Lyrics
Hey Jude, don't make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better
Hey Jude, don't be afraid
You were made to go out and get her
The minute you let her under your skin
Then you begin to make it better
And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders
For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder
Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah
Hey Jude, don't let me down
You have found her, now go and get her
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better
So let it out and let it in, hey Jude, begin
You're waiting for someone to perform with
And don't you know that it's just you, hey Jude, you'll do
The movement you need is on your shoulder
Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah yeah
Hey Jude, don't make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her under your skin
Then you'll begin to make it
Better better better better better better, oh
As I have written earlier I understand that the Beatles are a truly great group. I just don't really like most of their songs very much. And while Hey Jude is their highest ranked song in this list, it is also my least favorite song of them. Listening to the Beatles I often find that their music lacks some sort of edge. Their songs are a bit too sweet and too nice. It feels as if they are songs that should be sung by mothers when they put their little children to bed. And to me there probably isn't a better song that illustrates this then Hey Jude. It's also way too long. Anyway, I've probably made clear that you shouldn't take me very seriously when it comes to talking about the Beatles, so let's just move on to the corresponding film. It is one of the better recent romantic comedies and it stars among others Jude Law, who in the movie indeed does his best to leave a happy life again after being struck by tragedy.
The Movie: The Holiday (Nancy Meyers, 2006)
In many mainstream romantic movies there are often some ideas and values that are being taken for granted. The characters aren't really 'allowed' to think for themselves whether they should always behave according to these values and ideas. When it comes to adultery for example it is often naturally implied that the victim of the adultery should leave his/her partner. This is made very explicit at the beginning of these movie when Amanda (Cameron Diaz) literally says to her cheating boyfriend that he should know that 'in the world of love cheating is not acceptable' as if there is some sort of official law regarding the world of love. Now I am not going to claim that cheating is good or anything, but that does not mean that any couple that has experienced such problems should be obliged to break up or to fight each other. This is just one example, but many movies present certain ideas and values as being universally true and right, which means that we should always act in accordance with these values. This doesn't make a movie good or bad, but, especially if I've already seen the movie once, I find it more fun to focus on what values the movie takes for granted, rather then on the story.
The plot of The Holiday isn't very surprising. Amanada from L.A. and Iris (Kate Winslet) from Surrey have romantic problems and decide to switch houses for the Christmas holidays. In Surrey Amanda meets Iris'' brother Graham (Jude Law) and in L.A. Iris meets Miles (Jack Black). It's clear that these people will in the end get together. But all these characters are well written. They are all intelligent, pleasant people, and the movie provides them with good dialogue. Even more importantly the movie avoids creating unnecessary drama. There are no stupid misunderstandings and the characters are never forced to behave irrationally stupid to create more dramatic tension. The actors are also well suited. It's a bit hard to believe, but Kate Winslet and Jack Black make a very credible romantic couple. I don't always like Jack Black, he is often a bit too manic, but when he dials it down he brings just enough energy to his role and he can be very good. Soon I'll discuss a film in which he is more annoying. Kate Winslet is a great and beautiful actress who here succesfully plays a character who is, probably, very much the opposite of Kate Winslet. Iris is a simple, slightly old-fashioned amd insecure girl from Surrey, who marvels at all the things L.A. has to offer and doesn't know much about film (but is eager to learn). I also found it a nice touch that she swims in a one-piece bathing suit.
While Iris may not much about movies, this movie does know and care much more about film (history) then most romantic comedies. It has wise things to say about the power of film and how films are made and sold. This leads to something interesting. In many mainstream movies, most of the characters don't discuss other mainstream famous films. And while there are obviously references to other movies the charcaters are mostly unaware that these films exist. In the Holiday various Oscar winners like Chariots of Fire or Casablanca are mentioned and discussed by the characters. So The Holiday takes place in a world in which the Oscar-winning movies exist. In a scene at a video store Jack Black charms Kate Winslet by singing the music from all kinds of famous films he finds at the store. At one point he sings Mrs. Robinson and we cut to a cameo by a slightly annoyed Dustin Hoffman. It's a funny scene. I only hoped that at some point they would make Jack Black sing My Heart Will Go On with a copy of Titanic in his hands.
