Jennifer Lawrence, Will Smith, Quentin Tarantino and BB-8 are all ready to see you at the movie theater this Christmas.
To some, Christmas Day means presents, ham and family squabbles. To others, it means heading to the movie theaters and eating Chinese food for dinner. My family joyfully plays out the stereotype of a Jewish Christmas every year. To be frank, there's really not much else to do. Also, if we're going to play into one of the many stereotypes of our people, this one isn't really so bad. Who doesn't want to watch a movie and eat an eggroll? I wish I could celebrate Jewish Christmas every day.
But every year, there is always the debate about which film — or two — my family is going to see in theaters. When everyone has very different cinematic taste, it can be a pickle. But hey, every family deserves to fight on Christmas.
Here are my suggestions for the movies you should see in theaters this Christmas (spoiler Daddy's Home, Point Break and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip are nowhere to be found on this list nor should they be on any list):
1. Sisters
The Tina Fey and Amy Poehler comedy isn't getting rave reviews for its plot, but it is being recognized as a vehicle to display the dynamic duo's amazing friendship, which frankly is all fans really need. The movie could also be worthwhile as the pair's typical characterization has been switched: Fey now plays the extrovert, crazy sister while Poehler plays the more reserved one. See them party in their childhood home with Ike Barinholtz, Maya Rudolph, John Cena, Rachel Dratch (who might be one of the most underrated Saturday Night Live veterans), John Leguizamo and more.
2. Concussion
This is the closest I will go to watching a sports movie. The drama follows the true story of Dr. Bennet Omalu, who concluded that NFL players were developing neurological deterioration because of the concussions they suffered while playing football. The film is garnering serious Oscar attention for lead Will Smith, who has already earned a Golden Globe nomination. And who doesn't like to see a monolith such as the NFL be taken down a notch for not paying enough attention to its players?
3. Joy
Jennifer Lawrence and David O'Russell have partnered for a third time to tell the story of Joy Mangano, the QVC giant who invented the Miracle Mop. To be honest, the trailer doesn't exactly give the impression that the film is about the story of a QVC icon with its overly dramatic emphasis on JLaw shooting a gun. But when O'Russell and Lawrence come together, it usually means they dominate award season, which has already begun as the film and JLaw have earned Golden Globe nominations. Even when Lawrence isn't at her best (see American Hustle), she's still fun to watch.
4. The Danish Girl
If you're lucky enough to be near a theater in which the film is in its limited release, then go see it. With the past few years fortunately seeing much more openness toward transgender people, the film should strike up an interesting conversation. Last year, Eddie Redmayne won for his essentially Oscar bait role as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. He's on track for a similar year for playing Lili Elbe, a Danish transgender woman and one of the first recipients of sex reassignment surgery.
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5. The Revenant
Alejandro González Iñárritu’s latest film is also in limited release, but again, if you're lucky, go. Iñárritu wowed everyone with his flawless Birdman, and I'm incredibly excited to see what the director will do next. Plus, Leonardo DiCaprio will likely be up for an Oscar and maybe the fifth time is the charm. DiCaprio plays a frontiersman on a path of revenge as he hunts the men who left him for dead.
6. The Hateful Eight
Quentin Tarantino is back — annoyingly also in limited release for now — and that means get ready for Samuel L. Jackson, point-of-view shots and gory, bloody scenes. It's a Western, almost three hours long and apparently has an intermission. Only Tarantino could really get away with that nowadays — well, him and Wes Anderson, too.
Or, you can always just go see Star Wars: The Force Awakens for the 10th time. Now, THAT film is the gift that keeps on giving. J.J. Abrams masterfully continues the Star Wars universe with the franchise's truly first feminist character, Rey. Yes, The Force Awakens is quite similar to A New Hope, but that's what the universe needs: a new "new hope" after the First Order takes power and threatens the New Republic and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is nowhere to be found. Prepare to start sobbing with tears of joy the moment the opening crawl begins.
via giphy.com
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