NateWatchesCoolMovies Ted Demme's The Ref is one of my favourite holiday comedies of all time, one I re watch every and never tire of. It's the most cheerful black comedy I can think of, while at the same time being one of the most cynical, acid tongued Christmas movies on record. In spite of this pissy tone, however, it still manages to elicit warm fuzzy feelings and make you care for its lovable, curmudgeonly characters. It's also got a spitfire of a script, given wildly funny life by its star, the one and only Denis Leary. Leary, every the motor mouthed, nicotine fuelled teddy bear, is an actor who's work is very dear to me. Many times when I was younger and wasn't in the best place in my head, I'd watch various films of his, and his standup and he always put me in a better place. Here he plays short tempered cat burglar Gus, who is forced to lay low in a small town on Christmas Eve after being busted and nearly caught by a state of the art alarm system. He takes a middle aged couple hostage to hide out at their house, and goes from the proverbial frying pan into the fire. Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis play the couple, who bicker endlessly and drive Gus up the wall by constantly being at each other's throats and never shutting up. Spacey never comes up short in intense performances, whether dramatic or funny, and he owns the role, meeting Leary and Davis's manic energy with his own verve. Davis, an underrated actress, pulls out all the stops an delivers like she always does as well. The three of them are left in the house to hash out their issues, criticize each other, fight, make constant jabs at character and all that other lovely Christmas-y stuff. The hilarity peaks when Spacey's insufferable brother and his family show up for the most awkward Christmas dinner in history, as the trio tries to disguise the fact that they're harbouring a criminal from the dimwitted clan, and Spacey's tyrannical bitch of a mother (Glynis Johns). There's balance to the stressful vibe, though, as Leary's presence elevates every emotion from the couple and eventually turns things around, all expertly played by the actors for laughs both obvious and subtle. The excellent Raymond J. Barry is crusty delight as the mean spirited Sheriff, and there's great work from J.K. Simmons, Christine Baranski, Arthur Nascarella, Vincent Pastore, Richard Bright, Adam LeFevre and B.D. Wong. A Christmas classic for me, for a number of reasons, and one of the funniest, overlooked holiday flicks out there.

Scott LeBrun Denis Leary plays Gus, a cat burglar who's foiled in the opening minutes of the movie by a rich mans' alarm / booby trap. Now on the lam, he decides to take a hostage. Unfortunately, his choice of Caroline (Judy Davis) is not a good one, as she and her husband Lloyd (Kevin Spacey) are going through a VERY rough patch, and can never stop sniping at each other for very long. Things aren't going to get any better, and Gus is forced to spend an untenable Christmas Eve pretending to be their marriage counselor and having to deal with Lloyds' dysfunctional family."The Ref" would be an excellent Christmas time viewing choice for people who want to dispense with excess sentiment and more family friendly material. It has an extremely profane script (by Richard LaGravenese and Marie Weiss, based on Weiss's story), delivered to perfection by an incredibly well cast bunch of actors. The dialogue and situations are commanding enough that the time just flies by. The not terribly attractive bunch of characters includes Lloyds' rich & bitchy mother Rose (Glynis Johns), his weakling brother Gary (Adam LeFevre), Gary's abrasive wife Connie (Christine Baranski), and Lloyd and Carolines' troubled son Jesse (Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.), a student at a military school.One can't help but sympathize with Gus to some degree; who would actually desire to spend time with this family? Still, even after all the fighting and yelling, we see truths come out and characters becoming more honest with themselves and others. The subplot with the incompetent, moronic officers on the local police force is rather silly. None of the scenes that don't involve the family are as interesting.Leary is ideal for the lead, but it's Spacey and especially Davis who truly shine. Then again, everyone does a fine job. There are a number of recognizable actors throughout the supporting cast; in addition to Johns, LeFevre, and Baranski, there's Raymond J. Barry, Richard Bright, Bill Raymond, Robert Ridgely, J.K. Simmons, John Benjamin Hickey, Arthur J. Nascarella, and Vincent Pastore. Brights' widow, actress Rutanya Alda, has a brief cameo. Simmons plays a slimeball character named Siskel, so named because LaGravenese was getting a little revenge on film critic Siskel, who'd previously dismissed "The Fisher King" that LaGravenese had written. B.D. Wong appears unbilled.Good fun, with a particularly satisfying wrap-up.Eight out of 10.

wes-connors On Christmas Eve, jewelry thief Denis Leary (as Gus) takes bickering Connecticut wife Judy Davis (as Caroline) and her husband Kevin Spacey (as Lloyd Chasseur) hostage. The captivated couple argues incessantly, driving Mr. Leary crazy. But, through it all, his hair stays perfect. Police are combing the area, so Leary must suffer as Ms. Davis and Mr. Spacey demonstrate their disintegrating marriage. Meanwhile, boozing buddy Richard Bright (as Murray) tries to help Leary from the outside. Juvenile delinquent son Robert J. Steinmiller Jr. (as Jesse) arrives home for the holiday...Steinmiller has been blackmailing a teacher at military school. When young Steinmiller is also gagged, you have to wonder why Leary didn't give his parents similar treatment - but, then there wouldn't have been a movie. Mouthy matriarch Glynis Johns (as Rose) and other family members show up for supper. Christine Baranski (as Connie) is a noticeable asset. Leary must pretend he is "Dr. Wong" the marriage counselor. People swap foul-mouthed insults and wear weird hats with candles in them. Dinner and the movie are distasteful, but cause no permanent damage.***** The Ref (3/9/94) Ted Demme ~ Denis Leary, Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey, Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.

suvoth I love this movie! I watched it when it first came out and subsequently watch it every holiday. It is the funniest Christmas movie out there in my opinion and no one but Leary could have pulled off Gus. Fantastic! Not for children,due to the swearing, but make this your own Christmas tradition and watch it every year! Fantastic! Every tradition starts somewhere! The acting is just that good that you want to see it repeatedly. I wish they would make another one actually, I think it would do really well if the same actors could reprise their rolls. It surprises me that a lot of people have never even heard of this movie. I lent it out to a coworker and she loved it too. It's certainly a little unknown gem.