A drama that mixes in some comedy, set during the Christmas holidays, about several generations of an ethnic family coming together and working out their differences. Oh, and one of the sons is dating a white woman. If you’re thinking of This Christmas, the surprise hit from last November, you’re right! But if you’re thinking of the upcoming Humboldt Park, you’re also right, since these movies sound exactly the same.

Debra Messing has just joined the cast of Humboldt, according to Variety, playing the wife of John Leguizamo’s character. The two travel to his childhood home in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood, where Leguizamo’s three siblings have also come home for the holidays. Freddy Rodriguez, Jay Hernandez, Alfred Molina, Melonie Diaz, Luis Guzman and Vanessa Ferlito also star.

I guess it’s not fair to pick on the family Christmas comedy-drama, but it seems like we’ve had a different one each year. First it was The Family Stone, about wacky New England WASPs, then This Christmas, about wacky black Los Angelenos, and now Humboldt Park? I know you’ve gotta take the family to see something when you’re all stuck together for the holidays, but a slight departure from the formula would be nice, and not quite as blatantly pandering to individual ethnic groups. Maybe the Home for Purim movie from For Your Consideration isn’t so far-fetched after all.

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Debra-Messing-Joins-Family-Drama-With-Familiar-Concept-7719.html