It’s Thanksgiving week, and along with the turkey, pie and rest of the fixings, there’s another thing to keep on hand for the weekend of family feasting, and that’s a movie choice in your back pocket. Sure there’s football and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the National Dog Show during the day, but what about after dinner when everyone collapses in a food coma?
You’ll want something that will please the whole family, and perhaps neutralize any tensions. It could be a new release or an old favorite you haven’t seen in awhile. Depending on your mood, something funny, rousing or suspenseful. Maybe a little melancholy if you’re having one of those holidays. Nothing too on the nose, holiday-wise, but maybe a little Christmassy.
Here’s a little rundown of streaming movie choices to keep in mind that are a bit more interesting than your average Hallmark holiday movie (though Lindsay Lohan’s “Falling for Christmas” is now streaming on Netflix).
If you’re going for big crowd-pleasers that will delight and entertain the family without being too taxing, try throwing on Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis,” streaming on HBO Max. Everyone loves Elvis’ music, Austin Butler delivers a hip-swiveling tour de force channeling of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, and Luhrmann’s maximalist style will dazzle the senses. Another great option is James Mangold’s 2019 automotive epic “Ford v Ferrari” starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale and streaming on Hulu. I know from experience that plopping tipsy parents in front of this one is a win-win situation.