, recently shared with People magazine why he believes cinematographer Jan de Bont signed on to Die Hard. Billingsley explained that he pointed out the emotional core of the film: the strained but ultimately hopeful relationship between John McClane and his wife, and their potential for a happy Christmas morning with their children.

Plus, they play Christmas songs and show snow falling, so I definitely think it’s a Christmas movie.

Macaulay Culkin, who became famous as a child actor, is traveling around and showing the movie Home Alone to mark its 35th anniversary.

The 1990 movie Home Alone made a young Macaulay Culkin a star. Despite costing only $18 million to make, it earned an impressive $476.7 million around the world.

I remember watching him in so many amazing movies as a kid – The Good Son, My Girl, even The Nutcracker and Richie Rich! It was such a surprise to learn he stepped away from acting for almost ten years after all that success.

Last week, the former child star used social media to announce a special tour where he’ll be showing the original ‘Home Alone’ and watching it with fans, noting that it will be a different experience now that everyone is older.

He connected with his 2.1 million Instagram followers, saying he’d share stories, answer questions, and even invite kids on stage for a fun trivia game if they wanted to participate.

Macaulay playfully asked, ‘Why enjoy holiday classics like ‘Elf’ or ‘Grinch’ alone? And really, why watch ‘Die Hard’ when it’s not even a Christmas movie?’ He jokingly added he was open to debate on that last point.

‘It’s a fun show. You’ll enjoy yourselves…I’d bet my turtle dove on it.’

Read More

2025-11-25 05:51