The Ref

Movie

1994

1h 37m

English

Comedy, Crime, Drama

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Critic Score:

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A cat burglar is forced to take a bickering, dysfunctional family hostage on Christmas Eve.

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The Ref

Movie

1994

1h 37m

English

Comedy, Crime, Drama

Play Trailer

Watch on Hoopla

A cat burglar is forced to take a bickering, dysfunctional family hostage on Christmas Eve.

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IMDB

CRITIC SCORE

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Available in 3 other countries.

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Cast

Gus

Caroline Chasseur

Lloyd Chasseur

Rose Chasseur

Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.

Jesse Chasseur

Lt. Huff

Murray

Connie Chasseur

Gary Chasseur

Siskel

Dr. Wong, Marriage Counselor

Lt. Steve Milford

George

John

Mary

Phil

Bartender

Limo Driver

Prosecutor

Reporter

Newscaster

Jeremiah Willard

Store Cashier

Store Customer

Salvation Army Volunteer

Directed By: Ted Demme

Written By: Richard LaGravenese (Screenplay), Marie Weiss (Screenplay), + 1 more

Featured Comments/Tips

nmahoney416 says...

6 years ago

Dennis Leary’s monolouge at the end is worth watching this for that alone.

Like - Dislike - Comment - 10 0

csrz says...

2 years ago

An unfortunate cat burglar becomes trapped in a fate worse than jail when he takes a bickering couple and their annoying relatives hostage. Before long, they're driving him nuts, and the line between who is whose hostage begins to blur. It's okay I guess. It's a dark comedy that leaves the comedy mostly behind. I find it more irritating than funny for the most parts. There are some pretty good performances in here and the premise is pretty clever but it's not well-written enough to sustain this premise for the length of the film and it keeps adding pointless side plots instead.

Like - Dislike - Comment - 00 0

jarvis-8243417 says...

3 years ago

The Ref is a hilarious holiday film that delivers some good laughs but it has trouble finding the right tone. When a burglar takes a married couple hostage on Christmas Eve he gets more than he bargained for as the couple’s dysfunctional family comes to visit. Denis Leary leads the cast, and is joined by Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey. Unfortunately the comedy is uneven, as the film doesn’t quite know how dark or silly to take the humor. And as a result, the performances suffer and the story becomes unfocused. But even with its problems, The Ref is entertaining and has some fun moments.

Like - Dislike - Comment - 00 0

drqshadow says...

4 years ago

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 bumped it to the next level.

Like - Dislike - Comment - 00 0

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