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Monday, December 9, 2013

December Film Club

Home for the Holidays is a 1995 comedy-drama film directed by Jodie Foster.  The film stars Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr., Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, Dylan McDermott, Geraldine Chaplin, Steve Guttenberg, Cynthia Stevenson, Claire Danes and David Strathairn.  Claudia Larson (Holly Hunter) is a single mom who has just been fired from her job as an art restorer due to budget cuts.  She flies to spend Thanksgiving at the home of her parents, Adele (Bancroft) and Henry Larson (Durning), while her only child Kitt (Danes) decides to stay home and spend the holiday with her boyfriend.  The family gathering also includes Claudia's resentful, conservative sister, Joanne Larson Wedman (Stevenson), her stuffy banker brother-in-law Walter (Guttenberg) and their two spoiled children.  Also there is Claudia's gay brother Tommy (Robert Downey Jr.) and his new friend Leo Fish (Dylan McDermott), along with their eccentric Aunt Glady (Chaplin).

Roger Ebert awarded the film 3 1/2 stars and praised Foster's ability to direct "the film with a sure eye for the revealing little natural moment," and Downey's performance that "brings out all the complexities of a character who has used a quick wit to keep the world's hurts at arm's length."

The film is set during Thanksgiving, but since that holiday has just passed and Christmas is on its way, it felt appropriate.  Film Club will be meeting Thursday, Dec. 19th at 6:15pm.  Come on out and join us!

Here's the trailer: