NOTHING LIKE THE HOLIDAYS
RYAN: There’s definitely “Nothing Like the Holidays,” but there are a lot better holiday movies than this one, let me tell ya.
CAROLINE: Damn! I thought you told me it was kinda cute? I didn’t get to see it with you.
RYAN: It is cute, but it’s not the kind of holiday movie you’re gonna want to watch annually.
CAROLINE: Well, very few are. You think people are gathering around to watch Vince Vaughn’s “Fred Claus” every year from now till the end of time?
RYAN: Well, we liked that movie… but no. The two best things that “Nothing Like the Holidays” has going for it are Debra Messing and John Leguizamo, not in that order. Debra basically plays the exact same character that Sarah Jessica Parker played in “The Family Stone.” She’s the uptight New Yorker who only wears black and has her hair pulled back at all times. It’s also kind of like Nicole Kidman’s character in “Stepford Wives” before she becomes one. 
CAROLINE: So it’s the Latin version of “The Family Stone.”
RYAN: Yes. The cast is good: Albert Molina plays the dad, and he and the mom are fabulous together. The performances in general are really great, and I liked the sentiment of it; but it has the most convenient plotline in the world.
CAROLINE: Yeah, that can be annoying.
RYAN: There were a couple scenes when I actually wondered to myself if the screenwriter had first come up with a cute moment and then went back to write the most trite way to get there quickly.
CAROLINE: Ooh. That is bad.
RYAN: It’s like you don’t realize a screenplay’s bad until something glaringly awkward happens, and you’re like, “Oh. Most movies are smarter than this.” So that’s disappointing.
CAROLINE: Who else famous is in it?
RYAN: Freddy Rodriguez from TV’s “Six Feet Under” and Jay Hernandez.
CAROLINE: So is it specifically a Christmas movie?
RYAN: It is, in the sense that it takes place over Christmas. There are several different storylines involving family drama, relationships, marriages, siblings, etc. One thing that was amazing for me was that it was shot in Chicago where I used to live, and there are a lot of terrific shots of the city.
CAROLINE: So is it more funny or dramatic? Or is it like a Tyler Perry dramedy?
RYAN: I never really laughed out loud, but there are definitely some funny moments. It’s also dramatic at times, sometimes overly so.
— BOTTOM LINE —
RYAN: It’s cute, but not great. Too many coincidental and convenient plotlines which is sometimes OK for a Christmas movie, but usually not. You’re better off nostalgically watching one of your favorite holiday movies than checking this one out.
— RATING —
