It's the most wonderful time of the year, especially if you're a movie fan. The holiday season is now second only to summer as the landing zone for Hollywood's biggest blockbusters. And thank God for that, because sometimes, after the presents have been opened and the acid reflux has gone nuclear, you've just got to slip away from the avalanche of relatives and seek refuge in a comfy, dark theater.
But what should you see? That all depends on who you are…
MOVIEGOER: I'M WEARY FROM HOLIDAY TRAVEL.
MOVIE: UP IN THE AIR
You just flew in from the coast, and man, is your patience exhausted. Air travel during the holidays is a screeching carnival of upset travelers, hair-trigger TSA screeners, vegetative airline employees and out-of-control kids turning atrocious public art into jungle gyms. The best part: In a few days you get to run the entire gauntlet again on your way home. Remember when you thought flying was fun? Director Jason Reitman does, and his Up In The Air is (among other things) a love letter to jet-setting. Watching George Clooney expertly navigate his way from curbside to airside should put you in a more zen frame of mind. Upgrading to Clooney's Admiral's Club membership wouldn't hurt either.
This article appears in Dec 23-29, 2009.