Nothing Like the Holidays

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Actors: John Leguizamo , Luis Guzman , Alfred Molina , Elizabeth Peña , Jay Hernandez , Vanessa Ferlito , Manny Perez , Debra Messing , Freddy Rodríguez , Melonie Diaz , Claudia Michelle Wallace , Manny Sosa , Ramses Jimenez , Cheryl Hamada , Alexander Bautista

Director: Alfredo De Villa

IMDB Rate: 6.2 out of 10 (1201 votes)

Plot Summary:If Nothing Like the Holidays appears to have little in common with Frank Capras small-town perennial Its a Wonderful Life, Alfredo De Villas urban dramedy also mixes the bitter with the sweet. The fireworks begin when Eduardo and Anna Rodriguez (Alfred Molina and Elizabeth Pea) welcome their Puerto Rican brood to celebrate Christmas in Chicago Iraq War veteran Jesse (Illinois native Freddy Rodrguez), struggling actress Roxanna (Death Proofs Vanessa Ferlitto), and attorney Mauricio (John Leguizamo) and his tightly-wound spouse, Sarah (Debra Messing). While Roxanna finds herself drawn to family friend Ozzy (Jay Hernandez), a former gang-banger, Jesse struggles with his feelings for ex-girlfriend Marissa (Melonie Diaz), whos moved on in his absence, and Anna laments her lack of grandchildren, but when she announces shes divorcing Edy, a bodega proprietor, the entire clan decides to make the most of their last holiday together. If De Villas intentions are honorable, and his cast is up to the task--especially Molina and Rodrguez--the two halves of his film make for an awkward fit. Jesses shell-shocked veteran, for instance, belongs to a different movie than that of his wisecracking cousin, Johnny (Luis Guzmn). Then, when Ozzy picks up a gun in an act of revenge, domestic drama and ethnic comedy collide with the hood flick. Unlike the many brash and materialistic entertainments crowding the multiplex at the end of the year, Nothing Like the Holidays prioritizes cultural and emotional matters, but still registers as more of a missed opportunity than a contemporary classic.