All I Want for Christmas is… gift cards for the movie theatre!

OK.  That’s  a bit of a lie.  Yesterday’s Wish List will indicate that I didn’t even ask for gift cards to the movie theatre when I was thinking of all the things I want the big lad to bring me.

But y’all know going to the movies is one of my most absolute favourite things to do.  And lately, all the commercials on TV advertising upcoming movies hitting theatres in time for the holidays…well, they have me really wanting to see them.  ALL of them.

Here’s what I’m hoping to catch on the big screen this Christmas season:

Playing for Keeps - Starring Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, and Randy Quaid - A former sports star who's fallen on hard times starts coaching his son's soccer team as a way to get his life together. His attempts to become an adult are met with challenges from the attractive soccer moms who pursue him at every turn. (via)

It has Gerard Butler in it.  I mean, really.  Do I need another reason to go see it?  Plus, I think it sounds like a cute little premise for a movie.  Gerard Butler, battling soccer moms.  I’m in.

Lay the Favorite – Starring Bruce Willis, Rebecca Hall, Vince Vaughn, and Catherine Zeta-Jones - Beth, a Las Vegas cocktail waitress, falls in with Dink, a sports gambler who swoons for her as she proves to be something of a gambling prodigy, earning the initial ire of Dink's wife, Tulip. (via)

MOM!  Bruce Willis is in this!!  We should go see it!!  (For the record, I think my mom has a little crush on Bruce Willis.  She doesn’t really like going to the movies, but I can usually lure her in by tossing Bruce Willis into the mix.  Like when I got her to go see Armageddon.  And The Whole 9 Yards.  And The Sixth Sense.)

This is 40 – Starring Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, and Jason Segal - A look at the lives of Pete and Debbie a few years after the events of Knocked Up.  (via)

I loved Knocked Up.  And I particularly liked Pete and Debbie.  Paul Rudd is one of my faves, and Leslie Mann cracks me up.  So yes.  I definitely need to catch the sort-of-sequel to Knocked Up and see what these crazy kids are up to now.  At 40.

Jack Reacher – Starring Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, and Richard Jenkins - A homicide investigator digs deeper into a case involving a trained military sniper who shot five random victims. (via)

No, this is not a typical pick for your ol’ pal Jill here.  But it’s Tom Cruise.  And he’s lookin’ all old-school Mission Impossible-y.  I like Tommy with short hair and dirt on his face.

The Guilt Trip – Starring Barbara Streisand, Seth Rogan, and Kathy Najimy - As inventor Andy Brewster is about to embark on the road trip of a lifetime, a quick stop at his mom's house turns into an unexpected cross-country voyage with her along for the ride. (via)

It looks funny.  That is all.

The Impossible – Starring Naomi Watts, Ewan MacGregor, and Tom Holland -  An account of a family caught, with tens of thousands of strangers, in the mayhem of one of the worst natural catastrophes of our time.  (via)

I saw Ellen talking about this one with Naomi Watts one day this week on her show, and she said it’s “difficult to watch” – yet a fascinating, true storyline about a family on vacation that get caught in the tsunami and fight for their lives.

On the Road  - Starring Garrett Hedlund, Sam Riley, and Kristen Stewart - Young writer Sal Paradise has his life shaken by the arrival of free-spirited Dean Moriarty and his girl, Marylou. As they travel across the country, they encounter a mix of people who each impact their journey indelibly.  (via)

GARRETT HEDLUND!!!  Dude, I’m so down!!!  I kind of didn’t even read the description before putting this on my “must see” list.   All for Garrett Hedlund.

Les Misérables – Starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crow, and Anne Hathaway - In 19th-century France, Jean Valjean, who for decades has been hunted by the ruthless policeman Javert after he breaks parole, agrees to care for factory worker Fantine's daughter, Cosette. The fateful decision changes their lives forever.  (via)

I love musicals, yet I have never seen Les Mis.  I keep seeing the previews and thinking it looks amazeballs.  I think this might be one I could get my mom to come see (even with the lack of Bruce Willis).  Maybe my sister would like to come too.  Family trip to the movies?  I think so!

Parental Guidance – Starring Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei, and Tom Everett Scott - Artie and Diane agree to look after their three grandkids when their type-A helicopter parents need to leave town for work. Problems arise when the kids' 21st-century behaviors collide with Artie and Diane's old-school methods. (via)

Another one that looks funny, and there’s nothing like going to the theatre for some laughs.  I’ve got a soft spot for the likes of Billy Crystal and Bette Midler.  I can only imagine what hijinx there will be!

Promised Land – Starring Matt Damon, Frances McDormand, and John Krasinski -  A salesman for a natural gas company experiences life-changing events after arriving in a small town, where his corporation wants to tap into the available resources.  (via)

This one sounds interesting to me.  Oh, and yes, there’s also the Matt Damon factor.  I kind of adore Matt Damon.  I hear this is directed by the same guy that did Good Will Hunting, which is my all-time favourite Matt Damon movie.  Matt Damon will make it on my list.  Every time.

 

So… will I get to see all of these movies over the holidays?  Not likely.  That’s a lot of flicks.  But I really do hope to catch a couple of them.

Theatre gift cards or not.

What movies are on your must-see holiday viewing list?  And can I please have volunteers who want to come see some of these with me??

Thanks :)