ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS: 1. Synopsis Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz), the owner of a prospering advertising firm that creates movie trailers, lives in Southern California. Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet) writes the popular wedding column for London’s Daily Telegraph and resides in a charming cottage in the English countryside. 2. The Initial Spark The Holiday, was ignited a few years ago when screenwriter/director Nancy Meyers was planning a vacation and serendipitously happened upon an internet site that arranges house swapping 3. Leaving Your Baggage Behind and Opening Your Eyes I have the classic male problem of no follow through. Absolutely never remember to call after a date -- but as this wasn’t a date, I guess I am off the hook. — Graham (Jude Law) 4. Casting 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) 5. Leading Ladies and Best Friend Iris, in the movies, we have leading ladies and we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are a leading lady but for some reason, you’re behaving like the best friend. — Arthur (Eli Wallach) 6. Long Distance Relationships & Locations Graham: Long distance relationships can work, you know. Amanda: Really? I can’t make one work when I live in the same house with someone. 7. That’s The ‘Meet Cute' Say a man and a woman both need something to sleep in and both go to the same men’s pajama department. The man says to the salesman, ‘I just need bottoms,’ and the woman says, ‘I just need a top.’ They look at each other and that’s the ‘meet cute. — Arthur

That’s The ‘Meet Cute'

“Say a man and a woman both need something to sleep in and both go to the same men’s pajama department. The man says to the salesman, ‘I just need bottoms,’ and the woman says, ‘I just need a top.’ They look at each other and that’s the ‘meet cute.’” — Arthur

Meyers has always savored the process of building character through costume. “The fittings are a great time to talk about character with the actor,” she observes. “As you go through each scene and put on the clothes, you get to discuss what the scene is about. Through that give and take you start to build your collaboration and the movie begins to take shape. I remember the first costume fitting with Jack Nicholson on Something’s Gotta Give took six hours and he only tried on one pair of pants.”

Costume designer Marlene Stewart had long admired the director’s commitment to what her characters wear. “Nancy uses clothes to tell the story, and the attention she gives the costumes shows on the screen,” says Stewart. “Her films have a classic feeling that gives them visual staying power.”

Stewart found an excellent collaborator in Diaz. “Cameron loves to experiment with clothes and try a lot of things on,” says Stewart. “Her character typifies the confident working woman of today, so her look is feminine, self-assured, sexy. Clothing in contemporary movies set in L.A. can be very youth-oriented, but we went with a more classic feeling. We used quite a few fabulous pieces – Dior, Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent, Narciso Rodriguez, and Dolce & Gabbana.”

The simplest character to dress was Ethan, played by Edward Burns, who spends most of his screen time in a pair of blue boxers and a t-shirt. “It was role reversal at its best,” laughs Stewart. “The guy was in his underwear instead of the girl.”