{"id":2179034,"date":"2025-11-27T17:12:31","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T17:12:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2179034"},"modified":"2025-11-27T17:12:31","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T17:12:31","slug":"i-rewatch-the-ref-every-year-for-christmas-why-more-people-need-to-have-it-on-their-holiday-watch-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/i-rewatch-the-ref-every-year-for-christmas-why-more-people-need-to-have-it-on-their-holiday-watch-list\/","title":{"rendered":"I Rewatch The Ref Every Year For Christmas. Why More People Need To Have It On Their Holiday Watch List"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><i>When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.<\/i><\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Credit: Touchstone<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">1994\u2019s <em>The Ref,<\/em> starring Denis Leary, Kevin Spacey, and Judy Davis, is a great way to kick off your <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cinemablend.com\/television\/upcoming-christmas-movie-schedule-streaming-and-tv-dates\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Christmas movie schedule;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Christmas movie schedule<\/a>. Every year, I try to watch it, but I always try to watch it first. I wait for other classics like <em>Elf<\/em>, <em>It\u2019s A Wonderful Life<\/em>, and <em>Die Hard<\/em>. It\u2019s not because I love <em>The Ref <\/em>more, but because it\u2019s so damn bleak. Of course, that bleakness is also what makes it brilliant.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis looking surprised in The Ref\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/rbNq7Lx40xpX4.AMYKFKUQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/cinemablend_388\/39521281309a370477445e8a23b7768b\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Credit: Touchstone<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">There Aren\u2019t Many Dark Comedies Around The Holidays<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">I love a good dark comedy, and those are in short supply on the list of the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cinemablend.com\/movies\/best-christmas-movies-all-time\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:best Christmas movies;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">best Christmas movies<\/a> of all time. Sure, plenty of Christmas movies have dark elements, like Cousin Eddie kidnapping Clark\u2019s boss in <em>Christmas Vacation<\/em>, and Santa Claus in <em>A Christmas Story<\/em>. There are also darker comedies like another of my favorites, <em>Scrooged,<\/em> that end on a positive note. Few are truly dark all the way through, and <em>The Ref<\/em> is dark with a capital D, right up until it\u2019s over.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Sure, you may point to movies like <em>Bad Santa<\/em> or 2022\u2019s <em>Violent Night <\/em>(which is <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/david-harbour-violent-night-2-155817933.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:getting a sequel next year;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">getting a sequel next year<\/a>), but those are as much gross-out comedies as they are dark satire. <em>The Ref<\/em> kind of stands alone in that regard. It\u2019s not gross or crude, it\u2019s just bitingly satirical and, again, very dark. Kevin Spacey, for all his personal problems, is brilliantly cast as the feckless but angry husband to Judy Davis\u2019 exhausted wife, and their on-screen chemistry is really what makes the movie work. Denis Leary is as funny in the film as he has ever been in anything.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Denis Leary in The Ref\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/NF1PI6X6If6Y1_WsREdYig--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/cinemablend_388\/07d9608bbf10f857b660cad587552ea6\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Credit: Touchstone<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Why Everyone Should Start The Holidays With This One<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Last year, for a myriad of reasons, I didn\u2019t have a lot of holiday cheer. One of the more minor reasons for that, I believe, is that I didn\u2019t stick to my usual routine. I kick off every Christmas season by watching my <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/music\/articles\/favorite-concert-film-time-turned-120100669.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:favorite concert film, The Last Waltz,;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">favorite concert film, <em>The Last Waltz,<\/em><\/a> after Thanksgiving lunch, followed by <em>Die Hard <\/em>(or <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cinemablend.com\/movies\/die-hard-christmas-movie-another-80s-action-classic-not-lethal-weapon-rambo-first-blood\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:another \u201880s action flick set at Christmas;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">another \u201880s action flick set at Christmas<\/a>) or <em>The Ref<\/em> that night. I then work my way through all my favorites over the three or four weeks leading up to Christmas, and usually end with <em>A Christmas Story<\/em> on Christmas itself.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Recently, I\u2019ve come to realize that <em>The Ref<\/em> is really where I should always start (after <em>The Last Waltz<\/em>, of course), because it makes me grateful for how normal my family is around the holidays. It\u2019s easy to forget that. It\u2019s an emotional time of year, and it\u2019s a stressful time of year. Work (at least for me) gets very busy, and combined with the pressures of holiday parties and shopping for gifts, it can get emotional. <em>The Ref<\/em> reminds me that things could be so much worse, even with a seemingly perfect family on the outside.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">So, this year, I\u2019ll be watching <em>The Ref<\/em> on Thanksgiving night before I go to sleep, and I\u2019ll wait to watch <em>Die Hard<\/em> (which is available with a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/subscribing-hulu-price-included-everything-203141919.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Hulu subscription;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">Hulu subscription<\/a>) on Saturday as I set up my tree and hang the lights. Yippie-ki-yay!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Touchstone 1994\u2019s The Ref, starring Denis Leary, Kevin Spacey, and Judy Davis, is a great way to kick off your Christmas movie schedule. Every year, I try to watch it, but I always try to watch it [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2179035,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[350157,22116,363216,345979,342535,419482,375351],"class_list":["post-2179034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-a-christmas-story","tag-christmas","tag-christmas-movie","tag-christmas-vacation","tag-denis-leary","tag-judy-davis","tag-kevin-spacey"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/I-Rewatch-The-Ref-Every-Year-For-Christmas-Why-More.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2179034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2179034"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2179034\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2179036,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2179034\/revisions\/2179036"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2179035"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2179034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2179034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2179034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}