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Nothing Like the Holidays [Blu-ray]
Nothing Like the Holidays
Blu-ray
Actors: John Leguizamo, Debra Messing
Genres: Comedy, Drama
PG-13     2009     1hr 38min

John Leguizamo (Ice Age, Moulin Rouge!), Freddy Rodriguez (?Six Feet Under,? Bobby), Debra Messing (?Will & Grace,? ?The Starter Wife?), and Alfred Molina (The Pink Panther 2) lead a hilarious ensemble cast in this humorou...  more »
     
     

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Movie Details

Actors: John Leguizamo, Debra Messing
Genres: Comedy, Drama
Sub-Genres: Comedy, Drama
Studio: ANCHOR BAY
Format: Blu-ray - Color,Widescreen
DVD Release Date: 10/27/2009
Original Release Date: 01/01/2008
Theatrical Release Date: 12/18/2008
Release Year: 2009
Run Time: 1hr 38min
Screens: Color,Widescreen
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 2
Total Copies: 1
Members Wishing: 0
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Languages: English
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Movie Reviews

We're Spending Christmas Together Whether You Like it or Not
Chris Pandolfi | Los Angeles, CA | 12/14/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)

"Allow me to quote from my review of "Four Christmases," released only a few weeks ago: "I don't need to spend $8.75 to be told that we should spend time with our loved ones, even if they're completely insane. By now, I think we all know." As much as I believe this to be true, films like "Nothing Like the Holidays" prove that even well established messages can still be effective. This movie is everything "Four Christmases" was not: funny, touching, and intelligent, with drama that actually feels genuine. While it gives us just about everything we've come to expect from the typical holiday movie, it makes the most of what it's got, and I have a feeling that just about everyone will find it relatable to certain degree. It's a family drama that has just the right balance of humor and heart, and it features a number of actors that naturally fit into the material.

"Nothing Like the Holidays" tells the story of the Rodriguez family and the drama that befalls them during the Christmas holiday. The father, Edy (Alfred Molina), is the owner of a Puerto Rican grocery store in the middle of Chicago, and he'd like nothing more than for one of his sons to someday take over the business. Unfortunately, he and his wife, Anna (Elizabeth Peña), are having a great deal of problems. Anna is a very unhappy woman. For one thing, she has reason to believe that Edy is cheating on her, with his constant cell phone calls and late nights out. Furthermore, she would like nothing more than for her son, Mauricio (John Leguizamo), and his wife, Sarah (Debra Messing), to bless her elderly years with a grandchild. When in the same room together, Anna regards Sarah not with scorn, but with a quiet air of disappointment, as if to say she could be doing a much better job.

Sarah and Mauricio are having problems of their own. While they're successful executives in New York City, business opportunities are threatening both their marriage and their prospects for having children, which Sarah may not be ready for right now. It would help if Anna would stop asking for a grandchild. She's trying her hardest to be on friendly terms with Anna, offering to help clean, practicing Spanish, insisting that she's learned a great deal about Puerto Rican cuisine. There's a wonderful moment just after Anna announces at the dinner table that she's divorcing Edy; after everyone leaves in disgust, Sarah remains where she is, calmly asserting that she isn't finished eating. For the first time, Anna gives Sarah a genuinely loving look.

Unfortunately, Mauricio is unwilling to accept his parents' divorce, probably because, as a married man himself, he believes that spouses are supposed to ride the ups and downs of life together. Ultimately, he says, you end up falling in love all over again. What he seems to be forgetting is that his mother suspects his father of cheating, which is unforgivable after over thirty years of marriage.

And then there are the other two children. The younger son, Jesse (Freddy Rodriguez, also one of the film's executive producers), is a soldier returning home from the Iraq war. He carries a lot of guilt, not only because he broke up with his girlfriend, Marissa (Melonie Diaz), but also because of an event that went horribly wrong in Iraq. Now back home, Edy is putting pressure on Jesse to take control of the grocery store. But does Jesse want that kind of responsibility? What exactly does he want? Whatever it is, he doesn't believe he'll find it in the Humboldt Park area of Chicago. He certainly won't be getting any support from Mauricio, who has always felt that Jesse had virtually everything handed to him.

The sister, Roxanna (Vanessa Ferlito), is an actress visiting from Los Angeles. While she has managed a few small roles, she has yet to get her big break. She is being considered for a part in a new television series, but given the fact that her agent calls frequently with little to no news, it's difficult to say what will happen. What she really doesn't understand is why everyone around her thinks she has been living such a glamorous life; they seem to forget that many actors struggle to pay their bills.

Intertwined with all this are a couple of minor subplots, including the Rodriguez's outspoken cousin, Johnny (Luis Guzmán), Marissa's relationship with a new man, and Roxanna's friend, Ozzy (Jay Hernandez), a former gang member who still has some unfinished business. There are also a few interesting scenes with a tree that's been standing on the Rodriguez's front lawn for years. Anna has always wanted it cut down; it doesn't give her a view. Attempts to destroy it only make its metaphor for family all the more obvious--it may by twisted, obstructive, and just plain ugly, but it's also indestructible and deeply rooted. Messages like this are expected in holiday movies, and I can't fool myself into believing that "Nothing Like the Holidays" gives us anything new in the way of family drama. But I also can't deny the fact that the filmmakers made it work. This movie, for all intents and purposes, feels authentic from beginning to end. It's funny at times, yet it never goes for a series of cheap laughs. It's sad at times, yet it doesn't resort to overblown moments of melodrama. It gave me the gift of an enjoyable movie going experience, and I'm sure it will do the same for you."
Really fun with a twist
M J MCEVOY | London, UK | 06/16/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a fun movie - lots of hilarious moments with a great ensemble cast. You get the feeling that the actors had a lot of fun when they did this film.
Beside being funny it also makes some valuable statements about family life, forgiveness, healing and accepting our humanness.
An altogether warm viewing experience - something there for every generation!
"
Pretty good Christmas film
William A. Nolan | Willcox, AZ USA | 11/12/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)

"I first saw this film in the theater. To give full disclosure, one of my businesses is a movie theater, so I see a lot of films. This one isn't bad at all. It is a feel-good flick about a Puerto Rican family living in Chicago, and one very difficult Christmas holiday season. Some excellent actors and a good storyline make this one worth watching, as long as you like feel-good Christmas films. I do."
Nothing New, But Something Comfortable And Entertaining
K. Harris | Las Vegas, NV | 11/12/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)

"Films with the same premise as "Nothing Like The Holidays" are abundant--in fact, I've seen more family homecoming stories centered around the holidays than I care to admit. Generally amiable and predictable, you can count on a few laughs at the typical dysfunction, a bit of tension at the long held grudges, and finally some warmth as mutual understanding and the meaning of "family" send us to the finale. But I'm no Scrooge, just because I know where we're headed doesn't mean it can't be an enjoyable ride! And I was pleasantly entertained by "Nothing Like The Holidays." It may not be a new Yuletide classic but a colorful and committed cast breathe fresh life into rather familiar situations. Alternately touching and humorous, the film ultimately won me over with its heart.

Set in Chicago, "Nothing Like The Holidays" presents Christmas from a Puerto Rican family's vantage point. The nominal star of this ensemble picture is Freddy Rodriguez ("Six Feet Under"), a son returning from overseas service. He's solid here providing a center for the movie. But he's surrounded by many familiar faces such as Elizabeth Pena and Alfred Molina as the parents, John Leguizamo as his brother, Debra Messing as Leguizamo's non-Puerto Rican wife, and Luiz Guzman and Jay Hernandez as his cousin and friend respectively. Everyone does a nice job, but to single two people out--I'd have to look to the ladies. Debra Messing is certainly NOT a favorite of mine in general, but she manages to pull a lot of dignity out of what could have been the film's most thankless role. It is Elizabeth Pena, however, that I most appreciated--a talented actress who finally has a meaty role to showcase her abilities.

Well executed and well acted, "Nothing Like The Holidays" certainly plays as a comedy first and foremost. I think that's where it is on its firmest footing with many scenes being laugh out loud funny. The humor comes from identifiable situations that anyone who has been a part of family gatherings can appreciate. The more serious bits work as well, but only because the comedy has drawn you into the family dynamic. Ultimately I was rooting for this group. And that's really all you can hope for, in the end. I cared for the family and wanted to see where their journey led me. So how can I not recommend "Nothing Like The Holidays?" It's a modest film, and if you approach it with modest expectations--you might just be pleasantly surprised. KGHarris, 11/09."