Review of The Ref (1994) by Jjdomesticated D — 26 Dec 2006

Gus: "Sit down Connie."Connie Chasseur: "Excuse me, but I am not one of your patients."Gus: "You're gonna be somebody's patient if you don't get your ass back down in that chair.

"John Chasseur: "Wow!" [Connie smacks him for his outburst]Gus: "I swear to God, you hit that kid one more time and I will stick that pig's head right up your ass!"Connie Chasseur: "Gary, are you going to let him talk to me like that?"Gary Chasseur: "Well honey, he is a doctor.

"My favourite Christmas movie, the one I watch every year on either Christmas Eve or the big Day itself. Fantastic comic performances from the three leads (Spacey in particular is surprising as a comedy lead.

His timing is impeccable and he and Davis have fabulous chemistry).Gus (Leary) is a crook on the run after a Christmas Eve job in Smalltown Connecticut goes horribly wrong. Desperate to avoid the cops, he forces his way into the lives of Lloyd and Caroline Chasseur (Spacey and Davis), a couple teetering on the brink of divorce.

Leary is the titular ref, stuck between the arguments and forcing them to be honest and confront their issues or face the brunt of his gun. It's much funnier than that synopsis might suggest, but it's also a movie unafraid to let a dramatic moment be dramatic.

The acting is great from most all of the cast, with one exception: the 'bad egg' son Jesse, who's given a fairly cliche character and turns in a performance that makes his weak scripting even worse.

It's a necessary part for the plot to work -- Gus has to threaten his well-being as leverage to keep Caroline and Lloyd in line. Still, it's a sore-thumb role that could have been better.The movie goes on auto-pilot a bit towards the end, but the road towards the finish is so well-done and hysterical that I don't mind too much.

A holiday classic.