The Ref Movie Review 1993

The couple from hell turn the tables on Gus (Leary), a hard-nosed fugitive who takes Caroline (Davis) and her husband Lloyd (Spacey) hostage. Gus then finds himself trapped in the traditional Christmas ordeal of a family suffering from industrial-strength dysfunction. He plots his getaway while masquerading as the couple's marriage counselor, hence the film's title. This sometimes brutal, frequently hysterical satire of male-female relationships, family ties, and compulsory holiday rituals uses consistently sharp dialogue and superb acting to tell an absurd but convincing tale.

Distribution

Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 500 S. Buena Vista St., Burbank, CA 91521-1120, Toll-free: 800-723-4763, URL: http://www.bvhe.com

Available on VHS
Running time 97 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Black Comedy, Christmas, Producers: Bruckheimer/Simpson, Hostage!, Horrible Holidays, Family Ties, One Last Job, War Between the Sexes

Screenplay

Richard LaGravenese, Marie Weiss

Cast

J.K. Simmons, Raymond J. Barry, Richard Bright, Adam LeFevre, Elie Raab, Bill Raymond, Jim Turner, Robert Ridgely, Vincent Pastore, B.D. Wong, Rutanya Alda, Denis Leary, Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey, Glynis Johns, Robert J. Steinmiller, Christine Baranski

Director

Ted (Edward) Demme

Music

David A. Stewart

Producer

Ron Bozman, Richard LaGravenese, Jeff Weiss, Don Simpson, Jerry Bruckheimer, Touchstone Pictures