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The Ref

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The Ref (1994)

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Reviews Counted:39

Fresh:31

Rotten:8

Average Rating:6.6/10

Consensus: Undeniably uneven and too dark for some, The Ref nonetheless boasts strong turns from Denis Leary, Judy Davis, and Kevin Spacey, as well as a sharply funny script.

Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: Gus is a pretty clever cat burglar, but he's having a really bad Christmas Eve. He just stole precious gems from a wealthy amusement park owner. But his plan to escape has gone awry. So he ducks... Gus is a pretty clever cat burglar, but he's having a really bad Christmas Eve. He just stole precious gems from a wealthy amusement park owner. But his plan to escape has gone awry. So he ducks into Lloyd and Caroline's house only to find himself caught in the middle of a marriage from hell. Lloyd and Caroline are possibly the most dysfunctional pair in the world. To make matters worse, the unhappy twosome are expecting their in-laws for dinner. Once the guests arrive, Gus -- who has already taken their son hostage -- makes Lloyd and Caroline agree to pretend he's their marriage counselor. [More]

Starring: Denis Leary, Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey, Glynis Johns

Starring: Denis Leary, Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey, Glynis Johns, Robert J. Steinmiller

Director: Ted Demme

Director: Ted Demme

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Release:

Mar 4, 2003

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • The Ref
  • Denis Leary plays an unfortunate cat burglar, who is abandonded by his partner in the middle of a heist and is forced to take an irritating Connecticut couple (Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis) hostage. He soon finds that he got more than he bargained for when the couple's blackmailing son and despicable in-laws step into the picture. Before long they're driving him nuts with their petty bickering and family problems. The only way for him to survive is to be their referee and resolve their differences before he can be nabbed by the police.
  • Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for The Ref

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    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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    N/R

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    Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
    03/26/09
    Variety
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    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 Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
    11/27/07
    Jonathan Rosenbaum
    Jonathan Rosenbaum
    Chicago Reader
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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

    Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
    12/04/06
    TV Guide's Movie Guide
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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

    Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
    02/09/06
    Geoff Andrew
    Geoff Andrew
    Time Out

    [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 Story, and His Girl Friday.

    Full Review Source: Blogcritics.org | comment Comment
    12/19/05
    Alan Dale
    Alan Dale
    Blogcritics.org

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    06/25/05
    Emanuel Levy
    Emanuel Levy
    EmanuelLevy.Com

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    03/25/05
    Greg Maki
    Greg Maki
    Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)

    Dennis Leary's shining hour. His stand-up persona's greatest moment and it was all down hill from there.

    comment Comment
    12/21/04
    Eric Lurio
    Eric Lurio
    Greenwich Village Gazette

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    11/19/04
    Robin Clifford
    Robin Clifford
    Reeling Reviews

    One of the most underrated comedies of the 1990s

    comment Comment
    10/07/04
    James Sanford
    James Sanford
    Kalamazoo Gazette

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    09/25/04
    Brian Gibson
    Brian Gibson
    Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    06/20/04
    Frank Swietek
    Frank Swietek
    One Guy's Opinion

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    05/14/04
    Carol Cling
    Carol Cling
    Las Vegas Review-Journal

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    01/13/04
    Michael Dequina
    Michael Dequina
    TheMovieReport.com

    Just because The Ref isn't your typical Christmas movie doesn't mean you should skip it. In fact, it should be just the opposite.

    Full Review Source: Movie Views | comment Comment
    12/24/03
    Ryan Cracknell
    Ryan Cracknell
    Movie Views

    Better in hindsight than it first appeared. Leary truly rises to the challenge of acting opposite Davis and Spacey.

    comment Comment
    11/28/03
    Luke Y. Thompson
    Luke Y. Thompson
    New Times

    This is a smart witty film- Leary is fantastic, Spacey a blast and Davis brilliant!

    comment Comment
    10/17/03
    Emily Blunt
    Emily Blunt
    Blunt Review

    Very entertaining.

    Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
    06/06/03
    Dragan Antulov
    Dragan Antulov
    rec.arts.movies.reviews

    ...[The Ref is] the sort of movie that improves on repeated viewings.

    Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment Comment
    05/24/03
    David Nusair
    David Nusair
    Reel Film Reviews

    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 Source: New York Times | comment Comment
    05/20/03
    Caryn James
    Caryn James
    New York Times
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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