The Ref (1994)

The Ref | United States of America

Caroline and Lloyd are a married couple constantly at each other's throats, masters at crafting acid-tongued barbs at the other's expense. Indeed, they are so obsessed with belittling each other that they never stop -- not even at gunpoint. The gunman is Gus, a thief on the run from the police, who kidnaps the couple as an insurance policy, planning to use their home as a hideout. But their incessant bickering proves more than Gus bargained for, forcing him -- for the sake of his own sanity -- into the unenviable role of peacemaker. To make things even worse for Gus, he discovers that he has taken the couple hostage the night of their big Christmas party, and the guests are already on the way. Not wanting to leave Lloyd and Caroline unattended, Gus opts to attend the party, pretending to be the couple's marriage counselor. This naturally leads to a series of comic confusions, as the hostage crisis and marital tensions head towards their inevitable conclusion.

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Description

Director

Ted Demme

Writers

Richard LaGravenese
Marie Weiss

Stars

Denis Leary
Gus

Judy Davis
Caroline Chasseur

Kevin Spacey
Lloyd Chasseur

Glynis Johns
Rose Chasseur

Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.
Jesse Chasseur

Raymond J. Barry
Lt. Huff

Richard Bright
Murray

Christine Baranski
Connie Chasseur

Adam LeFevre
Gary Chasseur

J.K. Simmons
Siskel

Others...

Budget

11,000,000.00

Revenue

11,439,193.00

Links

Keywords

dark comedy, parent child relationship, robbery, police, alcoholic, holiday, christmas, thief, hostage, santa claus, dysfunctional family, man hunt, christmas party, blackmail, connecticut, bad mother-in-law, dinner, burglar, liberation of hostage, mother-in-law, marriage counseling

Production

Touchstone Pictures, Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films

Actor

Denis Leary, Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey, Glynis Johns, Robert J. Steinmiller Jr., Raymond J. Barry, Richard Bright, Christine Baranski, Adam LeFevre, J.K. Simmons, BD Wong, John Scurti, Bill Raymond, Phillip Nicoll, Ellie Raab, Jim Turner, Herbie Ade, Ron Gabriel, Scott Walker, Edward Saxon, Donna Holgate, Kenneth Utt, Marilyn Stonehouse, Victoria Mitchell, Cort Day, Robert Ridgely, John E. Campbell, Rutanya Alda

Creators

Jerry Bruckheimer (Producer), Don Simpson (Executive Producer), Howard Feuer (Casting), Richard LaGravenese (Screenplay), Ronald M. Bozman (Producer), Adam Kimmel (Director of Photography), Jaro Dick (Set Decoration), Judianna Makovsky (Costume Design), John Stoneham Jr. (Stunts), Dan Davis (Production Design), Dennis Davenport (Art Direction), Ted Demme (Director), Jeffrey Wolf (Editor), David A. Stewart (Original Music Composer), Matt Birman (Stunts), Marilyn Stonehouse (Unit Production Manager), Matthias Gohl (Music Arranger), Branko Racki (Stunt Coordinator), Rick Forsayeth (Stunts), Irene Kent (Makeup Artist), William Spahic (First Assistant Director), Marie Weiss (Screenplay), Jeffrey Weiss (Producer), Larry A. McLean (Stunts), Amanda Scheer-Demme (Music Consultant), Bruce Carwardine (Sound Mixer), Andrew Shea (First Assistant Director), Stephen McLaughlin (Music Producer), Mark Brunzell (Stunts), Risa Litwin (Stunts), Helen Scott (Stunts), Todd Kasow (Music Editor), Stuart Levy (Supervising Sound Editor), John Gilroy (Associate Editor), John Purcell (Dialogue Editor), Patti Unger (Wardrobe Supervisor), Kim W. Chow (Wardrobe Master), Peter Waggoner (Sound Re-Recording Mixer), Blanche McDermaid (Script Supervisor), Ron Oxley (Second Assistant Director), Ann-Marie Ferney-Tellez (Third Assistant Director), Tim Murton (Scenic Artist), Deborah Zwicker (Production Coordinator), Michael Ringston (Assistant Camera)

Alternative titles

Esto (no) es un secuestro (ES)
Hostile Hostages (GB)
O Árbitro (BR)

Release dates

09.03.1994 (US)
04.08.1994 (AU)
04.07.1994 (DE)
16.06.1994 (FR)
04.07.1994 (DE)