Home for the Holidays (film)

Infobox Film
name = Home for the Holidays

---

image_size =
caption = Theatrical poster
director = Jodie Foster
producer = Jodie Foster
Peggy Rajski
writer = Chris Radant (story)
W. D. Richter (screenplay)
narrator =
starring = Holly Hunter,
Robert Downey Jr.,
Claire Danes
Anne Bancroft
Charles Durning
Dylan McDermott
music = Mark Isham
cinematography = Lajos Koltai
editing = Lynzee Klingman
distributor = Paramount Pictures
PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
MGM Home Entertainment (2001 USA DVD)
released = November 3, 1995
runtime = 103 minutes
country = USA
language = English
budget =
gross = $17,518,220 (USA)
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id = 1:135713
imdb_id = 0113321

"Home for the Holidays" is a 1995 comedy-drama film directed by Jodie Foster and produced by Peggy Rajski and Jodie Foster. The screenplay was by W. D. Richter based on the short story by Chris Radant. The music score was by Mark Isham and the cinematography by Lajos Koltai.

The film stars Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr., Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, Dylan McDermott, Geraldine Chaplin, Steve Guttenberg, Cynthia Stevenson with Claire Danes, Austin Pendleton and David Strathairn.

Plot

The story is about Claudia Larson (Holly Hunter), a single mom who spends Thanksgiving at the home of her parents, Adele (Anne Bancroft) and Henry Larson (Charles Durning) while her only child Kitt (Claire Danes) decides to spend the holiday with her boyfriend. It also does not help that Claudia has just lost her job. The family gathering also includes Claudia's conservative sister, Joanne Larson Wedman (Cynthia Stevenson), her husband (Steve Guttenberg) and children; Claudia's gay brother Tommy (Robert Downey, Jr) and his newest friend Leo Fish (Dylan McDermott), her eccentric aunt Gladys (Geraldine Chaplin).

Cast

*Holly Hunter as Claudia Larson
*Robert Downey Jr. as Tommy Larson
*Anne Bancroft as Adele Larson
*Claire Danes as Kitt Larson
*Charles Durning as Henry Larson
*Dylan McDermott as Leo Fish
*Geraldine Chaplin as Aunt Gladys
*Steve Guttenberg as Walter Wedman
*Cynthia Stevenson as Joanne Larson Wedman

oundtrack

Infobox Album
Name = Home for the Holidays (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Type = Soundtrack
Artist = Various artists


Released = 1995
Recorded =
Genre = Soundtrack
Length = 47:14
Label = Mercury Records
Producer = Mark Isham
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kpfyxq8hldke link]
Last album =
This album =
Next album =

Track listing

# Rusted Root - "Evil Ways" 4:03
# Mark Isham - "Holiday Blues" 4:46
# Nat King Cole - "Candy" 3:51
# Tom Jones - "It's Not Unusual" 2:01
# Mark Isham - "Blue Nights" 9:25
# Mark Isham - "Birth of the Cool Whip" 2:53
# Dinah Washington - "Trouble in Mind" 2:50
# Mark Isham - "Late Night Blues" 4:59
# Mark Isham - "Medley of the Very Thought of You/With Us Alone" 2:42
# Ray Noble - "The Very Thought of You" 4:25
# Nat King Cole - "The Very Thought of You" 3:47
# Janis Joplin - "Piece of My Heart" 4:14

Reception

"Home for the Holidays" was released on November 3, 1995 in 1,000 theaters and grossed USD $4 million in its opening weekend. It went on to make $17.5 million in North America.cite news | last = | first = | coauthors = | title = "Home for the Holidays" | work = Box Office Mojo | pages = | language = | publisher = | date = | url = http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=homefortheholidays.htm | accessdate = 2008-08-12 ]

The film received mixed to positive reviews from critics with a 62% rating at Rotten Tomatoes and a 56 metascore at Metacritic. In his three and half star review, Roger Ebert praised Foster's ability to direct "the film with a sure eye for the revealing little natural moment," and Downey's performance that "brings out all the complexities of a character who has used a quick wit to keep the world's hurts at arm's length".cite news | last = Ebert | first = Roger | coauthors = | title = "Home for the Holidays" | work = Chicago Sun-Times | pages = | language = | publisher = | date = November 3, 1995 | url = http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19951103/REVIEWS/511030303/1023%20review | accessdate = 2008-08-12 ] Janet Maslin, in her review for the "New York Times", praised Holly Hunter's performance: "Displaying a dizziness more mannered than the cool, crisp intelligence she shows in "Copycat", Ms. Hunter still holds together "Home for the Holidays" with a sympathetic performance".cite news | last = Maslin | first = Janet | coauthors = | title = When Adults Go Home To Mom at Thanksgiving | work = New York Times | pages = | language = | publisher = | date = November 3, 1995 | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9400EED71639F930A35752C1A963958260&scp=9&sq=%22Home+for+the+Holidays%22&st=nyt | accessdate = 2008-08-12 ] However, in her review for the "Washington Post", Rita Kempley criticized some of the performances: "Downey brings a lot of energy to the role, but his antics can be both tedious and distracting. Hunter has a lovely scene with her disgruntled sister, but there's no time for that relationship to develop, what with a romantic interest yet to explore".cite news | last = Kempley | first = Rita | coauthors = | title = "Home for the Holidays" | work = Washington Post | pages = | language = | publisher = | date = November 3, 1995 | url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/homefortheholidayspg13kempley_c0354f.htm | accessdate = 2008-08-12 ] In his review for "Rolling Stone" magazine, Peter Travers had problems with the screenplay: "It's a shame that W.D. Richter's un-Disney-ish script often slides into shrill stereotypes and sitcom silliness".cite news | last = Travers | first = Peter | coauthors = | title = "Home for the Holidays" | work = Rolling Stone | pages = | language = | publisher = | date = December 18, 2000 | url = http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/5948231/review/5948232/home_for_the_holidays | accessdate = 2008-08-12 ]

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0113321|title=Home for the Holidays
*amg movie|id=1:135713|title=Home for the Holidays
*rotten-tomatoes|id=home_for_the_holidays|title=Home for the Holidays
*metacritic film|id=homefortheholidays|title=Home for the Holidays
*mojo title|id=homefortheholidays|title=Home for the Holidays
* [http://www.summit-pc.com/chris/own_home_1a.html An excerpt from the original short story]
* [http://www.summit-pc.com/chris/experience_1.html Author Chris Radant's experience working on the film]