Need To Avoid Talking Politics With Family This Thanksgiving? Watch These New Movies

film critic says a female coming-of-age story and Pixar’s latest animated work are the ones to see this holiday season.

By Asa CottermanNovember 23, 2017 10:45 am

The turkey and the sides have been devoured. The pie’s been eaten, and you’ve woken up from that tryptophan-induced nap. As you wait for the football game to come on in a few hours, you may be wondering what to do next on Thanksgiving Day.

That empty spot in the the Turkey Day schedule may help explain why Thanksgiving weekend is one of the most successful at the box office. It’s also the time of the year when films in contention for the Oscars make their way into theatres. Jacquelyn Coley, co-host of the Rotten Tomatoes Facebook show “See It, Skip It” and and contributor for www.blackgirlnerds.com, says there are two movies to see this holiday season: “LBJ,” a biopic starring Woody Harrelson, and “Lady Bird,” a low-budget production that explores the gulf between childhood and adulthood.

Though these titles may stick out to Texans due to their ties to former President Johnson, Coley says the two films are unrelated, and only one has anything to do with him. And while she says Harrelson puts on a great performance in the biopic, “Lady Bird” is really the film to see.

“I would advise every single person to see [it], especially women with female children, or women to see with their moms,” Coley says. “It is absolutely hilarious and heartbreaking.”

“Lady Bird” is actress/filmmaker Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut. So far, the film has received high praise, and Coley says she expects to see the film’s two leads, Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf, in the conversation come Oscar time.

If you aren’t in the mood for dramas, Coley recommends going to a showing of Disney-Pixar’s newest offering, “Coco.” The film tells the tale of a young man in Mexico with musical aspirations and the pushback he feels from his family.

Last but not least, Coley recommends “Last Flag Flying,” a new film from Austin-based director Richard Linklater. The film centers around  three Army veterans who embark on a journey to bury the son of one of the former soldiers. The star-studded cast includes Steve Carrel, Laurence Fishburne. Coley says it’s Carrel who especially shines in the film.

 

Written by Rachel Zein.