What’s playing in theaters this weekend that you and your spouse or you and your family can see together? Let’s take a look:
For Parents:
You might want to check out the 3:10 to Yuma. It’s a remake of the 1957 Glenn Ford film and based on the novel by Elmore Leonard. The film features Russell Crowe and Christian Bale and while this is a rated R film and definitely not for the kiddies, it’s a treat to see a well done Western returning to the big screen. Parents interested in taking their teenagers should be aware that there is a great deal of bloody violence and the movie doesn’t pull its punches. I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone under the age of 17. But for a couple that enjoys a good western and solid acting, this might be a good pick for you.
Not so much into the westerns? Check out Matt Damon’s The Bourne Ultimatum still in theaters and while there is a violent quotient, it’s not bloody. It’s a very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy of films that began with the The Bourne Identity. The film is rated PG-13 and I’d make sure your 13 year old was mature enough to see this, but it’s definitely a great film for adults.
For the Family:
The Nanny Diaries, Becoming Jane and Hairspray are all still in theaters. The Nanny Diaries is an amusing, if depthless, story of a directionless college student who signs on to become the nanny for a Park Avenue power couple. There are some really good satirical moments and there’s definitely some suggestiveness that make it a movie for parents with teenagers rather than tweenagers. Younger kids may actually enjoy it because some of that suggestiveness is over their heads. But that’s a parent’s personal call to make.
Becoming Jane is a wonderfully charming film featuring Anne Hathaway in the titular role. Despite the fact that this movie plays fast and loose with history, it’s a wonderfully romantic story that will engage the hearts and minds of girls both young and old.
Finally, Hairspray — what can you say about Adam Shankman’s work but wow. For viewers of the Fox hit “So You Think You Can Dance” Shankman was a judge on that show and he did the choreography for “Hairspray” and where else can you see John Travolta in drag? But the best reason to see it is the fact that it promotes the idea that no matter who you are or what you look like – it is what’s inside you that counts and that’s a message that every kid needs to hear.
So what will you be seeing this weekend?