Every year, during the month of December, a few things are guaranteed. For starters, it is cold; well at least in most parts of the country. Then you have the snow, the holiday season, the smell of cider and most noticeably, a few days off of work or school. But one thing that many people overlook are the films that encompass the holiday spirit. While many focus on the joys and triumphs of a year well spent; some decide to focus in on the family aspect, dealing with times of togethness. For Nothing Like the Holidays, it is the later that comes center stage as the film grips the reality of family and the art of growing up.
The film revolves around the Rodriguez family. As the group is converging at the parents' home in Chicago, anxiously awaiting the return of their youngest from combat overseas, each member is dealing with personal issues that far outreach the others knowledge. For Jesse, coming home has suddenly rekindled feelings for an old flame, feelings that are unfortunately, not reciprocated. Roxanne, the middle child, is a struggling actress who has been chasing her dream for years with little to show for it. And then there is Mauricio, a successful lawyer who brings home a high-powered executive who would rather take a job promotion than try to have kids. Together, the three children represent the future of the Rodriguez family; and during the course of a week, traditions will be celebrated, secrets will finally be unearthed, risks will be taken and drama will come full circle. It all begins over dinner, when mother Anna announces that she has is divorcing their father Eduardo; thus setting off a streamline of events that will create laughs and havoc, all while generating quite a stir.
Taking a premise that is often used in an African American comedy, Nothing Like the Holidays ventures outside of the box, using Latino actors to reveal that in America, all families are dysfunctional hilarious. But more than laughs, the film creates sympathy and a sense of togetherness, two emotions that are welcomed, especially during this time of year.
Like many African American comedies, this film is stacked high with talent. From Freddy Rodriguez and John Leguizamo to Alfred Molina and Jay Hernandez, the cast is full of popular Latino stars, all making their way onto the screen and creating a family vibe that fans will come to love and adore. Their fights are real, emotions powerful and feelings honest, all of which help to generate a love that breaks away from the screen and finds a nest deep within your soul.
But more than the love that is the film's true gem, the movie relies most on its ability to make you laugh. Using a number of inside jokes and references, most in the direction of Sarah, the lone Caucasian character played by Debra Messing of 'Will & Grace' fame, the laughs are constant and uplifting, giving fans high spirits through the film's entire hour and a half running time. However, mixed within the happy times, the film makes way form some detrimental actions, all of which are followed by the inevitable consequences. The interlocking is one trait that is often overcompensated in films, especially when the end result is to simply stir emotions; yet somehow, Nothing Like the Holidays pulls it off surprisingly well.
Unlike others, the film doesn't overdue either aspect, rather staying in the middle and fluctuating as the story plays out. There are no awkward moments where the cast seems at a loss for words and there is no unneeded dialogue or action. Every scene has a purpose, and whether it is to personify the return of Jesse, ridicule the success of Mauricio and Sarah or poke fun at the rigors of Hollywood through Roxanne, there is one thing that is consistent: the Rodriguez family is as entertaining as you will find. They laugh and cry, joke and ridicule; and if you catch them at just the right moment, you will find that they all love one another, enjoying the others company and rejoicing in their time together. Sure they are dysfunctional, but in this day and age, who isn't?
In short, the film surpasses my incredibly low expectations.as it uses the joint work of some respectable stars and a strong family-friendly script to outreach its potential and become a great holiday film for the entire family to enjoy.
