Music becomes the vehicle through which Miles expresses his growing affection for Iris. “He walks up and down the aisles of the video store singing the themes of all his favorite movies to her,” says Meyers.
Later, when Iris is at his house, Miles plays a piece of music that he wrote for her, telling Iris that it sounds like her. “That was probably my favorite scene,” recalls Black. “I was just sitting at the piano, playing her songs, and we started singing. It was a very romantic idea and a lot of fun.”
Meyers usually puts on music when she writes, and she often creates a mood on set by playing the songs she was listening to when she created a particular scene. On The Holiday, she treated the cast and crew to a wide variety of music.
The effect of a piece of music was especially palpable when she was shooting an exterior sequence with Amanda and Graham in a formal garden in the English countryside. “I’m a big Claude Lelouch fan (the French director whose most famous film was 1966’s A Man and a Woman, with its memorable score by Francis Lai),” says Meyers, “and I shot a ‘60s style montage with Jude and Cameron. We just improvised all day. It was raining on and off, so as soon as the rain would stop, we’d run out and shoot and then huddle back into the tent until it stopped again. It was a really memorable day.”
Indirectly, the effect of music was even felt in the Chanukah party scene in Los Angeles, which Meyers imbued with a realistically celebratory feel. “That was a wild day of shooting,” she recalls. “I decided that in addition to doing coverage for each person, I would just run the camera around the table and let the scene play out in live time. It was very freeing for the actors and turned out to be very effective.”
“The wind…it’s what makes it so warm at this time of year. Legend has it, when the Santa Anas blow, anything can happen” — Miles (Jack Black)
In The Holiday, Meyers has fashioned a true ensemble, pairing two of today’s most appealing actresses, Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet, with two equally charismatic leading men, Jude Law and Jack Black, and a strong supporting cast that includes Eli Wallach, Edward Burns, Rufus Sewell, and Shannyn Sossamon.
Diaz brings a rich history of comedic and dramatic work to her portrayal of Amanda Woods, with credits ranging from her star-making turn in My Best Friend’s Wedding, to There’s Something About Mary, Being John Malkovich, Gangs of New York, In Her Shoes, and many other successful films over the past decade.
“Cameron is a real comedienne and one of the great rewards of working with her is how much she makes me laugh,” says Meyers. “She is great with dialogue and is really adept at physical humor. She sometimes reminded me of Goldie Hawn, whom I love. She has very similar comedic instincts.” (Hawn notably starred in one of Meyers’ earlier successes Private Benjamin).
For her co-star, Law, working with Diaz was pure delight. “Cameron is like having the sun on set every day,” he beams. “She understands the world of this kind of film so well. I learned a great deal just by watching her.”
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