Holidays Are Peak Movie Season By Robin Marlowe, 11.03.05
Some families watch the big football game; others sit around the table and
reminisce about the good old days.
“Everyone should just stay home and sleep and spend time with their family and that is it. That is a good Thanksgiving,” Chelsie Gullo said.
Not all want to sit at home during the holidays.
According to an article by James Jaeger on the movie industry the holidays are a peak time for movie releases. American Demographics records movie attendance to be the highest during the holiday season. They report “it is the only time some Americans venture out to the silver screen.”
“I go to the movies every year with my family, we haven’t missed going to the movies on Thanksgiving in 10 years. We just love to go out and be a family watching a family movie,” Brenda Palmer said.
Several movies open during the Thanksgiving season offer movie-goers a long list of choices. The movies provide entertainment and excitement after a filling dinner and the need to wake up.
This Year’s Pick’s:
Harry Potter fans are awaiting the new Harry Potter movie which premiers in movie theatres right before Thanksgiving. “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” open on November 18th just in time for the holidays. Although the latest Harry Potter movie opens before Thanksgiving it will still draw a crowd, since the family movie pickings is very slim this year.
“Yours, Mine and Ours” is a family movie starring Rene Russo and Dennis Quaid about two divorcees who fall in love and have to work out all the details of having eighteen children under one roof. “Yours Mine and Ours” is rated PG for mild crude humor.
Four PG or PG 13 movies open on November 23, “Yours, Mine and Ours”, “In the Mix”, “Just Friends” and “Rent”.
“In The Mix” starring R&B singer Usher is about a mafia boss who assigns his best man (Usher) to protect his daughter from the bad guys out to get him. While Daryl (Usher) protects the girl they fall madly in love. “In The Mix” is rated PG-13 for sexual content, violence and language.
“Just Friends” starring Ryan Reynolds and Amy Smart highlights a man whose true love rejects him, in an attempt to get over her, (Ryan) moves across the country to reinvent himself. He moves back only to find himself face to face with the same girl. “Just Friends is rated PG-13 for sexual content.
“Rent” comes to the big screen, and is the long awaited remake of the renowned Broadway play. “Rent” stars Taye Diggs, Rosario Dawson and Jessie L. Martin from Law and Order. “Rent” is about a group of young East Villagers in New York coping with such harsh urban realties as AIDS, homelessness and paying the rent. “Rent” is rated PG-13 for mature thematic material involving drugs and sexuality, and for some strong language.
Several movies with a lot of sexual content and violence also open Thanksgiving weekend giving singles and couples without children more options. For some movie-goers these are a perfect option.
“I like to watch a movie that has a lot of excitement and adult content in it, something that has a good story line,” Eddie Yangoren said. “I am sick and tired of all this sissy movie junk, that PG stuff; I want at least PG 13 and no crying. I am glad to see the choices available.”
“The Ice Harvest” stars John Cusack and Billy Bob Thorton. Cusack plays (Charlie) a crooked lawyer who deals with the scum of the business world in Wichita. Charlie reels in his payoff for his entire life of over 1 million dollars, which is not what Charlie is really interested in. The sexy Renata, who runs the local strip club, is his real passion. “The Ice Harvest” is rated R for adult content and language.
“The Libertine” starring Jonny Depp and John Malkovich follows the life of the second Earl of Rochester in London during the 17th century. He has a passionate romance with a young actress, Elizabeth Barry, and he writes a scandalous play which lampoons the monarch who commissioned it, Charles II, leading to the Earl’s banishment and eventual downfall. “The Libertine” has not been rated.
With no Christmas themed movies opening so far during the Thanksgiving holiday, families this holiday season anticipating the Christmas season, could be disappointed.
“The tradition of going to the movies for my family helps set the mood for the coming season. We always watch a Christmas movie.” Lisa Stansell said.
