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Claudia (Holly Hunter) is having the worst day of her life. Anything that can go wrong does and it is almost a miracle that she doesn't go insane. She is traveling home for Thanksgiving, and we meet her rather wacky family and friends. Her father (Charles Durning) is a jolly overweight man who has been married to her mother (Anne Bancroft) for so many years there love is almost taken for granted, if not sorely tested. Her brother, Thomas (Robert Downey, Jr.) is gay and quite the clown, which results in much awkwardness and is yet another one of those taboo holiday dinner subjects. He brings home a "friend" (Dylan McDermott) who Claudia is attracted to, but unsure of his real relationship with Thomas.

Home for the Holidays draws parallels between everyday lives and our shared rituals and those we see on the big screen. Foster points out even more parallels in her audio commentary - it is Thanksgiving and everyone, everywhere is going through the same thing at the same time. This particular aspect is clever as the juxtaposition of real life and the lives of these common characters makes for a real sense of deja vu (well, at least if you've ever gone home for the holidays.)

Home For The Holidays is the sort of mishmash of simple scenes with simple meanings, yet filled with complex dialogue. The plot is sparse - we attend holiday festivities, bump into the people we don't want to bump into, and sit down for the traditional turkey carving. This is a none-too-shabby second effort for Foster, and aside from Hunter, Bancroft and Downey, Jr., she has assembled a fine cast including Geraldine Chaplin, Steve Guttenberg, Cynthia Stevenson and Claire Danes. Some scenes drag as any family gathering sometimes can, but on the whole this is an entertaining film and a great holiday rental if you're bored with the perennial favorites.

Video: How Does The Disc Look?

MGM's DVD press must have still been warm from Little Man Tate when they stamped out these discs, as the two look almost identical. Is that good? Well, it isn't bad. Little Man Tate exhibited a bit more edge enhancement and that weird shimmering on text, so overall this transfer is a bit better. Presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, the source print looks as if it was a bit grainy, but there isn't much in the way of artifacts or blemishes to detract. Colors are nicely saturated with accurate fleshtones, while blacks are almost true, though shadow detail is sometimes murky. Very little to grumble about here, as this is a nice if only average transfer.

Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?

Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 this is a subdued, quiet track. Primarily dialogue-driven, there isn't much to this mix aside from the actors speaking, laughing or crying. The surrounds all but silent aside from some slight expansion of the score. Though the front channels reproduce the soft and delicate effects very well, the majority of the mix is centered on the center channel. Dialogue sounds rather natural and never bleeds to either of the other front channels, and as with Little Man Tate, the dynamic range is superb. Music has played an important role in both of Foster's film as it sets the mood exquisitely in almost every scene. The .1 LFE is fine but nothing exemplary.

There also are French and Spanish mono dubs included, as well as English Closed Captions and French and Spanish subtitles.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

This disc didn't really boast a great deal of extras, but the highlight is certainly the screen- specific audio commentary with Jodie Foster. Foster is, as she proved on her tracks for Little Man Tate, Contact and Silence Of The Lambs, excellent. She is extraordinarily well spoken and conveys her meaning distinctly. She focuses on why she chose to follow up Little Man Tate with this film, and comparisons between the two. A very good track that is a must-listen for Foster fans.

Also included is a full-screen theatrical trailer in Dolby 2.0 surround.

Parting Thoughts