Home for the Holidays (1995)

Home for the Holidays

• I had never heard of this movie until my sister basically made me watch it, and it was about what I expected. I mean, it’s a 90’s holiday movie, and it’s very cheesy and goofy. I found several parts of it enjoyable, but a good chunk of it was a little too sappy and blah for me. Not a terrible movie, but not one that sticks out to me in any way. The plot was your classic dysfunctional family, a lot like ‘Christmas Vacation’ or ‘Meet the Fockers’. That’s probably the biggest reason why it didn’t stick out. I felt like I’d seen it before, and didn’t feel any connection at all to the characters or relationships. It was kind of like seasonless chicken. You knew what you were eating, but there was no flavor. Kind of just whatever. The performances were decent, but RDJ stole the show. Every scene he was in, I absolutely loved it. You felt a lot of sympathy for him, especially during the dinner scene. And I loved the little tribute to the characters at the very end. Seeing the past and present wrapped up the movie nicely. That’s about all I can think of for the moment. The movie has its funny moments, but as a whole, it just doesn’t jump out or have any sparkle. Just another 90’s dramedy. Not one I think I’d watch again, but I’d probably recommend it if you like cheesy and mediocre holiday movies.