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Directed by: Ted Demme Starring: Denis Leary, Kevin Spacey, Judy Davis I didn't hear about this movie when it first came out; I'm pretty sure that most people didn't hear about this movie when it first came out. I discovered it at Blockbuster in 1999 and thought "hey, a movie with Kevin Spacey AND Denis Leary in it. How could it possibly be bad?" How right I was. Denis Leary plays career thief Gus, a man who along with his incompetent, alcoholic partner Murray is looking for one huge, final score so that he can retire. Things are going pretty well until Gus fucks up in a wonderfully spectacular way; Murray abandons him, and Gus has to find a way out of town once he realizes that the town's entire police force is looking for him. Gus takes Caroline (Judy Davis) and Lloyd (Kevin Spacey) hostage, not realizing that they're a couple on the brink of a divorce, two people who can hardly go five minutes without screaming at each other. And so Gus goes from bad (being abandoned at the scene of a crime) to far, far worse. You see, Lloyd's family is coming for Christmas, and this family gathering is going to include Lloyd's bitchy oval office of a mother, Rose (Glynis Johns) and Lloyd and Caroline's vaguely evil, delinquent son, Jesse (Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.). Gus is about to find out just how hosed up one family's Christmas can truly be. I cannot recommend this movie highly enough. The writing is great, the dialogue is great. The movie keeps going at a pace, never sinking into a boring lull. Denis Leary is what you'd expect, a foul-mouthed, moody ball of rage. Kevin Spacey is wonderfully sarcastic, and Judy Davis is perfect as Lloyd's bitchy wife. This movie, like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, has become a traditional Christmas movie in my household. See it even if it's not Christmastime; if you like Denis Leary or Kevin Spacey at all, you won't be disappointed. Rating - 5/5
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May 2, 2004 17:33
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 17:43 |
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I wholeheartedly agree that this movie is indeed awesome. My favourite scenes/lines were between Spacey's character and his mother near the end of the movie Mother, if ever you feel unappreciated for your sacrifices for this family, I suggest you climb up on a cross and crucify yourself!. A funny comedy which always seems to keep your interest, this movie is indeed worth a rental.
sizemon fucked around with this message at 18:41 on May 2, 2004 |
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May 2, 2004 17:58
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"Grandma's chewing through her gag." Awesome movie. I went to see it for Denis Leary, but Kevin Spacey owns this movie. The writing is crisp, the performances outstanding, and the lack of Academy recognition for this movie was criminal. 5.
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May 2, 2004 18:24
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Oh man, I watch this movie every Christmas. It's worth seeing just to watch Spacey and Davis play off each other, and Leary's performance is just icing on the cake. "Married couples without guns - for instance, you - DO NOT get to yell!"
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May 2, 2004 18:33
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I saw the TV version of this and loved it. Great movie.
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May 4, 2004 17:40
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 17:43 |
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Yeah, this is a great movie. I think Kevin Spacey's acting in this one rivals American Beauty. My family also watches this movie around Christmas time. I come from a family of lawyers, and we're all so jaded that we think this is actually a good way to get into the christmas spirit. The way the family in this movie can't stop arguing long enough to cooperate with the armed burglar pointing a gun in all their faces is a loving riot. Edit: notice how I used the explative "loving" to emphasize my point.
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May 4, 2004 18:19
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