Loud families everywhere rejoice – your on-screen representation has arrived. “They’re not fighting. We’re conversating.”

The Rodriguez family has not been under one roof in three years but this year everyone is coming home to mom (Elizabeth Peña) and dad’s (Alfred Molina) house for the holidays. This is in large part to welcome back their soldier brother Jesse (Freddy Rodríguez). Mauricio (John Leguizamo), the big city lawyer, is bringing his high-powered executive wife Sarah (Debra Messing) to face the ever-present question: when are you going to have kids? Roxanna (Vanessa Ferlito) moved out to Hollywood and is now a struggling actress despite her neighbourhood’s delusions of her success. Meanwhile, Jesse’s return has rekindled old feelings for the girl he left behind (Melonie Diaz) even though she has no intention of forgiving him. The dinner table is made fuller by screw-up uncle Johnny (Luis Guzmán) and former gangbanger Ozzy (Jay Hernandez). But everyone’s life is thrown out of balance when mom announces she is divorcing their father.

If it sounds complicated, it is. Even though the issue that is meant to tie the film together is the parental separation, each of the characters has overshadowing issues of their own with which to deal. This results in a movie that does not have a clear plot; rather, it is a series of personal stories loosely linked together.

Nonetheless, it does hit most of the holiday movie marks: a reunion after a long absence; the kids stay up late scheming; the kids have a night out at the bar; a terrible thing occurs, threatening to ruin Christmas; they all live relatively happily ever after. In addition, there are some very funny moments, most of which involves a durable tree, as well as sad moments.

One of the more festive and authentic elements of the film comes when the Chicagoan Puerto Rican community celebrates via a parranda: the whole neighbourhood gathers, sings Christmas carols, and celebrates together at a large party.

The cast is high calibre and more than competent in their roles – a virtual who’s who of the Latin acting community. Messing and Leguizamo have a particularly embarrassing yet entertaining dance scene, in which both appear to let loose.

In the end, despite its holiday atmosphere, there is just too much drama for that to be the dominant disposition.

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