Philm COLUMN

Movies to watch this holiday season

When we think of the holidays, we often think of the food — the turkey on Thanksgiving and the ham or roast beef on Christmas; the latkes at Hanukkah; the shorba at Ramadan. But after stuf ng our bellies, we need something to do.

And for many households across the country, including here in Southern Minnesota, it’s movie time.

Finding a lm that everyone can agree to is the trick, though, and while there’s always the classics — “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving,” “A Christmas Vacation,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” etc. — it never hurts to try something new.

So here’s some suggestions for your holiday season, including recent and upcoming releases, both in theater and at home.

IN THEATER

King Richard (Released Nov. 19): This is a lm about the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, and their father, Richard, who had a vision and a plan for his girls to become tennis superstars. From the synopsis: “Training on Compton, California’s neglected tennis courts--rain or shine--the girls are shaped by their father’s unyielding commitment and their mother’s balanced perspective and keen intuition, defying the seemingly insurmountable odds and prevailing expectations laid before them.” Watch this one if you want to watch real people tough it out in pursuit of dreams, and you’ll know there’s a happy ending, because well, we know what happens. This one is a likely Oscar contender come early 2022.

House of Gucci (Released Nov. 24): This one’s about the “shocking” true story of the family behind the Italian fashion empire Gucci. From the synopsis: “When Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga), an outsider from humble beginnings, marries into the Gucci family, her unbridled ambition begins to unravel the family legacy and triggers a reckless spiral of betrayal, decadence, revenge, and ultimately … murder.” Watch this one is you enjoyed Lady Gaga’s last feature lm, “A Star is Born.” It’s also by Director Ridley Scott, who brought us movies like “Gladiator,” “Thelma & Louise,” and “The Martian.”

West Side Story (Releases Dec. 10): The retelling of a classic with 21st century movie magic: From the synopsis: “Two teenagers from different ethnic backgrounds fall in love in 1950s New York City.” You probably know already if you’re interested in this one. But with Steven Spielberg directing, expect this to be bigger than life, showy, and most of all, entertaining.

Licorice Pizza (Releases Dec. 25): Focused on youths coming of age, this one is de nitely made for adults with its R rating. From the synopsis: “Alana Kane and Gary Valentine grow up, run around and fall in love in California’s San Fernando Valley in the 1970s.” This is the latest from Director Paul Thomas Anderson, who previously brought us “Boogie Nights,” “There Will Be Blood,” and “Phantom Thread.” PTA takes his time with his movies, and the results are usually quite a pleasure to take in. This is for a more “movie mature” crowd who enjoy some style and substance in their lms.

Also in theaters: Nov. 19 - Ghostbusters, C’mon C’mon; Nov. 26 - Resident Evil, Encanto; Dec. 3 - Silent Night, Wolf, Flee; Dec. 10 - Being the Ricardos, Red Rocket; Dec. 17 - Spider-Man, Nightmare Alley; Dec. 22 - The Matrix, Sing 2, The King’s Man; Dec. 25 - The Tragedy of Macbeth, American Underdog.

AT HOME

Dune (Released Oct. 22): This one released in late October, and should be available on HBO Max. It’s an epic, based on the books. From the synopsis: “Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people.” This one is relatively family-friendly (Rated PG-13), and it’s a visually stunning affair, so be sure to watch on the biggest screen you have.

The Harder They Fall (Released Nov. 3): On Net ix, it’s a modern-day western that’s all about fun. From the synopsis: “When outlaw Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) discovers that his enemy Rufus Buck (Idris Elba) is being released from prison he rounds up his gang to track Rufus down and seek revenge.” Watch this one, if you’re trying to keep things light, but also have a mature audience (Rated R).

And Just Like That (Released Dec. TBD): The sequel to “Sex and the City” is nally arriving at HBO Max. From the synopsis: “… follows Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte as they navigate the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s.” I think you can gure out if this one is for your audience or not.

Silence (Released 2017): This isn’t a new one, but it’s a lm from iconic Martin Scorcese that you might not have seen or even heard of, and it’ll be available on Amazon Prime from Dec. 1. From the synopsis: “Two 17th-century Portuguese missionaries, Father Sebastian Rodrigues (Andrew Gar eld) and Father Francisco Garupe (Adam Driver), embark on a perilous journey to Japan to nd their missing mentor (Liam Neeson).” This is for an audience that’s not easily distracted and has an interest in history. 

Have you seen a movie recently that you’re itching for more people TELL ME ABOUT IT! to see? Do you know of a should-be classic that many might not? Do you just want to send a rant about a movie you love or hate? Send me your thoughts at editor@ southernminnscene.com and I might share with the Scene audience in a future edition.