After the turkey day hubbub settles down (but before heading back in to work on Monday), get back in the swing of things with a movie. Up To Date's indie, foreign and documentary Film Critics each have three suggestions for your weekend. They may not include dangerous car chases, big explosions or political intrigue but — hey! — didn't you get enough of that during Thanksgiving?
Cynthia Haines
Lady Bird, R
- Greta Gerwig's first solo effort as writer/director is a heartfelt dedication to her NorCal hometown, and a masterful, funny examination of the mercurial relationship between a mother and her high school-aged daughter.
Wonderstruck, PG
- Two kids and two stories, 50 years apart, converge at the Museum of Natural History in New York. Adapted from Brian Selznik's critically acclaimed novel for young readers.
Loving Vincent, PG-13
- A creative interpretation of the life and allegedly mysterious death of Vincent Van Gogh, depicted in more than 65,000 oil-painted animations that mirror the artist's own style.
Steve Walker
Novitiate, R
- Melissa Leo gives a ferocious performance as a stern and rigid Reverend Mother fighting the progressive ideas of Vatican II in a convent she rules like a dictator circa 1964.
The Square, R
- An ill-advised media campaign about a new art installation is at the center of Ruben Ostlund’s ambitious movie, which won the Palme d'Or at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, about how the contemporary art scene in Sweden addresses class inequality, and political correctness.
Lady Bird, R
- This sublime, tart comedy, written and directed by Greta Gerwig, features flawless performances from Laurie Metcalf as a stressed-out mom and Saoirse Ronan as a bohemian high school senior circa 2002 wishing she was anywhere but Sacramento.