Product Details

• Actors: Denis Leary, Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey, Robert J. Steinmiller Jr., Glynis Johns
• Directors: Ted Demme
• Writers: Marie Weiss, Richard LaGravenese
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Touchstone Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: March 4, 2003
• Run Time: 97 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (212 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00008977D
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,185 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "The Ref" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Caustic wit gets a full-body workout in this 1994 comedy, in which a cat burglar (Denis Leary) gets trapped in an affluent Connecticut neighborhood and is forced to hold a bickering couple hostage on Christmas Eve, only to discover that their Yuletide spirit is anything but cheerful. Caroline (Judy Davis) and her husband, Lloyd (Kevin Spacey), have been at each other's throats for so long that they've developed domestic arguments into an art form, and the would-be kidnapper turns into a reluctant mediator, even after he's got the battling couple wound up in bungee cords. The situation grows even more complicated when the couple's smart-aleck son comes home from military school, but it's not the plot here that's a top priority. Instead it's the sheer pleasure of witnessing a three-way verbal jousting match, written with razor-sharp skill and delivered by actors who are perfect for their roles. The movie's got a dark edge, but it never gets too dark--you know that it's not going to slide into more seriously damaging territory, so you can sit back and enjoy the volleys of scathing insults and sarcasm the way you would a Don Rickles performance. If that sounds like your idea of entertainment, The Ref will serve it up with style. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description

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.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 62 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite Christmas Movie June 19, 2000

By David Kleist

Format:VHS Tape|Amazon Verified Purchase

Okay: if the "eff" word offends you, don't buy this video. However, if you grew up in a dysfunctional family in which your parents argued about absolutely anything while you were required to cheer, you'll love this comic holiday tale of a burglar who wanted simply to make his last heist and retire to the islands. Unfortunately, he's attacked by the dog Cannibal; his alcoholic partner deserts him; and he kidnaps a couple who resembles his own parents: two chronic arguers who would pick at each other at the very edge of doom. My mom was obsessed with certain Scandinavian traditions, and when the comedy cuts to a Swedish sit-down feast during which all participants wear garlands of candles and eat traditional Swedish food, I practically go into cardiac arrest. This is not only one of the funniest films ever made, but also it is an accurate portrayal of the nightmare which Christmas becomes for so many middle-class families. Dennis Leary, Kevin Spacey, and Judy Davis are brilliant beyond belief in their rapid-fire deliveries of sadistic sarcasm. Buy it; savor it. Ho ho ho!

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite Christmas movie June 25, 2003

By Robin Wolfson VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

It's true. This is my favorite Christmas movie. Now, be warned, you have to be a fan of smart, talky movies (think of comedies from the thirties and forties). The uniting of Judy Davis, Denis Leary, and Kevin Spacey was inspired, and Christine Baranski and Glynis Johns (one of my favorite stars when I was a kid) provide extra pith to an already pith-laden production.

Now you know, of course, that whenever you get Kevin Spacey and Denis Leary in one film there's going to a lot of talking and a lot of ranting, and the rants are truly delicious, topped off with Spacey's line: "The corpse has the floor!"

Judy Davis more than holds her own with Spacey and Leary, and B. D. Wong is delightful as the overwhelmed psychotherapist. As everyone gets a number in a musical, everyone gets a rant in The Ref, reminding us again of why two people argue: because they're both right.

Give yourself a treat and don't wait for Christmas to watch this one.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Ref: An Underappreciated Sleeper December 9, 1999

By A Customer

Format:VHS Tape

If you're looking for an intelligent, witty, and biting comedy, you'll find exactly what you want with Ted Demme's THE REF. A first-rate cast (headed by Oscar winner Kevin Spacey, multi-nominated Judy Davis, and a surprisingly full-rounded performance by Denis Leary) takes you into the lives of an unhappily married couple and their down-on-his-luck kidnapper on Christmas Eve in a wealthy suburban Connecticut town. Other invaluable cast members include Glynis Johns, Christine Baranski, Raymond J. Barry and a cameo by Broadway's B.D. Wong. In what must be considered a "black comedy", Spacey and Davis throw verbal knives at each other throughout the course of the film, all with an underlying knowledge of their love for each other. Be prepared to laugh out loud at a one-liner one minute, and to be touched and heartwarmed the next. I have watched this film over and over again, without ever failing to enjoy it from start to finish. PERSONAL NOTE: I remember Gene Siskel reviewing this picture when it first came out. He commented on how the "villain" was bald and was named Siskel. He took this as a personal affront, which I find absolutely ridiculous. First of all, Siskel is not the villain, and the fact that he was played by a bald actor (JK Simmons) was coincidental. I never seemed to have the same regard for Gene Siskel after that review.