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So-so
Avg. Critic Score: 50 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
13 Iffy for 13+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 75
    San Francisco Chronicle | Ruthe Stein

    Like a Christmas present you didn't know you wanted but are delighted to receive. Read full review

  • 75
    Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum

    The troubles are broad, the plot twists giant, and the performances cheery in this carol to ethnic pride in Chicago's traditionally Latino Humboldt Park. Read full review

  • 75
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    The performers breathe real life into the characters, starting with Elizabeth Pena and Alfred Molina. Read full review

  • 70
    The Hollywood Reporter | Kirk Honeycutt

    The situations tend toward contrivance, but the atmosphere is easygoing and the actors seem relaxed even when everyone at the family table is yelling. Read full review

  • 70
    Variety | Brian Lowry

    So "The Family Stone" becomes "The Family Rodriguez," and to their credit, the able performers wring as much mileage as they can from such familiar material. Read full review

  • 63
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    This year's warm and fuzzy Christmas movie. It's a generally winning diversion, thanks mostly to its likeable ensemble cast. Read full review

  • 63
    Boston Globe | Ty Burr

    Both despite its familiarity and because of it, Nothing Like the Holidays brings it home for Christmas. Read full review

  • 50
    Washington Post |

    The ensemble cast boasts some of the finest actors in the business. They do their best to breathe life into the stereotypes, but they simply don't have enough to work with. Read full review

  • 50
    The New York Times | Stephen Holden

    The only distinguishing characteristic of this mildly agreeable variation of a worn-out formula is that the boisterous family under examination is Puerto Rican, and the screenplay includes a smattering of Spanish. Read full review

  • 0
    Los Angeles Times | John Anderson

    Read full review

View more reviews for Nothing Like the Holidays on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 13+ Familiar but funny holiday story with a Latino flavor.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that, like most contemporary holiday movies, this film features a large, loud, "dysfunctional" family dealing with lots of issues. One son has just come back from Iraq and could have post-traumatic stress, another has a Jewish wife who doesn't get along with his mother, and the parents are on the verge of divorce, to name just a few of the family's problems. While young kids may not be interested, 'tis the season for family movies, so be aware that there's drinking, sexual innuendo, and several passionate kisses, as well as some use of anguage like "s--t" and "a--hole." There's also a subplot involving a reformed gang member's beef with the guy who killed his brother, as well as a few other Latino stereotypes. But overall, it's a mostly positive portrayal of a Hispanic family's Christmas traditions.
  • Families can talk about holiday traditions. How does the Rodriguez family's Christmas celebration differ from those portrayed in other holiday movies?
  • How is it different than your own holiday customs?
  • What Latino stereotypes does the film explore? Do you think it reinforces or dispels them? What scenes in the movie are similar to those in other Christmas films
  • ? Do audiences expect certain things from holiday movies? If so, what -- and why?
The good stuff
  • message true2 Positive messages: Portrays a Puerto Rican family's Christmas Eve celebration and traditions. The children deal with being Latino, marrying non-Latinos, and returning to their old neighborhood. The differences between Latino culture and "white" culture are explored. There are strong female characters but also several Latino stereotypes, including a former gang member. Overall, the movie has positive messages about Latino families.
What to watch for
  • violence false2 Violence: A character punches another character; a guy holds a gun up to someone but doesn't shoot; a man almost dies in a car accident.
  • sex false3 Sex: Several characters passionately kiss and talk about sex and adultery. For example, the Rodriguez siblings talk about where they lost their virginity. A married couple is shown in bed the morning after making love (the man is shirtless). A woman looks at her birth control and tries to determine whether she's fertile or not. Several jokes and innuendo about "getting any" and men's "big tools," etc.
  • language false3 Language: Language used fairly regularly includes "s--t," "ass," "a--hole," "bitch," "goddamn," and more.
  • consumerism false3 Consumerism: Brands featured or mentioned include Cadillac, BlackBerry, Gateway computers, and Kia.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: The Rodriguez clan drinks at dinner/parties and goes to a local bar, where a couple of characters get drunk. The men of the family smoke cigars together, and the sister smokes cigarettes. The siblings reminisce about smoking "blunts" in their attic when they were teenagers.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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Dave White

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