The Ref (1994)

Good movie but grossly overrated

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

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.

Denis Leary and Kevin Spacey match wits in this ever-so-gently whitewashed holiday staple. Spacey, whose flammable relationship with wife Judy Davis takes center stage in nearly every scene, is at his deadpan sarcastic best from start to finish, while Leary's brand of comedy is somewhat neutered by the family-friendly nature of the picture. At its root, though, this is a startlingly simple premise that never really evolves into something grand enough to carry a feature-length picture. It's got some good one-liners, a few solid recurring gags, a volatile core concept, but can't manage to make the shift into high gear that would've put it over the top.

Let me say this movie couldn't be more real, now having said that Denis Leary didn't even have to blink when reading this script, it was simply written for him because lets face the facts who better to be a gun wielding, curse slurring, angry robber then him. Secondly the relationship between Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis could have a movie all in itself, its real down and dirty dysfunction the good old fashioned way with objects being flung and secrets being expelled in every direction, and the reunion of the entire family makes you want to curl up and laugh hysterically for hours. Bottom line if you haven't seen this movie its an absolute MUST SEE. 10 out of 10 with a bullet.

This movie is pretty funny. Hilarious at times and very crude.First of all, this movie is not for children. Sexual jokes are made frequently and there is a lot of language. Roughly, about 150 f-bombs are dropped.The general plot is that a criminal named Gus (Denis Leary), after a failed diamond theft, takes a bickering family (Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey) hostage. Little does he realize that they are having serious marital issues, let alone that family members are coming for dinner. Plus, the couple have a son who is ashamed to be with his family because of their unhealthy habits. The movie is pretty funny and tells a simple and interesting story.Without giving away too much of the plot, the movie gets funnier and much more hectic as it goes along.Overall, this movie is funny but is only for adults. Jokes about body parts and sex are made throughout the movie.Official MPAA Rating: R for Language My MPAA Rating: R for Language, Sexual Humor, and Brief Violence