The Ref

Director: Ted Demme

Overview

Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey, and Denis Leary star in the 1994 crime comedy The Ref. Released on DVD from Disney, it is presented with a widescreen anamorphic transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound in English and French. English closed captions are available. There are no special features on this disc whatsoever.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/04/2003
UPC:	0786936208887
Original Release:	1994
Rating:	R
Source:	Walt Disney Video
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Time:	1:37:00
Sales rank:	504

Special Features

Closed Caption; Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound; French-language track; Widescreen (1.85:1)

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Denis Leary	Gus
Judy Davis	Caroline
Kevin Spacey	Lloyd
Robert J. Steinmiller	Jesse
Glynis Johns	Rose
Raymond J. Barry	Huff
Richard Bright	Murray
Howard Feuer	Actor
Christine Baranski	Connie
Adam Le Fevre	Gary
Ellie Raab	Mary
Bill Raymond	George
Jim Turner	Phil
Rutanya Alda	Linda
Scott Walker	Prosecutor
Edward Saxon	Reporter
Kenneth Utt	Jeremiah Willard
Marilyn Stonehouse	Store Cashier
Robert Ridgely	Bob Burley
Charles Kerr	Town Citizen
Derek Keurvost	Town Citizen
Caroline Yeager	Town Citizen
Max Piersig	Cadet
John Benjamin Hickey	Old Baybrook Policeman
Stephen Hunter	Old Baybrook Policeman
Vincent Pastore	State Trooper
Tony Craig	State Trooper
Peter Krantz	State Trooper
Richard Blackburn	Santa Family #1
Chas Lawther	Santa Family #2
B.D. Wong	Dr. Wong
Ron Gabriel	Limo Driver
Robert Collins	State Trooper
Cecilley Carroll	Santa Family #1
J.K. Simmons	Siskel

Technical Credits

Ted Demme	Director
Ron Bozman	Producer
Jerry Bruckheimer	Executive Producer
Bruce Carwardine	Musical Direction/Supervision
Dennis Davenport	Art Director
Daniel Davis	Production Designer
Jaro Dick	Set Decoration/Design
Howard Feuer	Casting
Irene Kent	Makeup
Adam Kimmel	Cinematographer
Richard LaGravenese	Producer,Screenwriter
Judianna Makovsky	Costumes/Costume Designer
Andrew Shea	Asst. Director
Don Simpson	Executive Producer
Dave Stewart	Score Composer
Jeff Weiss	Producer
Marie Weiss	Screenwriter
Jeff Weiss	Producer
Jeffery Wolf	Editor

Scene Index

Side #1 --
1. Opening Titles [7:34]
2. Marriage Counseling [9:43]
3. Police Investigation [6:39]
4. Yelling at Murray [11:03]
5. All Tied Up [7:22]
6. Evidence [7:55]
7. Heart to Heart [7:35]
8. Family Arrives [4:28]
9. Christmas Feast [8:16]
10. Opening Presents [10:17]
11. Grandma Needs a Gag [11:14]
12. End Credits [4:22]

Menu

Side #1 --
   Scene Selection
   Set Up
      Spoken Languages
         English
         French
      Captions & Subtitles
         English for the Hearing Impaired
         None
   Play

Editorial Reviews

That its plot resolves itself too cleanly does not matter -- The Ref is an actor's film. Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis are uncommonly gifted performers whose verbal battles in this film are as scathing as any screen couple in history (Burton and Taylor in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? are the obvious comparison). Their performances are emotionally intricate. The characters do not listen to each other anymore, but they certainly still hear the resentment, frustration, and anger in their mutual insults. Gifted screenwriter Richard LaGravenese's literate dialogue keeps the barbs simultaneously painful and hysterical. Denis Leary's character is the key to the film. He is just as annoyed by these characters as the audience. Fans of Leary's hyper-verbal style will not be disappointed. While his character possesses a superior verbal acuity, he has met his equals in the ultimate bickering couple. The three drive each other into a comedic, verbose frenzy. By no means perfect, comfortable, or heartwarming, The Ref is a smart, biting look at marriage, acted with gusto by the three leads. One is tempted to believe that had The Ref been released after American Beauty, it would have found a larger audience for its challenging, acidly funny tone.

All Movie Guide - Perry Seibert