The Ref, a darkly comedic gem, takes a delightfully unconventional approach to the holiday season. Denis Leary stars as Gus, a burglar who, while evading capture from the police, is forced to take the bickering, dysfunctional Chasseur family (Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis) hostage on Christmas Eve.
Trapped in their opulent Connecticut home, Gus becomes an unwitting therapist, forced to endure the couple’s venomous bickering while simultaneously navigating their dysfunctional family dynamics. The film masterfully blends sharp wit with poignant observations on marriage, family, and the true meaning of Christmas.
Leary, known for his abrasive humor, delivers a surprisingly nuanced performance, finding humor in Gus’s growing frustration and unexpected empathy for his hostages. Spacey and Davis are equally brilliant, their verbal sparring matches both hilarious and painfully relatable.
Denis Leary in The Ref (Photo/Touchstone Pictures)
The film was directed by Ted Demme, who had previously worked with Leary on the Showtime stand-up comedy special No Cure for Cancer in 1993.
Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer produced the film, sandwiched between Days of Thunder (1990) starring Tom Cruise and Robert Duvall and Bad Boys (1995) starring Martin Lawrence and Will Smith.
Reception for The Ref
The Ref opened on March 11, 1994, grossing $3.04 million for No. 4 at the domestic box office, trailing Guarding Tess ($7.1 million) starring Shirley MacLaine and Nicholas Cage, Lightning Jack ($5.4 million) starring Paul Hogan and Cuba Gooding, Jr., and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective ($4.1 million) starring Jim Carrey.
The film would gross $11.4. million in its theatrical release.
Roger Ebert gave the film three out of four stars in his review, saying “Material like this is only as good as the acting and writing. The Ref is skillful in both areas.”
Caryn James in her review in The New York Times said The Ref was “a grown-up film that delights in undermining Christmas cliches.”
Legacy
The Ref is not your typical holiday fare. It’s a subversive and refreshingly cynical take on theholidays, reminding us that even in the midst of chaos, there’s always a chance for unexpected connections and surprising acts of kindness.
