CHICAGO – When it was still called “Humboldt Park” and was probably more closely related to Chicago’s thriving Hispanic neighborhood, Alfredo De Villa’s “Nothing Like the Holidays” was probably a lot more interesting than the cookie-cutter dramedy that ended up on the big screen.

Rating: 2.5/5.0

Just as the title was turned more generic, “Holidays” became a film that we’ve seen dozens of times before. It’s a typical family holiday movie that lives and dies on the likeability of its extensive ensemble cast, but that, unfortunately, sacrifices its believable characters due to its emphasis on quantity over quality. Like last year’s “This Christmas”, every character comes to the dinner table not with a fruitcake but with a problem that audiences can expect to be resolved before the credits roll.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “Nothing Like the Holidays” in our reviews section. [1]

There’s something comforting about good holiday movies that make them such an annual staple. We’d all love to think that our family isn’t the only weird or troubled one out there and that the warmth of the holiday season will resolve everyone’s deepest issues just in time for the New Year. But when that believability is pushed to the breaking point with ridiculous behavior and unlikable characters, the subgenre falls apart.

Continuing reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “Nothing Like the Holidays” review. [2]

Freddy Rodriguez, John Leguizamo, and Vanessa Ferlito star in Nothing Like the Holidays.
Photo credit: Overture Films