Die Hard came out in 1988. It was a weird kind of action movie for the time. This was because you had the twin titans of muscle bound macho--Schwarzenegger and Stallone--chewing up the big screen with testosterone fueled steroid pumping bad ass. Then, along comes the relatively skinny Bruce Willis who had just wrapped up his run on TV as the smartass on Moonlighting. At the time, I didn't consider him to be a convincing action star. Of course, I was a dumb ass kid at the time who knew everything. Since that time, I see that movie as being one of the best of the decade. This is because I love the character of John McClane.
John McClane is bad ass, but he is bad ass in a very different way. McClane doesn't have muscles. He isn't indestructible. In fact, he gets the shit knocked out of him in every movie he is in. The guy doesn't always have his shit together either. His ultimate talent is his wit, but it is ultimately his never say die attitude that makes it happen for him. John McClane never fucking stops. This is why the movie was called Die Hard.
The first movie is the best. McClane is a guy trying to save his marriage. His wife hates his fucking guts even though he clearly loves her. This doesn't stop her from taking a huge heaping shit on him every chance she gets. This is because Holly McClane is fundamentally a bitch. Her husband saved her sorry ass TWICE, and she still divorced him. What does a guy have to do to prove his love to a chick?
Marital problems aside, John McClane finds himself in some deep shit when some terrorist types take over the building he is in. He is outnumbered and outgunned. If that wasn't enough, he is also without shoes. McClane is in the absolute weakest worst position an action star can find himself in. Yet, he gets shit done. He simply keeps plugging away until all the bad guys are dead.
The reason I love the character and the movie is because of the philosophy behind it all. This Die Hard philosophy is very simple. Never give up. Just keep going and never quit. Shit is going to happen, and there isn't much you can do about it. Times are always going to be tough, so the only real option is to be tougher than whatever life throws at you. I love this philosophy. It doesn't mean you are bulletproof and indestructible. It doesn't mean that you don't feel pain or get hurt. John McClane gets his feet cut up, and he is beat to hell before the end of the movie. There is real vulnerability there. As such, he is a believable character and an inspiration to the rest of us.
I feel like John McClane all the time. I don't have my shit together. I don't have all the answers. I can't even promise that I am going to win. But I can promise to never quit. Ultimately, this is all you can do. We believe that luck or talent or smarts or careful planning is what will carry the day. But most of the time, it boils down to sheer dogged persistence in the face of adversity. Looking back over my life so far, I have to say that it has been my persistence more than anything else that has gotten me through.
The Die Hard philosophy is a cornerstone to my blue collar approach to living. When I was younger, it was all about being clever. Now that I am middle aged, I see it is really just about surviving. Hanging in there when everything is against you and no one believes in you takes more strength of character than anything I have ever done in my life. Life is tough, but it is really tough when you are going at it alone.
I believe you should get up each day, put your hard hat on, and just go to work. Don't ever give up. Just keep doing what you do. You may win or lose. You may gain recognition or labor in obscurity. FUCK IT. Just don't stop. Never quit. Die hard.
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