Skip to main content
Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over, have read our Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.

GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • Home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies
  3. Action Movies
  4. the holiday

The Holiday review

Reviews
By Total Film published 8 December 2006

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

“I like corny!” coos Kate Winslet’s English rose when asked to describe her ideal film. That’s handy, because she’s up to her neck in it in this shamelessly soppy rom-com from Something’s Gotta Give director Nancy Meyers. Resembling little more than Bridget Jones’s Diary in duplicate, her tale of house-swapping singletons finding love on opposite sides of the Atlantic doesn’t so much unfold as clamp itself to viewers’ lower legs like an overly affectionate puppy. As gruesomely sentimental as it is, though, this polished film is not without a glossy allure that enables it to transcend its Four Weddings clichés.

Mike Newell’s 1994 behemoth certainly dominates the Blighty half of the narrative, which sees Cameron Diaz’s frosty LA shrew thawed by a veritable deluge of village pubs and snow-covered rural lanes. Not that Diaz takes long to succumb: indeed, no sooner has she turned down the sheets at Winslet’s implausibly named Rosehill Cottage (just 40 minutes from London, we are told – as if!) then she and Jude Law are doing the nasty, a record perhaps even by his ladykilling standards. Quite what he sees in a girl who’ll drop her knickers at the first sight of a slightly inebriated Brit is anybody’s guess. But at least it allows us to ignore their subsequent travails – he’s got kids, she’s got issues – and focus on Kate’s altogether more appealing exploits on the other side of the pond.

Oscillating between Iris’ unrequited pash for love-rat Rufus Sewell and her unlikely friendship with the geriatric screenwriter next door (Eli Wallach), this half of the pic also suffers from a severe case of the cutes. Its saving grace, however, is Jack Black’s uncommonly restrained turn as Kate’s new beau, the Tenacious D star toning down his usual hysterics to charming, winning and surprisingly touching effect. Watch out, too, for a big-name cameo and a mock promo for a Lindsay Lohan-James Franco actioner that, if made, could well be the highlight of their careers.

Latest Videos From
Watch full video here:

Mushy? Yes. Formulaic? Absolutely. But this good-looking time-waster offers irrefutable proof that Nancy Meyers knows What Women Want.

Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
CATEGORIES
Apple Tv Plus Netflix Amazon Prime Video Streaming Services
Total Film

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine. 

Latest in Action Movies
Tom Holland as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Marvel Movies Spider-Man: Brand New Day feels like a "detective movie," says Tom Holland
 
 
Tom Holland as Spider-Man looking at a phone in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Marvel Movies Spidey Tracker ARG featuring Ned Leeds officially launches alongside second Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer tomorrow
 
 
Marvel's Shang-Chi
Marvel Movies Shang-Chi director gives update on the sequel, but says releasing the first film during the pandemic delayed the process
 
 
Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen in James Gunn's Superman
DC Movies James Gunn says he pitched the Jimmy Olsen and Gorilla Grodd show to Warner Bros. before he "even started at DC"
 
 
Tom Holland as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Marvel Movies Spider-Man: Brand New Day director urges fans to see the movie as if it's "the last Spider-Man," but now we're worried
 
 
Robert Downey Jr. in Avengers: Infinity War
Marvel Movies The Russos seriously considered killing Iron Man in Avengers: Infinity War
 
 
Latest in Reviews
Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon season 3
Fantasy Shows House of the Dragon season 3 review: "The most explosive start to a Westeros-set season to date"
 
 
X-Men '97 season 2
Marvel TV Shows X-Men '97 season 2 review: "Proves why the mutants are cooler than the Avengers"
 
 
Lego Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 against a dark background
Toys & Collectibles I can't believe my favorite gaming Lego set is being retired already, so grab the Lego Great Deku Tree while you can
 
 
Unstoppable box on a plain background
Board Games Unstoppable review: "May just bring enough to the table to get me to put my controller down"
 
 
Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor and Colman Domingo in Disclosure Day
Sci-Fi Movies Disclosure Day review: "Spielberg's best blockbuster since Minority Report"
 
 
A close-up crop of Butch telling the player to get out of his face in in Gothic 1 Remake
RPGs Gothic 1 Remake review: "A beautiful remake of a true original, but too much jank made the cut too"
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Luna Abyss protagonist Fawkes glows pink and stares menacingly
    1
    Dev releases one of the year's best shooters, entire team is laid off less than a month later
  2. 2
    Persona 4 Yukiko actor passes the torch to her replacement as Atlus reveals Revival cast
  3. 3
    Death Stranding director says the film adaptation has "a lot of action and excitement," but the violence is restrained
  4. 4
    Valor Mortis' Steam Next Fest demo shouldn't work, but the first-person Soulslike combat is too good
  5. 5
    Destiny 2 players end the game exactly as they started it: driving Bungie mad with boss cheese

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...