116: Nothing Like The Holidays (feat. Alejandro Riera)

Christmas Movies Actually

First-time guest Alejandro Riera joins Kerry and Collin to talk about the Chicago-based family comedy "Nothing Like The Holidays," which came out in 2008 and features a predominantly Puerto Rican cast. This follows the "Family Stone" and "This Christmas" formula of having all the grown-up kids coming home for the Christmas season, all of whom are facing major crossroads in heir lives. Most of it works, some of it doesn't, but it does make a for a truly unique Chicago-based film. Why aren't there more films like it? Did the filmmakers miss an opportunity with John Leguizamo and Debra Messing's characters? What is the proper way to take a tree down in your front yard? All this, plus three more films from the "1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" book, in which two films from Music Box Theater's recent 70mm film festival come into the discussion.

Book films covered:

"Great Expectations" (1946)

"Playtime" (1967)

"The Searchers" (1956)