Hi, this is Steve.

Every once in a while I try to imagine a heroic version of myself.

Naturally I start with the perfect body ripped abs, powerful biceps, thick hair and a nice

square jaw.

Of course the real heroic qualities are on the inside so I think of courage, decisiveness,

the ability to know what is right and the strength of will to do what is right.

Unfortunately the truth is that person is far more Steve Rogers than Steve Morris and

just as I get imperfectly framed in my mind, I take a look in the mirror and what I see

instead is a fat middle-aged bald guy with a gray beard doing its best to cover up a jaw

that is anything but square.

And it's even worse on the inside where instead of courage and decisiveness I see someone

who is insecure, unsure and filled almost as much with regrets from the past as he is

anxiety for the future.

In other words, the person I see is far more human than heroic.

And that is why I love John McLean.

You see, Die Hard is a great action movie filled with all the stuff you expect in great

action movies, fantastic stunts, thrilling fight scenes, great bad guys and a situation

which keeps the tension growing with every frame.

But what elevates Die Hard from great action movie to great film is that at its center

is a man who is more human than hero, a character as far from perfect as I am and whose

strength and courage are demonstrated in the way he overcomes fear and weakness, a man

who can't stop his mouth from saying the wrong things to the woman he loves and never

...