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The Ref

Movie
1994
1h 37m
R
English
Comedy, Crime, Drama
User Score: 
7
Critic Score: 
66
The Ref' Poster
A cat burglar is forced to take a bickering, dysfunctional family hostage on Christmas Eve.
The Ref Poster

The Ref

R
Movie
1994
1h 37m
English
Comedy, Crime, Drama
A cat burglar is forced to take a bickering, dysfunctional family hostage on Christmas Eve.
Rating
WATCHMODE
7
IMDB
The Ref (1994) on IMDb
CRITIC SCORE
66

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USA Streaming Sources
 
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Judy Davis
Caroline Chasseur
Kevin Spacey
Lloyd Chasseur
Glynis Johns
Rose Chasseur
Christine Baranski
Connie Chasseur
Adam LeFevre
Gary Chasseur
BD Wong
Dr. Wong, Marriage Counselor
John Scurti
Lt. Steve Milford
Herbie Ade
Bartender
Ron Gabriel
Limo Driver
Scott Walker
Prosecutor
Edward Saxon
Reporter
Donna Holgate
Newscaster
Kenneth Utt
Jeremiah Willard
Marilyn Stonehouse
Store Cashier
Victoria Mitchell
Store Customer
Cort Day
Salvation Army Volunteer
Directed By: Ted Demme
Written By: Richard LaGravenese (Screenplay), Marie Weiss (Screenplay), + 1 more

Featured Comments/Tips

nmahoney416 says...
7 years ago
Dennis Leary’s monolouge at the end is worth watching this for that alone.
Like  -  Dislike  -  Comment  -  100
csrz says...
3 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  -  000
jarvis-8243417 says...
4 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  -  000
drqshadow says...
5 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  -  000

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