If there’s one thing everyone can agree on, it’s that family time isn’t always a walk in the park. Nothing Like the Holidays takes a peek at the Rodriguez family, bringing the wayward siblings to converge at their parent’s home in Chicago to celebrate Christmas as well as rejoice in their youngest brother’s safe return from a military tour overseas.
Nothing Like the Holidays was a fairly straightforward Christmas movie revolving around the family dynamic. Unfortunately, the story fell victim to the typical family subplots that are continuously regurgitated in these types of films. A family member covering up a debilitating illness? Check. A problem that drives a wedge between various members of the family? Check. Jealous siblings sharing a bonding moment? Check. Varying degrees of animosity toward the non-family member? Check.
While there’s really nothing wrong with the film, there really wasn’t anything to make it stand out from the rest of its ilk. Taking The Family Stone and painting a Hispanic coat over it hardly makes a movie worthwhile. Rent it at best, but save your money at the theaters.
