There Goes Somebody's Miracle...

You know, I'm praying for it.

  • Reviews
  • Food
  • Travel
  • Just This
  • About

Explore

  • All Reviews
  • Movies
  • Books
  • @ Third Coast Review
  • Film Work

Connect

Movies · December 2, 2014

Coming Soon: December

The last month of the year sees a lot of movies hitting the big screen in order to qualify for Awards recognition after the new year. Some of them are already winning awards, too. Which is good news, indeed.

December 5

Wild – The “memoirs that get adapted to the big screen” genre is alive and well since Julia Roberts ate, prayed and loved her way through Elizabeth Gilbert’s life. Reese Witherspoon is the latest to play a real-life heroine, as Cheryl Strayed, a woman who hiked hundreds of miles in order to recover from a devastating break-up and the loss of her mother. Trailer

Miss Julie – Jessica Chastain pops up in her second film of four (!) this year (I think? Intersteller, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, and then A Most Violent Year before the end of the year, see below) in Liv Ullman’s adaptation of the play about an aristocrat and the valet (Colin Farrell) she orders to seduce her. Trailer

Still Alice – Julianne Moore was named Best Actress by the National Board of Review for her portrayal of an accomplished university professor who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s and sees her life disappearing right before her eyes. With a supporting cast including Kristen Stewart, Alex Baldwin and Kate Bosworth, it’s drumming up some late-in-the-game buzz, even without a proper trailer. You can watch a clip here.

Life Partners – File this one solidly as the kind of charming indie I’d love to write one day. Leighton Meester and Gillian Jacobs star as best friends whose relationship is threatened when the latter pairs off and reprioritizes their friendship, and based on the trailer and the festival buzz, this one’s a winner. Trailer

December 12

Inherent Vice – There are a handful of directors who create films in such a way that when you go to see them, you know what to expect. With Paul Thomas Anderson, it’s crazy long run times, convoluted plot lines and Joaquin Phoenix. Based on a Thomas Pynchon novel, the trailer has this one seeming oddly bright. But still totally convoluted. Trailer

Top Five – When I was at Toronto Film Festival a couple months ago, I walked down from the Industry office and just about right into Chris Rock and Rosario Dawson in the hotel lobby. At first confused by their presence, it soon became clear when the trades blew up with news of Top Five’s sale during the festival, the biggest deal of the event. Trailer

December 17

If You Don’t, I Will – A personal addition to this list, this is one of Film Movement’s releases. Our last of the year, it’s a modern, dry romcom about a couple that’s been together so long they can’t quite remember why they’re still a they at all. When the couple is two of France’s most acclaimed actors, the 90-odd minutes become a pleasure to watch. Trailer

December 19

Mr. Turner – Timothy Spall is not one known for his leading roles. I know him best as the smarmy sidekick from Enchanted. Here, he’s a British painter and Mike Leigh is the artist behind this biopic. Tried to catch an advanced screening in Chicago, but I couldn’t fit it in so I’ll have to check it out when it opens. Trailer

December 25

Into The Woods – I should know more about this Stephen Sondheim show than I do. In all my hours spent singing along to musicals, this one was never one of them! All signs point to this star-studded song-filled storybook romp being a much more enjoyable holiday release than last year’s abysmal Les Miserables adaptation. Trailer

Big Eyes – Tim Burton’s latest isn’t a re-imagined children’s story made to cartoonish extremes. Instead, he recounts the story of painter Margaret Keane, who’s signature style was a sort of pre-Burton Burton look, what with their caricatured, googly eyes and all. Christoph Waltz co-stars as the dastardly husband who takes credit for her work. Trailer

December 31 (or thereabout)

Unbroken – Angelina Jolie continues her efforts behind the camera as director of this true life story of an Olympian soldier who survived as a prisoner of war in Japan during World War II. What are you doing with your life? Trailer

Selma – I think this one is slated for a January release, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it gets a qualifying run before the end of the year. A film by Ava DuVernay (a Sundance darling after Middle of Nowhere), it’s a civil rights epic about one of the most contentious episodes in this country’s history. And Oprah stars. Trailer

A Most Violent Year – The dashing Oscar Isaac hit everyone’s radar with his hipster style and musician’s brooding  in last year’s Inside Llewyn Davis, and to see him garnering additional attention and more interesting roles is exciting stuff. Jessica Chastain continues her chameleon-like career evolution taking on a crime-boss wife role in this 1980s-set drama. And now that it’s been named Best Film of the Year, it’s a must see. Trailer

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr

Posted By: Lisa Trifone · In: Movies

Watch This: Gilmore Girls
Listen to This: Christmas 2014

You’ll Also Love

TogetherLive ChicagoGlennon & Reese & Abby & Sophia…and All The Wisdom at TogetherLive
Review: Faces Places
Review: Patti Cake$

Get on the List

Comments

  1. Luella says

    January 5, 2015 at 1:55 pm

    Hi, you post interesting posts on your page, you can get much more visits, just type in google for – augo’s tube traffic

    Loading...
About Photo
Hello! I'm Lisa, and this is—or rather I am—Somebody's Miracle. Explore everything I'm watcing, reading and baking, all my far-flung adventures and ones closer to home. Thanks for reading.

Connect

Get on the List

Subscribe for the latest posts, musings and updates directly in your inbox.

Categories

  • Reviews
  • Food
  • Travel
  • Just This
  • About

Search

From the Archives

May 2025
S M T W T F S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Jul    

lisabeesa

Two years ago today, I was coming off what - until Two years ago today, I was coming off what - until that point - was the biggest adventure of my life. I bought a home. I turned 40. I spent a month in Paris. I’d hit a new career milestone. Life was every bit what I imagined it could be. 

Then I walked into a first date with a guy I met on the internet and very quickly realized my (our!) best adventure had just begun. 

Two years of getting my goat (and delighting in it), because you love to see me laugh. Two years of not just making dinners but plating them, too, because you know I like a pretty plate. Two years of grand gestures not because you’re big on gestures, but because I am.

I thought I had it all figured out, and I think I would’ve been fine if you’d never walked into my life. But good grief am I glad you did. ❤️
🎄 Holiday Playlist! 🎄 It's my favorite trad 🎄 Holiday Playlist! 🎄

It's my favorite tradition (of so many!) of the season: my annual holiday playlist. Twenty-four songs. Two hours of tunes.

Sabrina Carpenter and The Kinks. My Morning Jacket and Kacey Musgraves. Ben Folds and Bette Midler and Bad Religion. 

You can listen on Spotify at the link in my bio!

Happy, happy holidays to you and yours. Wishing you a joyful season!
I’d watch Pablo Larrain’s version of paint dry I’d watch Pablo Larrain’s version of paint drying, but thankfully his latest biopic of a famous, troubled woman (after JACKIE and SPENCER) is a far more engaging fever dream of passing time and missed opportunities.

MARIA, featuring a performance by Angelina Jolie that vibrates with vulnerability, is not perfect but it is fascinating. 

Now in theaters; on Netflix next month. Full review at the link!
My phone yelled at me this morning that I was out My phone yelled at me this morning that I was out of storage space, so over a couple cups of coffee I went back through this year’s photos and videos to purge what I don’t need on my device. 

Stumbled on this snap Brian took of me over dinner back in…June?…and honestly, I just love it. I love the way he sees me and I love the way I look when I see him. ❤️

Take care of each other. That’s all.
Eight years ago this week, @justin.f.brady and I w Eight years ago this week, @justin.f.brady and I went to see @waitressmusical on Broadway, and after the show we were treated to full band karaoke with die-hard fans. 

At the end of the show tunes lovefest, @sarabareilles—who wrote the show’s music and was hosting the karaoke—took to the mic to perform Brave, and it was more cathartic than I think any of us realized in the moment. 

It was the night before the 2016 election and none of us were (looking back now) as worried as we should have been. I had early voted, the wind seemed to be at @hillaryclinton’s back and we were ready for history to be made. 

I’ve thought about (and talked about) that moment a lot in the years since - it’s a great story! But especially today, as we’re on the eve of another monumental Election Day, I am imploring anyone reading this who may still be unsure or may not yet have a plan to be brave and vote for the person who is NOT a convicted criminal, serial sexual assaulter, con-man and dictator-in-waiting. @kamalaharris is the only way forward.

We can get back to debating policy in four years. For now, please vote for humanity, for democracy, for decency and for sanity. I wanna see you be brave.
Signs of life! 👋 I feel like I’ve been in a Signs of life! 👋 

I feel like I’ve been in a fog the last week or so, and it’s going to last at least through Tuesday…but I’m here, I promise!

Got to catch @musictheaterworks’ LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (with the lovely @yersha_la_la_la for company!) and it was delightful. Great production with just a hint of that community theater patina, a bit rough around the edges. (Is it just me or is that S in “Florist” totally upside down?!)

Full review coming soon at @thirdcoastreview!
This one gets a spot on the grid! Congrats to Drew This one gets a spot on the grid! Congrats to Drew and Jean on a beautiful wedding day and the start of an exciting new chapter. (But really, thanks for such a great reason to wear my new favorite dress! 😉)
I absolutely love this time of year. 🍂🍁 I absolutely love this time of year. 🍂🍁
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Disclosure

Copyright © 2025 There Goes Somebody's Miracle... · Theme by 17th Avenue

%d