Al Roker and Dylan Dreyer Reignite Contentious Holiday Debate

With the countdown to the winter holidays well underway, fans of the Today show  were more than happy to weigh in with their thoughts as Al Roker and Dylan Dreyer reignited a recurring holiday debate.

Every year, many people who celebrate Christmas take a stance on whether they believe Die Hard qualifies as a Christmas movie. The 1988 action thriller starring Bruce Willis takes place on Christmas Eve and shows some holiday festivities, though the plot isn’t strictly about the holiday itself. While many believe that the film is a Christmas movie, others are adamant that it does not meet the necessary qualifications to be considered a holiday classic.

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This is the debate that Dreyer and Roker waded into with a post on social media earlier this week. On Friday, Dec. 6, Roker, 70, shared an photo on Instagram that he said came from Dreyer, 43. The photo was taken on a Delta Air Lines flight, Roker explained in his Instagram caption, and showed the movie options available to Dreyer as a passenger. Among the titles included in the section of holiday movies available to passengers were: A Christmas Story, A Sudden Case of Christmas, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, Elf…and Diehard.

The “proof” of Dreyer’s in-flight entertainment options “shows the Bruce Willis classic, Die Hard, is, in fact, a Christmas Holiday movie!” Roker wrote. He then invited his social media followers to weigh in, asking, “What say you? Is Die Hard a Christmas movie.”

Many Instagram users commented on Roker’s post to declare that they “100%” believe the movie is “a Christmas Classic!”

“Absolutely Xmas movie!!!” one fan wrote as another said watching Die Hard was for them a Christmas Eve “family tradition.”

“It’s for sure a Christmas movie just like Gremlins!” another fan said as they added another cult classic to the debate.

“Always has been! And Die Hard 2 is as well,” an Instagram user said before commenting on the contentious question itself, writing, "Such a funny and ongoing debate that is so obvious. Both Christmas movies 😂.”

While one person wrote that they “wouldn’t have thought so when it was first out back in the day,” they “do now,” adding, “Die Hard brings the holiday vibes!”

Others were less convinced of the pro-Christmas movie argument. “Bruce Willis said it himself, that it is NOT a Christmas movie, it’s a Bruce Willis movie!” one Instagram user wrote, referencing comments that the movie’s star made back in 2018.

“NO,” another dissenter wrote.

Next: Here's Why 'Die Hard' Is, Absolutely and Definitively, a Classic Christmas Movie