Font ResizeTHANKS SO MUCH, Hollywood. For the Thanksgiving holiday you are once again offering a safe haven from all the pumpkin pies, frenzied shoppers and strained relations. And as you're dishing out some of the year's tastiest morsels, we cooked up a Thanksgiving Movie Guide culled from staff and wire reviews. To get into the spirit of the foodie season, we even broke the films into meal-specific categories. They include: the Main Course (substantive star attraction); Side Dishes (yummy treats that leave you hankering for more); Dessert (delicious delicacies devoid of nutrients); Scraps (leftovers destined for Fido's bowl).
So dig in, and please pass the showtimes.
Main Course
"Fantastic Mr. Fox": Picking a movie everyone will want to see after that food coma is a thankless task. Not this year. Director Wes Anderson's ("The Royal Tenenbaums") sly animated take on the Roald Dahl book appeals to kids, hipsters, parents and even crazy Aunt Sally. And who better to play a fox than Mr. Foxy himself, George Clooney? We're so there.
"An Education": Take a break from all the mind-numbing mall madness by seeking out this intelligent adult drama about a teen (amazing newcomer Carey Mulligan) being charmed and seduced by a 30-something guy (Peter Sarsgaard). Do leave the kids at home, please. The Associated Press' Christy Lemire called it one of the year's best.
"Good Hair": Wash those holiday
"A Serious Man": The Coen Brothers return to Oscar form with a slapstick drama that tackles faith, divine intent and human learning. If your family prefers brains over brawn in entertainment, look no further. Colin Covert of the Minneapolis Star Tribune found the box-office underachiever flawless.
"Precious": What better way to give thanks to the power of moviemaking than watching this gem about the resiliency of the human spirit? Expect your emotions to get a workout from director Lee Daniels Oscar-ready film with magnificent newcomer Gabourey Sidibe starring as an obese, illiterate Harlem teen. Yes, it's tough, but immensely rewarding — just what we really need this season.
"The Messenger": Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton are terrific and tortured in this moving and timely exploration of the costs of war. Well-suited for the serious filmgoer looking for deeper meaning over the holidays.
Side Dishes
"Michael Jackson's This Is It": Director Kenny Ortega winningly uses footage shot during Michael Jackson's rehearsals for this rare glimpse of the star at work on his planned mega-tour. The Mercury News' Charlie McCollum found the film "raw, unvarnished, oft-fascinating."
"Disney's A Christmas Carol": This animated Tiny Tim creeps us out, but Jim Carrey as Scrooge and swirling 3-D snowflakes makes for a technically stunning Dickens rehash, especially if you're struggling to get into the Christmas spirit. But staff writer Randy Myers warns it might be too scary for the young ones.
Dessert
"2012": As overstuffed as that Thanksgiving bird you just devoured, director Roland Emmerich's E-ticket ride aboard the Armageddon Express also is as idiotic as it is thrilling. Don't sweat the details — just buckle up and enjoy, Myers says.
"Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans": Director Werner Herzog conjures up the spirit of "Bad Lieutenant" in this New Orleans-set crime drama with Nicolas Cage, who — after a long drought — delivers a strong performance. Really.
"The Blind Side": Sandra Bullock is left holding the ball in this inspirational football-themed flick that adheres to the Hallmark tele-pic rule book. Based on the true story of a homeless black teen taken in by a white Southern family, it's not heavy but it does score points.
"Where the Wild Things Are": Most critics and audiences found no middle ground about director Spike Jonze's existential take on the Maurice Sendak classic, but McClatchy's Rick Bentley called it a literary diamond — and your family just might, too.
"The Twilight Saga: New Moon": Oh, Bella. What's a lovelorn 18-year-old to do? Your pale hottie vampire crush fled to Italy, leaving you to flirt with that buff wolf-boy dealing with anger-management issues. Heavy sigh. Should a tween be sitting at your Thanksgiving table, you undoubtedly will see this movie over the four-day holiday. Myers found the love triangle long-winded but worth a look because of the visual flair of director Chris Weitz and the sly screenplay.
"Red Cliff": Director John Woo ("Broken Arrow") fails to get his groove back with this third-century epic starring Tony Leung, one of his old-school regulars. The AP's David Germain loves the action, misses the emotional element. Mindless action balances big meals. Pass it on.
Scraps
"Ninja Assassin": If staring at that beheaded bird on the table wasn't enough for you, let us suggest watching countless heads roll about in this bloody-awful martial-arts hoedown.
Despite a charismatic turn from super-stud Rain ("Speed Racer"), "Assassin" wields a dull blade for a sword-and-splatter picture, the Orlando Sentinel's Roger Moore says.
"The Road": Want to be bummed out from now till Christmas? Then follow this terrible "Road." Relentlessly grim and deadly serious, director John Hillcoat's post-apocalyptic film turns Cormac McCarthy's thought-provoking novel into a zombie freak show, says McClatchy's Christopher Kelly. For shame.
"Planet 51": ETs, get your act together and phone Pixar. Sony's perky animated sci-fi flick is not even in the same universe as what the Emeryville studio produces. Better to just say, "Mr. Fox."
"The Fourth Kind": Milla Jovovich sees aliens while engaged in close encounters with bad actors and a stupid script. Not a Thanksgiving movie treat.
"The Men Who Stare at Goats": Missed opportunities abound in this painfully unfunny satire about the CIA and mind control. Normally reliable George Clooney, Ewan McGregor and Jeff Bridges are wasted, as is a wickedly promising premise. Doggy-bag material.
"Pirate Radio": This '60s-era homage to the time when pirate rock-radio stations broadcast from ships off the coast of Britain should have been the film that music lovers flocked to over the holidays. But McCollum found it a disjointed mess despite great music and a top-notch cast.
"Law Abiding Citizen": Preposterous, vile thriller with Jamie Foxx as a prosecutor and Gerard Butler as a sociopath. A tale filmed with lots of boom and violence, signifying nothing.
"Old Dogs": Drumstick, er drumroll, please. We have a winner in the Thanksgiving movie-turkey contest. This unfunny John Travolta-Robin Williams comedy finds the unbelievable duo as sports-marketing partners on the verge of a big deal when kids enter the picture.
See tons of cameos if you can stay awake.
