Image: TMDB
About This Quiz
The Ref is a dark comedy centered around a burglar, a bickering couple on the last legs of their marriage, and a Christmas gathering. It was well-received by most critics and Rotten Tomatoes, but did poorly at the box office. How well do you know The Ref? Find out by taking the quiz below.
What was missing from the manger scene in the opening?
Joseph.
Mary.
The shepherds.
Baby Jesus.
"There's supposed to be a baby Jesus in the manger, but someone stole it." It is later discovered that Jesse was the culprit who took it during a previous Christmas.
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What was the name of the marriage counselor?
Dr. Gussie.
Dr. Chasseur.
Dr. Wong.
Dr. Wong was a marriage counselor with his practice located over a bookstore, Village Books. B. D. Wong (uncredited) plays the role.
Dr. Siskel.
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When Gus opened the safe, what was sprayed on him?
Flowery perfume.
Cat urine.
In addition to having a computerized alarm system (which Gus quickly hacked) and a safe, there were several additional traps for burglars near the safe. The irony was that Gus, a cat burglar, was getting sprayed with cat urine, and the smell was impossible for him to remove throughout the movie.
Knockout gas.
Skunk spray.
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What was Lloyd's response to the quote: "…I'm miserable. How can we both be in the marriage and I'm miserable, and you're content?"
"Avoidance."
"Luck."
It's the luck of the draw, apparently, with a 50/50 chance of being lucky or unlucky. Or maybe it has to do with the notion that opposites attract.
"Denial."
"Drugs."
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Who did Caroline blame their marriage problems on?
Their son.
Lloyd.
The marriage counselor.
Lloyd's mother.
Caroline believed that all of their problems originated with Lloyd's mother, because she owned their house, owned the business where Lloyd worked, and loaned them money at 18% interest. Lloyd blamed the problems on Caroline.
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How many burglars were there?
One.
Two.
There were two burglars: Gus and Murray. One, Murray, waited in the car, while the other, Gus, broke into the house.
Three.
Four.
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What did Gus grab in the safe that set the burglar alarm off?
A pearl necklace.
A stack of hundred-dollar bills.
A diamond ring.
The burglar alarm turned on all of the lights and dropped Gus down to the basement. A large Rottweiler greeted him there, growling.
A bag of gold coins.
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In the store, a woman was arguing with the cashier about not having enough what?
Champagne.
Christmas cookies.
Cranberry sauce.
Eggnog.
"I ordered a case of eggnog so this wouldn't happen… You don't understand. I have 25 relatives coming in one hour, and you have one bottle of eggnog." Eggnog is relatively easy to make: You combine milk, cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, eggs, sugar, cream, and rum.
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What was the name of the town where the movie took place?
Hairfield.
Ridgeport.
Old Baybrook.
Old Baybrook was a fictional town in Connecticut. There is a real town on the ocean in Connecticut called Old Saybrook, but the film was shot in Ontario, Canada.
Radison.
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Which actor portrayed Gus?
David Spade.
Denis Leary.
Denis Leary, born August 18, 1957, is a comedian who has transitioned into an acting role with appearances in The Amazing Spider-Man, Rescue Me, and Ice Age. In addition to his work as Gus in The Ref, he has taught at Emerson College and received an honorary doctorate from the school in 2005.
Owen Wilson.
Christopher Walken.
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What did Lloyd do for a living?
He ran an antique shop.
Lloyd said, "I run an antiques store in town. These are all from the shop."
He managed a restaurant.
He owned the bookstore.
He sold second-hand goods.
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What did Jesse Chasseur obtain, in order to get money from Siskel?
His Rolex.
Pictures of him cheating on his wife.
Jesse Chasseur obtained pictures of Siskel cheating on his wife. Jesse was played by Robert J. Steinmiller, Jr. (born July 29, 1978). Steinmiller has made a few appearances in other movies and television shows, but primarily acts on the stage.
Pictures of him using corporal punishment on students.
Pictures of Siskel running a car chop shop.
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What did Caroline offer to Gus instead of rope to tie them up?
Sheets.
Duct tape.
Bungee cords.
Caroline offers bungee cords, which, of course, are stretchy.
Handcuffs.
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Which bar did Gus call to find Murray?
The Seventeenth Hole.
The Mackerel Lounge.
Lloyd and Caroline argued about which bar was the worst dive—The Seventeenth Hole or The Mackerel Lounge. Gus was only shown calling the Mackerel Lounge to look for Murray.
The Brick Inn.
The Marsh Club.
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What did Murray have to do so they could escape?
Steal a boat.
"I'll tell you what. Go to a place called Winslow Harbors, okay? And steal us a boat." Therefore, Murray stole a boat.
Steal a getaway car.
Steal a snowmobile.
Steal a barrel.
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Who played Caroline?
Christine Baranski.
Glynis Johns.
Ellie Raab.
Judy Davis.
Judy Davis (born April 23, 1955) has been in many stage, movie, and television productions. She has received 15 awards for her performances. In addition to The Ref, she can be seen in A Passage to India, Absolute Power, and Deconstructing Harry.
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What was the Willards' dog's name?
Killer.
Genghis Khan.
Cannibal.
"Cannibal bit you?" "His name is Cannibal?" Not sure why the Willard family chose that name - does he eat dogs or people?
Hercules.
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What did Santa give to Caroline?
A pie.
A fruitcake.
Santa gave Caroline a fruitcake from his wife, Margaret. He also told her that there was a $100,000 reward for capturing the robber.
A beer.
Cookies.
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Which artist painted the portrait Caroline offered to give Gus?
Schiele.
Matisse.
Chagall.
Marc Zakharovich Chagall (1887-1985) used a variety of media to create his modernist artistic works. He is best known for his contributions to stained glass window artwork.
Redon.
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"That is not the Spirit of Christmas. The Spirit of Christmas is _______________."
"… Giving and good cheer- now sit down and shut up."
"… Either you're good, or you're punished, and you burn in hell."
Either you're good, or you're punished, and you burn in hell - what would Charles Dickens have to say about this? It's an interesting question, though.
…To drink so much eggnog you forget the rest of the holiday."
"…To let the thief go if he apologizes."
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What was the name of the guy who went around on Christmas dressed as Santa?
Oscar.
George.
George was the local Santa who was not always appropriate. He accepted alcohol more readily than cookies and milk from several households.
Steven.
Gary.
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Why did Jesse have to go to a military school?
Because he needed more discipline in his life.
Because his grandmother was worried that he would wreck things in her house.
Because regular high schools wouldn't enroll him anymore.
"[You went there] for a summer. I go for my entire high school life." "You were sent there because high schools wouldn't enroll you anymore." What would Charles Dickens or Santa say about this?
Because his father always wanted to attend a military school.
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Which movie was playing on the television at the police station?
It's a Wonderful Life.
It's a Wonderful Life came out in 1946 but frequently was shown during the 1980s, when it became popular as a Christmas movie. It was nominated for six Academy Awards.
Citizen Kane.
Miracle on 34th Street.
Holiday Inn.
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What was Jeremiah Willard's nickname?
The Litter Box King.
The Amusement Park King.
"To residents of Old Baybrook, Jeremiah Willard is known as the amusement park king. A childlike eccentric, he is known for his love of animals and generous contributions."
The Duke of Donuts.
The King of Cola.
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What happened to the evidence tape?
It was accidentally dropped in the toilet.
The police officers accidentally recorded over it.
The police officers in the town were bumbling idiots, and the chief primarily overlooked their incompetence. He lost his job because he took the tape of the robbery. Although he wanted to use it to find the criminal before the state police did, when his crew watched it they managed to record over it.
The police chief hid it.
It was thrown away.
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Who called when Jesse got the gun away from Gus?
Murray.
Mama Rose.
Connie.
Connie was played by Christine Baranski (born May 2, 1952). She has also had prominent roles in the television series Cybill and The Good Wife and has been in movies such as Mamma Mia! and Into the Woods.
Gary.
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How old was Gus?
25.
30.
35.
Gus said, "Let me explain something to ya, kid. What I do, running around stealing… that may sound great when you're 15 years old, but it sucks just a little bit when you're 35—no family, no house."
40.
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Who did Lloyd invite into the house?
Santa Claus.
Murray.
Phil and Steve.
Phil and Steve were old friends of Lloyd's brother, Gary. They were supposed to be patrolling the neighborhood after curfew, but they wanted to wait inside until they saw their old buddy.
Jeremiah Willard.
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When Murray finally called, who picked up the phone?
Lloyd Chasseur.
Caroline Chasseur.
Lt. Steve Milford.
Lt. Steve Milford picked up the phone when Murray called. Murray, who was played by actor Richard James Bright (1937-2006) of Godfather fame, immediately hung up when he found out a police officer was on the other end.
Lt. Phil Atwood.
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Gus said his mother was what when asked about his ancestry?
Irish.
Gus said, "Well, my mother was Irish." "And your father?" "Wasn't." Gus isn't a man for much detail.
Chinese.
Australian.
Mexican.
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Which character did J. K. Simmons portray?
Gary.
Siskel.
Jonathan Kimbel Simmons (born January 9, 1955) played Siskel in The Ref. He is best known for his work in the Spider-Man movie series and the television series The Closer, but he has performed in numerous other productions.
Phil.
Murray.
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What nationality was the dinner Caroline served?
Scandinavian.
Caroline said, "What we're having is a traditional Scandinavian Christmas feast… What you're wearing on your heads are called Lucia wreaths. They're worn in honor of Saint Lucia. A woman whose beliefs were so strong, they rendered her inflammable."
Mexican.
French.
German.
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What did Connie get for Christmas from Rose?
A reindeer sweater.
Slipper socks.
Although Lloyd's mother had a lot of money, she was extraordinarily stingy. She got everyone cheap gifts they didn't want for Christmas.
Money.
A bottle of champagne.
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What kind of surgery did Lloyd's mother need?
Knee surgery.
Liposuction.
Plastic surgery.
"If you remember, Caroline, my husband had just died. I was all alone, and I had to have surgery." " Plastic surgery." Um, in general, is plastic surgery really a "need"?
Foot surgery.
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Who directed The Ref?
Nora Ephron.
David Zucker.
Richard Donner.
Ted Demme.
Ted Demme (October 26, 1963—January 13, 2002) was an assistant producer at MTV and notable for creating Yo! MTV Raps. In addition to The Ref, he produced or directed several Leary comedy films and other films, including Blow.
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You Got:
/35
TMDB