Fall movie preview: What to watch if you want to feel good
You're reading our 2017 fall movie preview. So far, we've covered superhero flicks and prestige pics. Today, it's all about feeling good.
The days may be getting darker and colder, but that doesn't mean your mood has to go with it. Put on your coziest sweater, get yourself a hot chocolate, and warm yourself up (spiritually, if not physically) with a movie that puts a smile on your face.
Here's what to watch if you want to feel good ...
... and you'd like a break from reality: Home Again (September 8)
Home Again is the cinematic equivalent of mac and cheese: gooey, cheesy, and oh-so-satisfying. Reese Witherspoon plays a recently separated mother of two who starts the film on a low note, but quickly rebounds with the help of two adorable children, three handsome young men, and a sassy but supportive mother. Sure, it resembles the "real world" about as much as The Hobbit does – but isn't it nice to escape into a pleasant dream every once in a while?
... as a feminist: Battle of the Sexes (September 22)
Steve Carell reunites with Little Miss Sunshine directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris for Battle of the Sexes, about the 1973 tennis match between Bobby Riggs (Carell) and Billie Jean King (Emma Stone). And while it's a sad commentary on women's rights in America that "male chauvinist pig versus hairy-legged feminist," as Riggs puts it in the trailer, is a war still being fought today, at least we know this particular skirmish (decades-old spoiler alert!) has a happy ending.
... about Tom Cruise's career: American Made (September 29)
Okay, so The Mummy didn't exactly work out the way Tom Cruise might have hoped. And, yeah, we're still not entirely sold on the idea of a Top Gun sequel. But don't write him off just yet. American Made looks like some of his most exciting work in years, with Cruise playing a sleazy pilot who gets mixed up with the CIA, the DEA, and the Medellín cartel.
... but also kind of bad?: Suburbicon (October 27)
As is clear from all the blood and drugs and explosions in the trailer, Suburbicon is not exactly the stuff of warm, happy, fun times. But if laughter truly is the best medicine, Suburbicon looks like it could cure some ills. Heck, that last shot alone from the trailer could probably get rid of your cough – that is, if the laughs don't get caught in your throat.
... and feel all the feels: Coco (November 22)
If there is a better way to reduce an adult human to tears than by showing them a Pixar movie, modern science has yet to find it. Their latest, Coco, looks to continue that tradition, spinning a fantastical story about a young aspiring musician who journeys into the Land of the Dead and digs up old family history. I don't know about you, but that trailer is already getting me right in the feels.
... and your kids do, too: Ferdinand (December 15)
Ferdinand's "just be yourself" message may be overplayed, but at least the journey there looks fun. John Cena looks perfectly cast as the title character, a Spanish fighting bull who's been whisked away to the arena. All he really wants to do, though, is head back home, where he can spend his days smelling the flowers and hanging out with his friends. Kate McKinnon, Gina Rodriguez, and Daveed Diggs voice some of the colorful characters he meets along the way.
All week, we'll be running our 2017 fall movie preview. Come back every day to find out what to watch if ...
Monday: ... you can't get enough of superheroes Tuesday: ... the Oscars are your Super Bowl Wednesday: ... you want to feel good Thursday: ... you want to feel bad Friday: ... you just want to see the best of the best
