Nothing Like the Holidays
By Sandie Angulo Chen,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Familiar but funny holiday story with a Latino flavor.
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Nothing Like the Holidays
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What's the Story?
The Rodriguez siblings are returning to Chicago's Humboldt Park for a traditional Puerto Rican Christmas at their parents' house. Youngest son Jesse (Freddy Rodriguez) has just returned injured from a tour in Iraq, daughter Roxanna (Vanessa Ferlito) is an L.A.-based actress, and oldest son Mauricio (John Leguizamo) is a New York attorney with a successful Jewish wife (Debra Messing) who isn't too keen on making her meddling mother-in-law (Elizabeth Peña) an abuela. Meanwhile, bodega-owning Papi (Alfred Molina) seems to be having an affair, which leads Mami to loudly declare at the dinner table that she's planning to divorce her husband of 36 years.
Is It Any Good?
Rodriguez is a fantastic actor who deserves more leading roles; his Iraq vet is just the right mix of tortured and relieved. When he looks at his lovely ex-girlfriend (indie darling Melonie Diaz), you can feel the longing. Comedians Leguizamo and his on-screen cousin Luis Guzman get the best lines without showboating, and heartthrob Jay Hernandez pops up as a Mexican-American friend of the family who used to be a thug. Reformed gang-bangers are as boring a role as they come for Latino actors, but Hernandez is a charming operator. The film is just like the role: predictable and cheesy but funny and sweet -- or, as we Latinos say, sabroso.
Most ethnic-family Christmas films (or basically all holiday films) are incredibly similar. There's the food-obsessed mama; the bickering, regressing siblings; the prodigal son; and a dash of cultural stereotyping to exaggerate the family's "ethnic" issues. But despite its inherently formulaic nature, NOTHING LIKE THE HOLIDAYS features a believable cast (even though most of them aren't actually Puerto Rican) that turns the overly familiar story into a sweet, funny addition to the genre.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about holiday traditions. How does the Rodriguez family's Christmas celebration differ from those portrayed in other holiday movies?
How is it different than your own holiday customs?
What Latino stereotypes does the film explore? Do you think it reinforces or dispels them? What scenes in the movie are similar to those in other Christmas films?
Do audiences expect certain things from holiday movies? If so, what -- and why?
Movie Details
- In theaters: December 12, 2008
- On DVD or streaming: October 20, 2009
- Cast: Alfred Molina , Freddy Rodriguez , John Leguizamo
- Director: Alfredo De Villa
- Inclusion Information: Latino actors
- Studio: Overture Films
- Genre: Comedy
- Run time: 99 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: thematic elements including some sexual dialogue, and brief drug references
- Last updated: April 5, 2023
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