It’s Christmas and Gus (Denis Leary), a house burglar, finds himself taking Lloyd (Kevin Spacey) and Caroline (Judy Davis), a married couple, hostage after a breaking and entering attempt goes wrong. Until he can get his partner Murray (Richard Bright) to obtain transportation to make a getaway, Gus is stuck in town. Having a constantly arguing couple, himself posing as their marriage counselor, their son Jesse (Robert J. Steinmiller, Jr.) tied up upstairs as leverage and a host of family members coming over for dinner he soon realizes that it is he that is the hostage. With Lloyd’s rich controlling mother, Rose (Glynis Johns) adding fuel to the fire and Gus refereeing, Lloyd and Caroline’s marital discord comes to a head over dinner and gift exchange.