Peter Travers on Three Must-See Thanksgiving Weekend Films
After Thanksgiving has come and gone, movie lovers may be tempted to nap away the long weekend. But Rolling Stone critic Peter Travers objects to such laziness in his Turkey Day installment of “At the Movies,” breaking down three must-see films (all based on true stories) to catch after the holiday.
First, there’s the World War II espionage thriller The Imitation Game, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing, the Navy computer scientist who helped bust the Nazi’s Enigma Code. But instead of being lauded for his heroism after the war, Turin is persecuted for his homosexuality. Travers calls the film an “exciting tale” driven by the superb acting of Cumberbatch and co-star Keira Knightly.
Up next is Bennett Miller’s biographical drama Foxcatcher, which tells the story of two Olympic gold medal-winning wrestlers, brothers Mark (Channing Tatum) and Dave Schultz (Mark Ruffalo), and their tragic affiliation with a “very dangerous, delusional billionaire” named John du Pont (Steve Carell). “Tatum is playing something really different than you’ve ever seen him do in this character,” Travers says, “but the true difference is in Steve Carell, playing this monster of a tycoon.”
“Just let this movie soak into your system,” he continues. “It is one of the best movies of the year by far.”
Travers’ third choice is The Theory of Everything, which focuses on the career of iconic physicist Stephen Hawking, his diagnosis of ALS and his relationship with ex-wife Jane Wilde Hawking (whose memoir, Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen, inspired the script). Travers praises star Eddie Redmayne (“one of the great performances of the year”) and his chemistry with co-star Felicity Jones.
“Have your turkey, and then go out to the movies,” Travers says.