A modest film (in every sense) which pushes the gags too hard.
Comment
02/09/06
Home for the Holidays (1995)
66
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:44
Fresh:29
Rotten:15
Average Rating:6.1/10
Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: It's Thanksgiving, so you know what that means -- dinner with your family, for better or for worse. But Claudia Larson's woes begin right before she flies home: she loses her job, and her teenage... [More]
Starring: Holly Hunter, Robert Downey, Dylan McDermott, Claire Danes
Director: Jodie Foster
Reviews for Home for the Holidays
Top CriticThis has its fair share of laugh out loud moments and a good deal of heart.
02/27/08
Top CriticIt's likeable in that cosy, wet Sunday afternoon, family sort of way.
01/01/00
Top CriticJodie Foster has directed a poisoned paean to the great American tradition of torturous family gatherings.
02/27/08
Top CriticLame attempt at trying to make you feel good.
04/13/05
This movie is about fixing the little cracks in love, and it's a fine example of the restorer's art.
01/01/00
Jodie Foster follows up her directing debut with this underrated, intelligent comedy.
03/27/04
Overstuffed with subplots, the film is somewhat episodic in nature, giving each of the characters a few scenes to develop some depth. But their eccentricities seem overly mannered and the big gag scenes are not played strictly for laughs.
01/01/00
The real staying power in Home for the Holidays is the uncanny resemblance bits of the film seem to have with our very own dysfunctional holiday experiences.
01/01/00
Hey, maybe we don't have it so bad after all.
06/25/01
No review available.
10/11/02
Jodie Foster's second film isn't quite that bad, even if it does resort to some we're-all-human humor and a fart joke.
01/01/00
There are hundreds of films that have covered the same territory with better results.
01/20/03
For the holidays or any other time of the year there's no place like Jodie Foster's deliciously warm-hearted and well-observed comedy.
04/17/02
As director, Jodi Foster is good with her well chosen cast
06/14/05
Top CriticFoster's second directorial effort is a vividly drawn if too episodic portrait of an eccentric family, well acted by the entire cast, especially Holly Hunter and Robery Downey Jr.
10/18/08
Top CriticThe film doesn't quite work. The goofball parts just aren't as funny as they're meant to be. But it's enjoyable in stretches, particularly when the zaniness dies down.
01/01/00
Aside from a few effective, low-key scenes, the movie doesn't involve the viewer.
01/01/00
Spirited but uneven.
05/20/03
Top CriticLatest News for Home for the Holidays
November 24, 2005:
A Day to Give Thanks (for Good Thanksgiving Movies!)
The Newsday column gets to take a few days off during the big holidays, but I couldn't let today go by without offering our friends a handful of Turkey-day treats. If you're... More...
September 27, 2005:
Trailer Bulletin: The Family Stone
Wanna see a wild & wacky Christmastime ensemble comedy starring Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Claire Danes, Dermot Mulroney, Sarah Jessica Parker, Craig T. Nelson, and Luke... More...
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