The Ref
| The Ref | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Ted Demme |
| Produced by |
Ron Bozman Richard LaGravenese Jeffrey Weiss |
| Written by |
Richard LaGravenese Marie Weiss |
| Starring | |
| Music by | David A. Stewart |
| Cinematography | Adam Kimmel |
| Edited by | Jeffrey Wolf |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $11 million |
| Box office | $11,439,193 |
The Ref (Hostile Hostages in some countries) is a 1994 American black comedy film directed by Ted Demme, starring Denis Leary, Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey.
In a charming Connecticut village, Lloyd and Caroline Chasseur (Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis) are in marriage counseling on Christmas Eve; the session doesn't go well and their problems become evident. Caroline has had an affair, and Lloyd is miserable and blames the problems with their son, Jesse (Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.), on his wife. The marriage counselor Dr. Wong (B.D. Wong), tries to get them to open up, but, behaving professionally, he refuses to intercede on either side.
Meanwhile, a criminal named Gus (Denis Leary) is in the midst of stealing jewelry from a safe in a home he has broken into; however, he accidentally sets off the alarm, a trap door opens and he lands in the basement. Only after he is bitten on the leg by a guard dog is Gus able to escape the house, but his getaway car, driven by his bumbling, alcoholic partner Murray (Richard Bright), is no longer there. Then he runs into Lloyd and Caroline.
Holding a gun on them, Gus orders the couple to drive him to their house. Along the way Caroline and Lloyd continue to argue, with Gus beginning to act as a referee and repeatedly telling them to shut up.
Police set up roadblocks and a reward is posted for Gus. At the house, Lloyd and Caroline continue to argue. A neighbor dressed as Santa stops by, bringing a fruitcake, and two inept police officers go door-to-door looking for Gus. Knowing full well that Murray will seek refuge at a seedy bar, Gus calls the bar and describes Murray to the bartender. He tells Murray to steal a boat for their getaway. Jesse comes home and discovers his parents tied up. Jesse is unhappy, forced to attend military school, and has been blackmailing a commanding officer there named Siskel with photographs of an affair. He prefers Gus to his parents.
Lloyd’s family is en route for the holidays. It includes his brother Gary (Adam LeFevre), sister-in-law Connie (Christine Baranski), their two children Mary and John (Ellie Raab and Phillip Nicoll), and Lloyd’s mother Rose (Glynis Johns), who is extremely wealthy and is a cold, callous, arrogant woman. Gus pretends to be Lloyd’s and Caroline’s marriage counselor, Dr. Wong, since he can't hold everyone hostage. Jesse is tied up and gagged upstairs in his parents' closet.
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