The Ref (1994)

“Mary, gag your grandma.” – Lloyd

Number of Times Seen – Twice (15 Jan 2001 and 3 Nov 2019)

Brief Synopsis – A bumbling thief ends up taking a couple on the verge of divorce hostage while trying to elude the authorities.

My Take on it – This is a movie that has a very strange premise yet once the characters begin to converse, you know that you are in for a treat because the dialogue is written so well.

Each of these characters are developed really well by the way that they talk and debate the various issues that arise in a very straight forward and frank way.

It is so captivating watching these characters have conversations because they are presented in a rapid paced fashion yet deal with some very interesting and important issues along the way.

Kevin Spacey, Denis Leary and Judy Davis are all superb in these roles and make us care about them all so much that it can become quite difficult to decide which character we like more.

The story is a bit bland yet the performances and dialogue help enhance things beyond normal expectations.

They discuss issues dealing with relationships and the importance of family during the holiday season in an open way that makes some of these debates feel even more poignant than one would expect them to be in a film like this one.

Great seeing a very young J.K. Simmons in a small yet significant role, but the standout for me among the supporting cast is Raymond J. Barry as the town Sheriff who is spectacular to watch.

Bottom Line – Such a fun film because the dialogue is written so well. The story itself is a bit bland, but when these characters begin to debate and talk about various issues, it becomes so captivating to watch. Spacey, Davis and Leary are all superb in this film and make the viewer debate over which characters they prefer over others because they all come across brilliantly. The movie is quite frank in the way that they discuss relationships and the importance of family during the holidays and that makes parts of this story feel even more poignant than they probably even intended. Great seeing a very young Simmons in a small yet significant role. Barry stands out among the whole cast as the local town sheriff. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Denis Leary’s line “Lady, your husband ain’t dead. He’s hiding!” is a direct quote of a line from the classic Abbott and Costello routine “Susquehanna Hat Company”. (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (8/10)