Movie Review - 'Nothing Like the Holidays'

Nothing Like the Holidays Starring Alfred Molina, John Leguizamo, Freddy Rodriguez Directed by Alfred DeVilla Rated PG-13

We are either blessed or plagued by holiday movies this time every year, as if there weren’t already enough reminders. Some holiday movies are classics (Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, A Christmas Story, It's a Wonderful Life), but most are as welcome as the drunken uncle crashing Christmas dinner (Eight Crazy Nights, Fred Claus, Surviving Christmas). The trick with these movies is to overlook a lot of the specifics, which may actually be good advice for holiday get-togethers, as well. Think of them in terms of having their hearts in the right place, never fully irritating you, and not overstaying their welcome. If they can manage that, congratulations. Nothing Like the Holidays is pretty basic holiday fare: The family comes home to stay with the parents for Christmas, there’s drama, there’s comedy, and there are lessons learned along the way. The film invites way too many subplots and jumpstarts more than its share of unnecessary conflict to make its case, and in most circumstances that would doom a film. But this story of a Puerto Rican-American family in Chicago celebrating the holiday, welcoming home one of its own from Iraq, and dealing with possibly doomed relationships has a very sincere sense of community and culture that holds it all together, sometimes in spite of the boughs of formula that deck its halls. There's something to be said, as well, for knowing your audience and your own limitations, and Nothing Like the Holidays rarely pushes it to the limit. Yeah, there's too much stuff going on, but really only two of five storylines are completely ineffective, and only one of those seems out of place. On the other hand, there are a couple of subplots that are handled really well, all things considered. So it's kind of a draw in that respect. Mainly, it gets by because of a terrific cast - Alfred Molina, John Leguizamo, Luis Guzman, Freddy Rodriguez, Elizabeth Pena, and Debra Messing – that could bring just about any story to life. Rodriguez (TV’s Six Feet Under and Ugly Betty) is the glue, lifting a middle-of-the-road concept with a deep and mournful portrayal of a soldier coming to grips with the hell he left behind and the world he can’t adjust to. Molina is also quite good, but there's nothing new there. You may not want to open this Christmas gift first this season, but you probably won’t have to fake a smile when you do.

Comments

[lara Petersen]

You're right, the talented actors made all the difference in my desire to see an advance screening of this film. I noticed you forgot to mention Jay Hernandez. He's one of the bright stars in the movie, if only because he melted my girlfriends hearts. Executive Producer Freddy Rodriguez knew exactly what he was doing when he cast Jay Hernandez as the movie's eye candy : )
My girlfriends & I are getting together just to watch 'Crazy/Beautiful' at my house during the holiday because we were so impressed with Mr. Hernandez.

[Get The Big Picture]

I didn't mention him because his storyline was one of the ones we just didn't need. He and Vanessa Ferlito were just kind of spinning the movie's wheels.