Themes: Suburban Dysfunction, Hostage Situations, Family Gatherings
Main Cast: Denis Leary, Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey, Robert J. Steinmiller, Glynis Johns
Release Year: 1994
Country: US
Run Time: 93 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Caroline and Lloyd (Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey) are a married couple constantly at each other's throats, masters at crafting acid-tongued barbs at the other's expense. Indeed, they are so obsessed with belittling each other that they never stop -- not even at gunpoint. Such is the premise of the acerbic comedy The Ref, which shows what happens when this quarrelsome duo is taken hostage. The gunman is Gus (Denis Leary), a thief on the run from the police, who kidnaps the couple as an insurance policy, planning to use their home as a hideout. But their incessant bickering proves more than Gus bargained for, forcing him -- for the sake of his own sanity -- into the unenviable role of peacemaker. To make things even worse for Gus, he discovers that he has taken the couple hostage the night of their big Christmas party, and the guests are already on the way. Not wanting to leave Lloyd and Caroline unattended, Gus opts to attend the party, pretending to be the couple's marriage counselor. This naturally leads to a series of comic confusions, as the hostage crisis and marital tensions head towards their inevitable conclusion. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
Review
That its plot resolves itself too cleanly does not matter -- The Ref is an actor's film. Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis are uncommonly gifted performers whose verbal battles in this film are as scathing as any screen couple in history (Burton and Taylor in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? are the obvious comparison). Their performances are emotionally intricate. The characters do not listen to each other anymore, but they certainly still hear the resentment, frustration, and anger in their mutual insults. Gifted screenwriter Richard LaGravenese's literate dialogue keeps the barbs simultaneously painful and hysterical. Denis Leary's character is the key to the film. He is just as annoyed by these characters as the audience. Fans of Leary's hyper-verbal style will not be disappointed. While his character possesses a superior verbal acuity, he has met his equals in the ultimate bickering couple. The three drive each other into a comedic, verbose frenzy. By no means perfect, comfortable, or heartwarming, The Ref is a smart, biting look at marriage, acted with gusto by the three leads. One is tempted to believe that had The Ref been released after American Beauty, it would have found a larger audience for its challenging, acidly funny tone. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Raymond J. Barry - Huff; Richard Bright - Murray; Rutanya Alda - Linda; Christine Baranski - Connie; Tony Craig - State Trooper; Stephen Hunter - Old Baybrook Policeman; Charles Kerr - Town Citizen; Chas Lawther - Santa Family #2; Adam Le Fevre - Gary; Vincent Pastore - State Trooper; Ellie Raab - Mary; Jim Turner - Phil; B.D. Wong - Dr. Wong; Caroline Yeager - Town Citizen; Richard Blackburn - Santa Family #1; Bill Raymond - George; Edward Saxon - Reporter; Kenneth Utt - Jeremiah Willard; Derek Keurvost - Town Citizen; Peter Krantz - State Trooper; Marilyn Stonehouse - Store Cashier; Howard Feuer; John Benjamin Hickey - Old Baybrook Policeman; Max Piersig - Cadet; Cecilley Carroll - Santa Family #1; Robert Collins - State Trooper; Ron Gabriel - Limo Driver; Robert Ridgely - Bob Burley; J.K. Simmons - Siskel; Scott Walker - Prosecutor
Credit
Dennis Davenport - Art Director, Howard Feuer - Casting, Judianna Makovsky - Costume Designer, Andrew Shea - First Assistant Director, Ted Demme - Director, Jeffery Wolf - Editor, Jerry Bruckheimer - Executive Producer, Don Simpson - Executive Producer, Dave Stewart - Composer (Music Score), Bruce Carwardine - Musical Direction/Supervision, Irene Kent - Makeup, Daniel Davis - Production Designer, Adam Kimmel - Cinematographer, Ron Bozman - Producer, Richard LaGravenese - Producer, Jeff Weiss - Producer, Jaro Dick - Set Designer, Richard LaGravenese - Screenwriter, Marie Weiss - Screenwriter
