Not even for romantic comedy fans

There are a lot of things about "The Holiday" that ought to make it a great romantic comedy. It is an escape fantasy about an L.A. woman (Cameron Diaz) and a British woman (Kate Winslet) who take a break from their troubles with men by switching homes for the holiday season. Of course, they each quickly meet some interesting men in their new locations (Jack Black, Jude Law). The dialogue is at times wonderfully crafted evidence of director/screenwriter Nancy Meyers' skill as a filmmaker and awareness of the tradition of classic Hollywood romance, which the film often not only draws from but also openly admires.\nHonestly, I found watching "The Holiday" to be incredibly boring. This was surprising to me as I am usually one to enjoy a good romantic comedy. I am, after all, a person who often posts lines from Jane Austen novels in her favorite quotes section on Facebook; the first DVD I ever purchased was "The Wedding Singer." That is to say that however proud I am of my own good taste in movies, I am by no means prejudiced against romantic comedies. So then why, in my opinion, is "The Holiday" so yawn worthy? The main reason is that it seems to go on forever yet lacks momentum. While there are a few surprises along the way, there are even more non-surprises as the story plays out at a snail's pace-- predictably and with little drama. \nSpecial features included with the DVD are slightly below average in number, but not in quality. There is a making-of featurette that is actually pretty entertaining. It summarizes the whole film but with a speed and vibrancy missing from the movie, and all the while saying nice things about it and those involved in its making, giving one the feeling one might have hoped to get from watching the actual film. There is also a director's commentary track. That's it for the special features, but sometimes keeping it short and sweet is just the right thing to do.