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Nothing Like the Holidays

Nothing Like the Holidays

Comedy · Drama · Romance · 2008

It’s Christmastime and the far-flung members of the Rodriguez family are converging at their parents’ home in Chicago to celebrate the season and rejoice in their youngest brother’s safe return from combat overseas.

Movie details

Nothing Like the Holidays

“They’re just a typical American family. Minus the typical.”

2008 Comedy · Drama · Romance 1h 38m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.3 / 10

Community rating

It’s Christmastime and the far-flung members of the Rodriguez family are converging at their parents’ home in Chicago to celebrate the season and rejoice in their youngest brother’s safe return from combat overseas.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Nothing Like the Holidays?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Alfredo De Villa

Written by

Alison Swan · Rick Najera

Alfred Molina

Alfred Molina

Edy Rodriguez

Elizabeth Peña

Elizabeth Peña

Anna Rodriguez

Freddy Rodríguez

Freddy Rodríguez

Jesse Rodriguez

Luis Guzmán

Luis Guzmán

Johnny

Jay Hernandez

Jay Hernandez

Ozzy

John Leguizamo

John Leguizamo

Mauricio Rodriguez

Debra Messing

Debra Messing

Sarah Rodriguez

Court is in session

Put Nothing Like the Holidays on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.