No amount of ironic gift wrapping can conceal the triteness within, in this double-plotted festive chick flick that is too long by half, and too cloyingly sweet to be healthy.
2 Comments
06/13/07
The Holiday (2006)
46
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:130
Fresh:60
Rotten:70
Average Rating:5.5/10
Consensus: The Holiday, while sweet and somewhat touching, lacks any surprises and eventually overstays its welcome.
Theatrical Release:08-12-2006
Synopsis: Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz), the owner of a prospering advertising firm that creates movie trailers, lives in Southern California. Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet) writes the popular wedding column for... [More]
Reviews for The Holiday
Top CriticThe Holiday's redeeming feature (and it's a considerable one) is the 91-year-old Eli Wallach's astute and endearing performance.
12/30/06
Exists in that fantasy Nancy Meyers universe in which a bunch of attractive, wealthy people talk cutely and smartly to each other and find love in all the right places
12/06/06
Sweet, sentimental and sickly.
01/02/07
This romantic comedy ends up feeling soggy, syrupy and so bloating it'll put you to sleep before the pudding's done.
12/30/06
Top CriticA leisurely feelgood rom-com.
12/30/06
Top CriticThere is bound to be a large appreciative audience for this chick flick. But it might not be you.
11/30/06
Top CriticWatchable, but overly long and ultimately disappointing romcom, despite spirited performances and the occasional sparkly moment.
12/30/06
Meaningless piece of fluff, though Jude Law will become every woman’s dream boyfriend.
12/01/06
After sitting through 138 minutes viewers may feel they've earned a real holiday.
12/07/06
Even though almost everything about it feels forced and its casting chemistry hardly sizzles, its heart is in the right place, it has its quota of funny and touching moments, and it's ultimately fairly enjoyable.
12/07/06
It takes a certain amount of power to convince four talented actors to deliver performances that are shrill and irritating.
12/11/06
Sloppy writing, an overindulgent editor, and poor casting have taken an intriguing premise and transformed it into an uneven mess.
12/05/06
Watching The Holiday is a little like ordering a sticky cinnamon bun: You know the gooey, warm sweetness will taste good, but you'll feel guilty eating it.
12/08/06
The Holiday is too predictable and at 138 minutes way too padded to thoroughly enjoy.
12/11/06
A finely polished piece of romantic cinema, with a generosity of spirit so all-encompassing that it's easy to forgive its occasional excesses.
12/13/06
There’s good news for Jude Law fans. With The Holiday, the actor has taken a sad career song and started to make it better.
12/08/06
There's apparently nothing Jack Black can do with his eyebrows on-screen that doesn't read as cloying and facetious.
12/05/06
At one point Amanda remarks, 'In the world of love, cheating is not acceptable.' Also no longer acceptable: romantic comedies set in 'the world of love.'
12/07/06
At least 60 percent of this film tries too hard to be as cute as a Christmas puppy and just ends up piddling on the carpet
12/13/06
Latest News for The Holiday
March 04, 2008:
Rush Hour 3 Takes '07 DVD Rental Crown
It may not have been quite the box-office phenomenon that its predecessors were -- and critics may have disliked it enough to keep it down at 20 percent on the Tomatometer --... More...
December 13, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: I Am Legend Set For Explosive Opening
A wave of new product hits the marketplace at a time when exciting films are desperately needed to end the current box office funk. The science fiction thriller I Am Legend... More...
December 06, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Golden Compass Sets Course For #1 Debut
New Line hopes to breathe some life into the North American box office with the launch of its pricey adventure film The Golden Compass which stands as the frame's only new wide... More...
December 26, 2006:
Box Office Wrapup: "Museum" Opens at #1 on Christmas Weekend
Ben Stiller ruled Christmas weekend for the second time in two years with his new effects-driven comedy "Night at the Museum" which opened at number one with an... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube 
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds