Bad Teacher and the 10 top Cameron Diaz performances of all time
By Reed Gaudens
7. The Holiday
Original release date: The Holiday was first released in New York City on Nov. 29, 2006 before receiving a wide theatrical release on Dec. 8, 2006.
Box office earnings: Upon release in the holiday box office rush, The Holiday achieved modest success with its worldwide gross of over $205 million against an $85 million budget.
Critical acclaim: Although a fan favorite, The Holiday earned mixed reviews from critics and holds a middling score of 49% on Rotten Tomatoes. Over the years, the film has grown into a Christmas cult classic. For her performance, Diaz landed an ALMA Award nomination.
About the role: Diaz stars in The Holiday as Amanda Wood, an unlucky-in-love movie trailer producer who finds Los Angeles too exhausting after going through a rough breakup. Looking for a change over the holiday break, she swaps homes with Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet), a columnist going through a similar heartbreak in an English village. In exchanging their surroundings, Amanda and Iris both reconnect with themselves and open up to new love.
Why it’s the best: The star power of The Holiday shouldn’t be ignored. Diaz, Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black, Nancy Meyers… It’s tailor-made romantic comedy perfection. As Amanda, Cameron Diaz delivers one of her strongest rom-com performances, making the otherwise rough around the edges Amanda relatable and someone to root for. It’s a different kind of rom-com role for Diaz than the mainstream was probably used to, but she knocked it out of the park with charisma to spare. There’s nothing like cozying up with this modern holiday classic.