The holiday season is upon us like fairies on sugarplums and there will be plenty of movies to remind us that our lives are not even remotely cinematic. For instance, who among us could imagine being in the position Adam Sandler finds himself as Skeeter Bronson, a hotel handyman whose life becomes scary and complicated when the bedtime stories he tells his niece and nephew start to mysteriously come true? Bronson tries to capitalize on the phenomenon, incorporating his own greedy desires into his weird stories, but soon discovers that the kids are really the ones in control. Well, duh, what parent doesn’t know that? As usual, Sandler has a love interest, and this time it’s hottie Keri Russell. A fun movie to see after the kids tear through their presents, as Bedtime Stories opens Christmas Day.
Four Christmases came out in November, but it will be hanging around the theaters for a while, since romantic comedies are always big during the holiday season – perhaps because romance is one Christmas experience we’d all like to have. Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon share great chemistry as an upscale married San Francisco couple that find themselves fogged in on Christmas morn, unable to escape to a planned exotic vacation spot. In the tradition of Home for the Holidays, the two are steeped in family drama as they are forced to spend time with their parents, step-parents, siblings, nieces and nephews. As always, there is a happy ending. This is a film that makes one think that crazy families might just be a good thing.
Now, for my kind of Christmas movie: The Day the Earth Stood Still. This classic 1951 Michael Rennie sci-fi movie has been remade with Keanu Reeves in the leading role of Klaatu, an alien whose arrival on Earth triggers a global upheaval. As governments and scientists race to unravel the mystery behind the visitor’s appearance, a woman (Jennifer Connelly) and her young stepson get caught up in his mission, eventually coming to understand the ramifications of Klaatu calling himself a “friend to the Earth.†I won’t say how this tale ends, but I can guarantee you that on December 12th, you will exit the theatre muttering, “Klaatu Barada Nicktu!†instead of “Bah! Humbug!â€
