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Denis Leary, Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey, Robert J. Steinmiller Jr., Glynis Johns ... see more see more... , Raymond J. Barry , Richard Bright , Rutanya Alda , Christine Baranski , Tony Craig , Stephen Hunter , Charles Kerr , Chas Lawther , Adam Le Fevre , Vincent Pastore , Ellie Raab , Jim Turner , B.D. Wong , Caroline Yeager , Richard Blackburn , Bill Raymond , Edward Saxon , Kenneth Utt , Derek Keurvost , Peter Krantz , Marilyn Stonehouse , Howard Feuer , John Benjamin Hickey , Max Piersig , Cecilley Carroll , Robert Collins , Ron Gabriel , Robert Ridgely , J.K. Simmons , Scott Walker

Caroline and Lloyd (Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey) are a married couple constantly at each other's throats, masters at crafting acid-tongued barbs at the other's expense. Indeed, they are so obsessed wi... read more read more...th belittling each other that they never stop -- not even at gunpoint. Such is the premise of the acerbic comedy The Ref, which shows what happens when this quarrelsome duo is taken hostage. The gunman is Gus (Denis Leary), a thief on the run from the police, who kidnaps the couple as an insurance policy, planning to use their home as a hideout. But their incessant bickering proves more than Gus bargained for, forcing him -- for the sake of his own sanity -- into the unenviable role of peacemaker. To make things even worse for Gus, he discovers that he has taken the couple hostage the night of their big Christmas party, and the guests are already on the way. Not wanting to leave Lloyd and Caroline unattended, Gus opts to attend the party, pretending to be the couple's marriage counselor. This naturally leads to a series of comic confusions, as the hostage crisis and marital tensions head towards their inevitable conclusion. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

Flixster Users

72% liked it

25,576 ratings

Critics

76% liked it

42 critics

R, 1 hr. 33 min.

Directed by: Ted Demme

Release Date: March 9, 1994

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DVD Release Date: March 4, 2003

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Stats: 1,025 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,025)

  • TheDudeLebowski65
    November 16, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    A smartly crafted holiday comedy film that focuses on a cat burglar who takes a dysfunctional family hostage. The Ref is a smart, funny comedy with a great cast. Denis Leary is perfect in his role, and Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey have great chemistry as the dysfunctional couple. ... read moreThough the humor slows down a bit, the story is engaging enough for you to be entertained and with a good cast like this, it's impossible not to be. There's a perfect blend of effective storytelling that compliments the humor, and though it's not as hilarious as so many mainstream critics have said, The Ref is still funny enough for you to laugh and enjoy a fun, entertaining hour and a half. What really makes this a good film are the performances, everyone of the cast is well picked for the parts they play. I really enjoyed Denis Leary, and I thought watching him loose his mind as the couple and family is driving him crazy was just funny, and simply a great comedic performance. The Ref has its flaws, but overall it works well enough to be a highly entertaining comedy film with a good cast of talented actors that make this film worth watching. This is a good comedy with plenty of laughs that is smartly crafted and is worth seeing if you're in the mood for a comedy with great acting and a good story. Not a perfect film, but for what it is, The Ref delivers a good, solid entertaining hour and a half filled with laughter. Denis Leary is really the one that delivers here, and he makes the film a must see.
  • cancercapricorn2002
    December 16, 2010
    cancercapricorn2002
    "The Ref" is one of my favorite Christmas movies, it stars Denis Leary as a cat burglar who unwittingly takes bickering couple Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis hostage and ultimately ends up having to meet with the entire, annoying family for Christmas dinner.

    As the feuding spouses,... read more Spacey and Davis are perfect. They have a corrosive chemistry together and feed off of their character's biting, ill-spirited, hilarious put-downs and rantings. Denis Leary is also crudely effective as the titular character, tortured by the couple's incessant fighting. The family dinner is another laugh riot, with the actors hitting all the right chords as the stereotypically irritating, obligated-to-visit relatives who have an equally uneven family.

    Besides the family hostage story, there are also several other stories that run throughout the movie involving blackmail and a disgruntled neighborhood Santa Claus. Director Ted Demme balances all these storylines, albeit sometimes not very developed ones, and juggles them adequately with the main act.

    Ted Demme's direction is also controlled and never lets up, sticking to the scripts incisive arguments and family-haranguing and not reducing this smart, sometimes dark comedy to a typical, brainless holiday flick. The only time he falters is with the ending, of which the last minute could have been cut. Otherwise, this is a very funny, stinging, and unusual Christmas movie that gets more laughs than most Hollywood-packaged, uninspired crowd-pleasers.
  • LWOODS04
    January 9, 2010
    LWOODS04
    What a great dark comedy. Loved every bit of this movie. Reminds me of my family. Not sure thats a good thing. A lot of laughs. Love Kevin Spacey and Denis Leary in this movie. Has to be my favorite Christmas film. Probably wouldn't have been as good if not for the three leads.
  • FiLmCrAzY
    October 26, 2009
    FiLmCrAzY
    Hysterically Funny... i think not!
    I thought this movie was going to be great even if the storyline had floors it would be improved because iits funny, but i didnt find it that great i dont think i laughed more than twice and it wasnt lol!
    i like to think i have a great sense o... read moref humour and sometimes simple and silly so im amused by a lot of things but this movie just didnt cut it for, its about a burgular who kidnaps two strange people who he wasnt even burulaing from but kidnaps two of the most desfuctional people in the world and questions how there marriage ever worked!
    i didnt like it that much but hey its worth a watch for kevin spacey!
  • garyX
    May 17, 2007
    garyX
    An early role for Kevin Sacey as he and his wife are held hostage in their middle class suburban home by cynical crook Dennis Leary and inevitable life lessons ensue. Some of the sniping and bickering is pretty funny, as is the increasingly exasperated Leary. Makes a nice change ... read morefrom the usual saccharine-soaked christmas mush.
  • mjgildea
    October 25, 2006
    mjgildea
    A realistic Christmas movie! Thank you, St. Nick!
  • MidnightMadwoman
    June 5, 2006
    MidnightMadwoman
    This is my favorite Christmas movie ever. I'm surprised that not too many filmmaker embrace the season with the cynicism it deserves. Denis Leary heads an enormously talented cast about a couple who won't let anything get in the way of thier bickering.
  • Godless
    March 13, 2006
    Godless
    This is a movie that shows just how overated Denis Leary is.
  • fb20312798
    June 23, 2011
    fb20312798
    It does suffer from having too many extraneous supporting characters and a few of the big emotional moments don't work, but seeing Leary, Davis, and Spacey play off each other so well is great. It would have been easy to make the strained marriage at the center cartoonish, but th... read moree script actually pushes for realism, putting blame on both husband and wife in equal measure. At the same time, it never looses its comic edge, despite its occasional honesty.
  • Lemure
    March 20, 2011
    Lemure
    The first half hour is great but then it runs out of steam, brings in WAY too many characters, sidelines Leary and hits every cliche available before finally blaming mother. Spacey and Davis are excellent though.

View All The Ref Reviews

Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum
November 27, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

What makes most of this work is the brio of the acting, though the direction by Ted Demme and the script by Richard LaGravenese and Marie Weiss certainly don't hurt. Full Review

Caryn James
May 20, 2003
Caryn James, New York Times

Staying clear of any mean-spirited attitudes, The Ref is a film to warm the hearts and touch the nerves of dysfunctional families everywhere. Full Review

Peter Travers
May 12, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Demme brings out the comic ease in Leary.

Desson Thomson
January 1, 2000
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

This is one holiday party you'll want to miss. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Material like this is only as good as the acting and writing. The Ref is skillful in both areas. Full Review

Hal Hinson
January 1, 2000
Hal Hinson, Washington Post

The Ref is one of those rare movies that seem to have everything going for it -- a promising director, terrific actors and an original, unapologetically grown-up script -- yet somehow still turns out ... Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

This is not a seamlessly constructed movie, but as long as you're not expecting great art, it's unlikely to disappoint. Full Review

December 4, 2006
TV Guide's Movie Guide

It's cynical, mean-spirited and, at least at first, viciously funny. Full Review

Geoff Andrew
February 9, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

In his first starring role, comedian Leary makes his ranting career criminal strangely sympathetic. Full Review

Alan Dale
December 19, 2005
Alan Dale, Blogcritics.org

[Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey] play this strident high comedy duet with a self-sustaining brio that easily puts them on the level of the stars of Twentieth Century, The Awful Truth, The Philadelphia St... Full Review

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The Ref Trivia

  • Name the movie where Dennis Leary plays a jewel thief.  Answer »
  • Name the actor who appeared in all the following films: The Thomas Crown Affair, The Ref and Wag the Dog.  Answer »
  • Who is the thief in the Ref  Answer »
  • Which one of the following movies is NOT a remake or based on a film of the same title?  Answer »
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