Options at the Movies for the Long Turkey-Day Weekend

Long holiday weekends with the family (families for some) will often lead many to that "I have to get the hell away from here" tipping point. Now, Bostonist isn't intimating that going home is a miserable experience for all. But for those who have been out on their own for a little while now, that shock of reverting back to the days of living under the family's roof is somewhat inevitable. So what options are there for when you have to get out of their the house? Go to the local watering hole for an impromptu class reunion? No thank you. How about an official class reunion? Negative to that one, too. A safe bet is to just hit up the movies. Every year there is a slew of movies released throughout the long Thanksgiving weekend. Bostonist spent the last few days hitting up local pre-release and just-released screenings and we have thoughts on a few of the offerings:

1) Walk The Line - Getting mega-huge reviews from the "professional" movie critics. The tomato-meter at Rotten Tomatoes is scoring this one at a high 83%. The performances are strong in Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon's cases, as the reviews are saying, especially Witherspoon's. She captures all the sass and humor that, to this day, you can hear in Johnny Cash's old recordings. Bostonist's take, on the whole, was that it was a bit on the long side and played up a bit too much on infatuation with June Carter and the pill-popping problem. Essential to the story? Yes. Necessary to revolve exhaustively around these points? Nah. A huge plus was seeing a pack of Rock & Roll Hall of Famers - Cash, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Wayland Jennings - hanging out, drinking and causing a ruckus. The verdict: Go if you'd like to see what all the hub-bub is about but keep the expectations at an even keel.

2) Rent - Consensus among the movie critics is that Christopher Columbus created a flat and barely, if that, competent transfer from the stage to the screen. Not being a fan of the theater, especially musicals, Bostonist went with our girlfriend to a preview screening in Harvard. She had already seen it thanks to the connections she has, and knew how to prepare Bostonist for what was in store. A half-dozen listens to the original soundtrack (NOT in one sitting) helped a bit. At least the lyrics were discernible while watching the film. Bostonist's buddy, who had no knowledge of the original material, went along and admitted to being lost when the singing and dancing started. Be warned that if you're taking this in on its opening weekend, there is a high possibility you'll be in a theater packed with fans who've seen the play and listened to the music a few million times. There will be some audience participation, so if you like your theaters quiet then maybe take a rain-check. The verdict: If you're a long-time fan then have a ball. If not, good luck!

3) The Ice Harvest - Another movie getting some super-duper-positive reviews on the eve of its release. Bostonist will cut to the chase - do we agree with said reviews? No. Among the surplus of crime/caper movies that have been made, Bostonist would consider this buried in the pile of the completely forgettable. The first 30 minutes start off in a mish-mash of events that make little sense or relate to each other, except for the fact that John Cusack's character shuffles his way through them. Eventually things start to make a little more sense, but the fact remains that none of the spotlighted characters deserve any sort of sympathy. By the end Bostonist just wanted someone to sucessfully, finally, take the money and run! This mini-review deserves an asterisk, however, because of the handful of obnoxious laughers in the theater who had either huffed right before they got there, or truely like laughing at complete nonsense. It is they who might deserve credit for the bad taste in Bostonist's mouth. The verdict: Complete apathy. Under different circumstances this might have been good, so Bostonist will politely decline to make any sort of definitive YEA or NAY.

Any of these quickie reviews out of line? Right on target? Of course, Bostonist encourages reader feedback and your own reviews of these reviews!