Nothing Like the Holidays (2008)

I appreciated the 'Latino' flair, different for the holidays. The story line is touching and you'll know why at the end. This movie gave me a decent feel of what I might expect if I wanted to some day join a Puerto Rican family for the rest of my 'Gringo' life. I thought being with Puerto Rican lady would be kind of neat, so I watched the movie and now I understand more how it may be for me with that family. Debra Messing plays the 'Gringo', which would be me in this case as I join my future family in all its splendor and mysteries. I must say, I look forward to it...well, a girl can dream anyway!

Where do I get my 2 hours back? Total waste of time. Maybe if you are Puerto Rican you will find it charming, but I wouldn't care even if they were Italian ( which I am ). "Nothing" happens that you can't see coming, except maybe that the villain offers to be killed without a fight. But of course he is not gunned down because that would ruin the light hearted "gag" fun of the movie. Here's lots of spoilers that you might as well read since you will be hoping something different happens. The war hero .....isn't Dad isn't having an affair, but he has cancer which he was able to keep secret from everyone including Mother, until the "white" daughter in-law sees his pain. Mom is unhappy and wants a divorce until she finds out Dad has cancer. The "hollywood star" daughter isn't a star. The "white" daughter in-law chooses career over family until the end of the movie when she suddenly wants to "start trying now" to get pregnant. The bumper rips off the car when trying to pull down the tree. I could go on but you get the picture.

The acting was most certainly the one take away that rescues this film from what might be well deserved obscurity. A well put together ensemble of actors and characters that delivers an all too mediocre story in both a dull narrative and a stereotypical setting.It feels like the producers got together with the writers and tried to inject as many stereotypical, yet bland, conflicts into one story as possible, and then for the coup de grace, leave as much as possible completely unresolved.Returning "war hero" whose status as hero is a murky as would be expected; struggling actress trying to figure out what she really wants; ex-gang member trying to 'go straight' in spite of continued pressures to return to his 'old ways'; having children vs. striving towards success; infidelity; cancer; divorce; lost love; unrequited love; humorous cousin; close knit PR Latino community ...The list of these trite stereotyped characters and situations never seems to end, and in the end, it seems like it has left very little room for any real character or story to develop.It isn't a bad film, but it is by and far a long way off from being a good film.

(Synopsis) The whole Rodriguez family is rejoicing and celebrating the reunion of all of their family members coming together to be with their father, Edy Rodriguez (Alfred Molina), and their mother, Anna (Elizabeth Pena), in their Chicago home during Christmas. They have come from around the world, especially, their youngest son, Jesse (Freddy Rodriguez), who has just returned from Iraq after being wounded. Jesse's older sister, Roxanna (Vanessa Ferlito), is a struggling actress who flew in from Los Angeles. The oldest son, Mauricio (John Leguizamo), is a successful attorney married to Sarah (Debra Messing), a hedge fund manager who drove in from Manhattan. The children are surprised when their mother announces to them at the dinner table that she wants a divorce, and their father doesn't even put up a fight. The entire family is put into an uproar and begins to question their future.(My Comment) This story is a slice of ethnic life focusing on the Puerto Rican community in west Chicago's Humboldt Park district with a predominantly Latino cast. A large part of the movie was filmed inside the house with everybody joking around, arguing, and reconnecting with each other. The storyline is exactly like any family saga, but told with a different accent. The script is fairly predictable with no unexpected moments; you know exactly what is coming next. As in all families, when a real crisis happens, the whole family comes together. There are several scenes that tend to be contrived. Overall this Christmas movie is entertaining and can be enjoyed by all, and not only an ethnic audience. (Overture Films, Run Time 1:33, Rated PG-13)(6/10)