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The Ref ()


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A cat burglar is forced to take a bickering, dysfunctional family hostage on Christmas Eve.

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Gus
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Caroline
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Lloyd
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Jesse
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Rose
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Huff
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Murray
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Connie
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Gary
Phillip Nicoll ...
John
Ellie Raab ...
Mary
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George
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Steve
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Phil
Herbie Ade ...
Bartender
Ron Gabriel ...
Limo Driver
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Prosecutor
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Reporter
Donna Holgate ...
Newscaster
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Jeremiah Willard
Marilyn Stonehouse ...
Store Cashier
Victoria Mitchell ...
Store Customer
Cort Day ...
Salvation Army Volunteer
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Bob Burley
Charles Kerr ...
Town Citizen
Derek Keurvorst ...
Town Citizen
Caroline Yeager ...
Town Citizen
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Siskel
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Cadet
Victor Erdos ...
Cadet
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Old Baybrook Policeman
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Old Baybrook Policeman (as James Burke)
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Old Baybrook Policeman
Stephen Hunter ...
Old Baybrook Policeman
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State Trooper (as Arthur Nascarella)
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State Trooper
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State Trooper
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State Trooper
Peter Krantz ...
State Trooper
Robert Kroonenberg ...
State Trooper
Philip Akin ...
State Trooper
Mairlyn Smith ...
Santa Family #1
Richard Blackburn ...
Santa Family #1
Mark Cregan ...
Santa Family #1
John E. Campbell ...
Santa Family #1
Cecilley Carroll ...
Santa Family #1
Denise Pidgeon ...
Santa Family #2
Chas Lawther ...
Santa Family #2
Lance Paton ...
Santa Family #2
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Santa Family #3
Jane Moffet ...
Santa Family #3
Jacelyn Holmes ...
Santa Family #3
Grace Church On the Hill Boys Choir ...
Boys Choir
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Linda
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
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Driving Cop (uncredited)
Bruce Charles Richardson ...
Bar Patron (uncredited)
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Dr. Wong, Marriage Counselor (uncredited)

Directed by

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Ted Demme

Written by

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Marie Weiss ... (story)
 
Richard LaGravenese ... (screenplay) and
Marie Weiss ... (screenplay)

Produced by

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Ron Bozman ... producer
Jerry Bruckheimer ... executive producer
Richard LaGravenese ... producer
Don Simpson ... executive producer
Jeffrey Weiss ... producer (as Jeff Weiss)

Music by

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David A. Stewart

Cinematography by

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Adam Kimmel ... director of photography

Editing by

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Jeffrey Wolf

Editorial Department

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John Cameron ... second assistant editor
John Gilroy ... associate editor
Sonia Gonzalez ... apprentice editor
Gloria Kaiser ... color timer
Kathy LaCommare ... first assistant editor
Dan O'Grady ... negative cutter
Daphne Perez ... second assistant editor
Joe Violante ... lab liaison: New York
Valerie Weiss ... apprentice editor
Morgan Neville ... assistant editor (uncredited)
Lisa Rodgers ... post-production coordinator (uncredited)

Casting By

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Howard Feuer

Production Design by

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Dan Davis

Art Direction by

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Dennis Davenport

Set Decoration by

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Jaro Dick
Arline Smith ... (uncredited)

Costume Design by

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Judianna Makovsky

Makeup Department

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David R. Beecroft ... key hair dresser
Christine Hart ... makeup artist: Judi Davis
Irene Kent ... makeup artist

Production Management

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Judith Lyn Brown ... post-production supervisor
Marilyn Stonehouse ... unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Ann-Marie Ferney-Tellez ... third assistant director (as Anne-Marie Ferney)
Michael Johnson ... second assistant director
Ron Oxley ... second assistant director
Anna Rane ... trainee assistant director
Andrew Shea ... first assistant director
William Spahic ... first assistant director

Art Department

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Christopher Geggie ... property master
Neil Morfitt ... first assistant art director
Tim Murton ... scenic artist
John 'Butch' Rose ... assistant property master
Andrew M. Stearn ... first assistant art director
Donald Vandewater ... construction coordinator (as Don Vandewater)

Sound Department

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Elisha Birnbaum ... foley artist
Bruce Carwardine ... sound mixer
Missy Cohen ... assistant sound editor
Kenna Doeringer ... assistant sound editor
Bradford L. Hohle ... dolby stereo consultant
Kenton Jakub ... adr group editor
George A. Lara ... foley engineer
Stuart Levy ... supervising sound editor
Bill Nisselson ... sound post production
Ken Porter ... boom operator
John Purcell ... dialogue editor
Jac Rubenstein ... foley editor
Gail Stockton ... adr editor
Brian Vancho ... foley artist
Peter Waggoner ... re-recording mixer
Dan Evans Farkas ... sound transfer (uncredited)

Special Effects by

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Bob Hall ... special effects
Arthur Langevin ... special effects
Jim Reischl ... special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by

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Janos Pilenyi ... end titles & opticals (as Janos O. Pilenyi)

Stunts

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Matt Birman ... stunt performer
Mark Brunzell ... stunt performer
Rick Forsayeth ... stunt performer
Risa Litwin ... stunt performer
Larry A. McLean ... stunt performer (as Larry McLean)
Branko Racki ... stunt coordinator
Helen Scott ... stunt performer
John Stoneham Jr. ... stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department

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Andy Chmura ... camera operator
Gerry Condotta ... second assistant camera
Gordon Eldridge ... best boy electric
Brian Harper ... first assistant camera
Eric Holmes ... gaffer
Mike Kirilenko ... key grip (as Michael Kirilenko)
Ron Renzetti ... dolly grip
Robert Rice ... best boy grip (as Robert C. Rice)
Jack Rowand ... still photographer
Robert Sciretta ... gaffer
Kevin Smyth ... key grip
Michael Ringston ... assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department

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Nicole Arbusto ... casting associate
Deirdre Bowen ... casting: Canada
Scott Mansfield ... extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Kim W. Chow ... wardrobe master (as Kim Chow)
Patti Unger ... wardrobe supervisor (as Patricia Unger)

Location Management

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Marc Dassas ... location manager
Fred Kamping ... location manager
Byron A. Martin ... assistant location manager (as Byron Martin)

Music Department

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Robert Elhai ... music arranger
Matthias Gohl ... music arranger
Eileen Gregory ... music production supervisor (as Eileen Drosin Gregory)
Shari Johanson ... assistant music editor (as Shari Schwartz)
Todd Kasow ... music editor
Stephen McLaughlin ... music producer
Jill Meyers ... music clearances
Amanda Scheer-Demme ... music consultant (as Amanda Scheer)
David A. Stewart ... music producer

Script and Continuity Department

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Blanche McDermaid ... script supervisor

Transportation Department

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Norm Henderson ... transportation coordinator
Jim Kennedy ... transportation coordinator
Richie Moran ... co-captain
Grant Volkers ... co-captain

Additional Crew

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Stephanie Chartrand ... assistant: Mr. Spacey (as Stephane Chartrand)
Martha Diaz ... assistant: Mr. Demme
Terry J. Erdmann ... unit publicist (as Terry Erdmann)
Andrew Form ... assistant: Mr. Bruckheimer
Wendi Friedman ... assistant: Mr. Bruckheimer
Deb Geaghan ... assistant production accountant (as Deborah Geaghan)
Liesl Des Lauriers ... welfare worker
Linda Lockett ... production secretary
M.J.N.K. ... assistant: Ms. Johns
Todd Marrero ... assistant: Mr. Simpson
Rick Parker ... dog wrangler
Christopher Roach ... assistant: Mr. Bozman
Andrea Schlupp ... assistant: Mr. Simpson
Timothy Storey ... key production assistant (as Tim Storey)
Charlie Vogel ... post-production accountant (as Charles Vogel)
Rosanne Vogel ... production accountant
Deborah Zwicker ... production coordinator
Gianluca Nardulli ... press book: Italy (uncredited)

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Denis Leary plays an unfortunate cat burglar, who is abandoned by his partner in the middle of a heist, and is forced to take an irritating Connecticut couple (Kevin Spacey, Judy Davis) hostage. He soon finds that he took on more than he bargained for when the couple's blackmailing son and despicable in-laws step into the picture. Before long they're driving him nuts with their petty bickering and family problems. The only way for him to survive is to be their referee and resolve their differences, before he can be nabbed by the police. Written by Nick D.

Plot Keywords
Taglines They might be his hostages but what they're doing to this guy is criminal. See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Hostile Hostages (United Kingdom)
  • Tel est pris qui croyait prendre (France)
  • No Panic - Gute Geiseln sind selten (Germany)
  • Esto (no) es un secuestro (Spain)
  • Ésto (no) es un secuestro (Spain)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 97 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $11,000,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend United States $3,044,097, 13 Mar 1994

Did You Know?

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Trivia Film debut of J.K. Simmons. See more »
Goofs This film takes place in Connecticut. Several characters mention a county prosecutor throughout the film. Connecticut dissolved all county-level governments in 1960 and thus, there would be no such thing as a county prosecutor. In Connecticut, counties are solely geographic entities. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in Guarding Tess/Lightning Jack/The Hudsucker Proxy/The Ref/Belle Epoque/Germinal (1994). See more »
Soundtracks The Holly And The Ivy See more »
Quotes Gus: You know what, lady? I'd like to tie you to the back of a fucking truck.
Rose: You don't have the balls.
[Gus leaps up from his chair toward Rose and is intercepted by Lloyd]
Lloyd: Don't do it! It's not worth it.
Gus: I fucking hate her, Lloyd!
Lloyd: I know, I know.
Gus: What is the matter with you? I thought mothers were sweet and nice a-a-and Patient. I know loan sharks who are more forgiving than you. Your husband ain't dead, lady. He's hiding.
See more »

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