Rent The Ref (1994)
3.4 of 5 from 63 ratings
1h 33min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- An idyllic Christmas Eve turns into a night of comic nastiness when Gus (Denis Leary), a cat burglar with a short fuse, takes the obnoxious Chasseur family hostage after a botched burglary. The burglary is a mistake, but the Chasseurs are a disaster! Caroline (Judy Davis) and Lloyd (Kevin Spacey) have a marriage made in hell, an evil spawn in son Jesse and a flock of appalling relatives...
- Actors:
- Denis Leary, Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey, Robert J. Steinmiller Jr., Glynis Johns, Raymond J. Barry, Richard Bright, Christine Baranski, Adam LeFevre, Phillip Nicoll, Ellie Raab, Bill Raymond, John Scurti, Jim Turner, Herbie Ade
- Directors:
- Ted Demme
- Producers:
- Ron Bozman, Richard Lagravenese, Jeffrey Weiss
- Writers:
- Marie Weiss, Richard Lagravenese
- Aka:
- Hostile Hostages
- Studio:
- Walt Disney
- Genres:
- Comedy, Drama
- Collections:
- 12 Films of Christmas Present, Glynis & Angela: Ninetysomething Marvels, Holidays Film Collection, People of the Pictures, The Ultimate Christmas Films Collection, Top 10 British Actresses of the 1940s, Top Films
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Reviews (1) of The Ref
Tinsel, Teeth, and a Family That Deserves Coal - The Ref review by griggs
Most Christmas films want to tuck you in with a mulled wine and a group hug before the credits. The Ref turns up with a burglar, a marriage in freefall, and a family dinner that should come with a warning label.
Denis Leary storms in and the whole ensemble stays right on his heels. Kevin Spacey and Judy Davies are brutally good as a couple who can’t stop taking bites out of each other. Christine Baranski adds fuel and Glynis Johns is wonderfully hard to stomach.
Richard LaGravenese and Marie Weiss write dialogue that snaps like a row in the next room, and Ted Demme keeps it brisk so it doesn’t sink into self-pity. It’s funny in a slightly nasty way — not festive comfort, mere a reminder of how hard people work to perform cheer. Under the sarcasm, there’s just enough warmth to make it sting.
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