…and there’s truly nothing out there like this movie. Delivered during the bustling holiday season, this is a real gift of a film sandwiched between dark Oscar contenders and commercial Christmas, both shoved down our throats. The story centers around the Rodriguez family with their strong ethnic values and heartfelt emotions, making us feel like an audience outside of the snow globe longing to get in. In a nutshell we want to be in their family, complete with made-from-scratch meals, sloppy hugs and cheerful toasts around the table. But when the Rodriguez family learns that everything isn’t as it seems, we navigate through each of their stories to a touching and not so sappy outcome; sort of the Puerto Rican version of “Love Actually.” Jesse (Freddy Rodriguez) is just home from a tour in Iraq and dealing with the aftermath, not to mention his well-to-do brother, Mauricio (John Leguizamo) who’s married to a hedge-fund blueblood, Debra Messing. Her mother-in-law dreams of when she’ll be a Grandmother and makes a point of letting her know it every day. The other kids have issues to – baby mama drama, the one who wants to be a movie star, and then there’s the cousin whose brother was shot in a gang war. As the story grows and secrets unfold, we tear up between the chuckles, transported to a feel-good place that many movies don’t deliver. This film makes us think, “hey, this is pretty special” long before and far after the credits roll. “Nothing Like the Holidays” leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy and grateful, that while you left the ‘sold out’ line for “Benjamin Button” you’re happy that you ended up in this theatre afterall. Four tiaras.
