The Holiday: parents' guide
Best for ages 13 and up. Rated PG-13 for sexual content and some strong language.
A romantic comedy for teens and adults rather than a family Christmas movie. Two heartbroken women, one in Los Angeles and one in England, trade homes for the holidays and each finds new love. The PG-13 comes mainly from sex and language: one couple sleeps together soon after meeting and is shown in bed afterward without nudity, and there is one f-word plus other strong words. Heavy drinking is played for laughs. In one dark comic moment, a despairing character turns on a gas oven and breathes in before stopping herself. A love interest's late wife also comes up.
What's in it
Violence
MildPlayed for laughs: a woman punches her cheating boyfriend in the face, an American nearly crashes driving on the left in England, and a movie trailer shows explosions and gunfire.
Language
ModerateOne f-word, another cut off, and an s-word, plus piss, ass, bitch, prick, bloody and bugger. God's name is used as an exclamation about two dozen times.
Sex and nudity
ModerateA couple has a fling soon after meeting: kissing, heading to the bedroom, and several scenes tangled in sheets afterward. She is seen in a bra and a bubble bath. Frank talk of foreplay and cheating.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
ModerateLots of drinking, often comic: a woman drinks until she passes out, a man shows up very drunk, and a couple cannot recall whether they slept together. Brief smoking and a Valium joke.
Scary or intense scenes
MildNothing scary, but plenty of heartbreak, and one low moment shows a depressed woman turning on her gas stove and inhaling before she stops herself, framed as comedy.
Sensitive topics
- Suicide
Worth talking about
Iris spends years waiting on a man who takes her for granted. Talk with teens about recognizing a one-sided relationship and how to walk away from it.
On our lists
Similar picks around 13+
Checked October 24th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, bbfc.co.uk. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.