Nothing Like the Holidays (2008)

A Puerto Rican family living in the area of Humboldt Park in west Chicago face what may be their last Christmas together.

Director:

Alfredo De Villa

Writers:

Alison Swan (screenplay), Rick Najera (screenplay),

Stars:

Alfred Molina, Freddy Rodríguez, John Leguizamo

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alfred Molina	...	Edy Rodriguez
Elizabeth Peña	...	Anna Rodriguez
Freddy Rodríguez	...	Jesse Rodriguez
Luis Guzmán	...	Johnny
Jay Hernandez	...	Ozzy
John Leguizamo	...	Mauricio Rodriguez
Debra Messing	...	Sarah Rodriguez
Vanessa Ferlito	...	Roxanna Rodriguez
Melonie Diaz	...	Marissa
Alexander Bautista	...	Hector
Ramses Jimenez	...	Fernando
Manny Perez	...	Alexis
Claudia Michelle Wallace	...	Tina
Cheryl Hamada	...	Dr. Susan Lee
Manny Sosa	...	Father Torres

Storyline

A Puerto Rican family living in the area of Humboldt Park in west Chicago face what may be their last Christmas together.

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Plot Keywords:

christmas | holidays

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements including some sexual dialogue, and brief drug references

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 December 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Humboldt Park

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$3,531,664 (USA) (12 December 2008)

Gross:

$7,502,429 (USA) (23 January 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

2DS Productions, Overture Films, State Street Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Of the main characters, only Freddy Rodríguez and Luis Guzmán are Puerto Rican, and John Leguizamo is half Puerto Rican and half Colombian.

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Goofs

Sarah claims that Mr. Kravitz "offered Brian Donaldson and I" a job in New York. Correct grammar: "offered Brian Donaldson and me".

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Connections

Referenced in Bad Movie Beatdown: Christmas with the Kranks (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Songozon"
Written by Enzo Villaparedes
Performed by Martin Padilla
Courtesy of LMS Records

User Reviews

A Latino Christmas for all

(Synopsis) The whole Rodriguez family is rejoicing and celebrating the reunion of all of their family members coming together to be with their father, Edy Rodriguez (Alfred Molina), and their mother, Anna (Elizabeth Pena), in their Chicago home during Christmas. They have come from around the world, especially, their youngest son, Jesse (Freddy Rodriguez), who has just returned from Iraq after being wounded. Jesse's older sister, Roxanna (Vanessa Ferlito), is a struggling actress who flew in from Los Angeles. The oldest son, Mauricio (John Leguizamo), is a successful attorney married to Sarah (Debra Messing), a hedge fund manager who drove in from Manhattan. The children are surprised when their mother announces to them at the dinner table that she wants a divorce, and their father doesn't even put up a fight. The entire family is put into an uproar and begins to question their future.

(My Comment) This story is a slice of ethnic life focusing on the Puerto Rican community in west Chicago's Humboldt Park district with a predominantly Latino cast. A large part of the movie was filmed inside the house with everybody joking around, arguing, and reconnecting with each other. The storyline is exactly like any family saga, but told with a different accent. The script is fairly predictable with no unexpected moments; you know exactly what is coming next. As in all families, when a real crisis happens, the whole family comes together. There are several scenes that tend to be contrived. Overall this Christmas movie is entertaining and can be enjoyed by all, and not only an ethnic audience. (Overture Films, Run Time 1:33, Rated PG-13)(6/10)