Arts & Entertainment
Anatomy of a victory
Behind the scenes of the Maryland marriage battle
Question 6 supporters and opponents placed signs outside Northwood Elementary School in Baltimore on Nov. 6. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)
Edgewater, Md., residents Adri Eathorne and Kim-May Hinken arrived at Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis to visit their friend, Scott Bowling, shortly before the polls closed at 8 p.m. on Election Day. The three of them nervously awaited the results of the referendum on Maryland’s same-sex marriage law as the slowly began to trickle in.
More than four hours later, they learned Question 6 had narrowly passed.
“We closed his hospital room door,” Eathorne, who has been with Hinken nine years, says. “We closed his hospital room door so we could [yell] ‘Yeah!’ and high-five each other and hug and kiss and cry.”
The passage of Question 6 by a 52-48 percent margin on Nov. 6 capped off an anxious night of waiting for the hundreds of people and dozens of reporters who had gathered at the Baltimore Soundstage.
One of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s staffers wrote on a napkin during lunch on Election Day that the referendum would pass with 53 percent support. Congressman Elijah Cummings made the same prediction during an interview with the Washington Blade earlier in the day outside a Northeast Baltimore polling place at which the governor, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Brendon Ayanbadejo of the Baltimore Ravens greeted voters.
“I had a pretty good sense as we were heading into Election Day that it was going to hold,” O’Malley said in a Blade interview this week. “I had a pretty good sense in the course of those last 10 days that it was on a good positive trajectory.”
Josh Levin, campaign manager for Marylanders for Marriage Equality, was backstage with the governor, Rawlings-Blake and several other elected officials watching the results come in. President Obama had already won re-election by the time Politico reported shortly before midnight that Question 6 had passed with 84 percent of precincts reporting.
Levin and others remained hesitant to declare victory because Montgomery County had yet to report election results. (Question 6 passed in the county by a 65-35 percent margin.)
“Once we figured that out then I started breathing a little more deeply,” O’Malley says. “Then when the Montgomery County numbers came in and we were up to 51 [percent,] the night seemed to be coming into perspective. We were very reluctant to claim a victory of course until we had enough of the numbers in.”
Levin last week, while cleaning out Marylanders for Marriage Equality’s Baltimore office, says Question 6 was leading throughout the night.
“We watched it grow to 45,000 votes or so,” he says. “It shrank at one point to about 12,000. But right around midnight we felt like we had a pretty good sense of where things were. And so I went back to talk through what still could happen, what’s still out, where do we think that’s coming from and made the decision to go up on stage and declare victory from there.”
“There was confidence once the results started to come in,” says gay state Sen. Rich Madaleno (D-Montgomery County.) “There was confidence all night long, it’s just a matter of when do you say it. And because we had never won before, there’s no desire to jinx yourself. I think you’re more cautious than you would have ever been.”
The Washington Post projected Question 6 had passed just as O’Malley, Rawlings-Blake, Levin and others took to the stage to declare victory. Those gathered inside the Baltimore Soundstage became euphoric when lesbian state Del. Maggie McIntosh (D-Baltimore City) announced the referendum had passed. People began to cry. Gay state Dels. Luke Clippinger (D-Baltimore City) and Heather Mizeur (D-Montgomery County) were among those who started dancing once the governor and other dignitaries stepped away from the podium.
O’Malley instrumental in fundraising
Election Day capped off a long and often tumultuous effort for Maryland’s same-sex marriage advocates that began in 1997 when three state lawmakers introduced the first bill that would have allowed nuptials for gays and lesbians.
Equality Maryland, which nearly closed in June 2011, and the American Civil Liberties Union in 2004 filed a lawsuit on behalf of Lisa Polyak and Gita Deane and eight other same-sex couples and a gay widow who sought the right to marry in the state. The Maryland Court of Appeals in 2007 ultimately upheld the constitutionality of the state’s ban on marriage for gays and lesbians.
State lawmakers in 2011 narrowly defeated a same-sex marriage bill, but legislators approved it in February. O’Malley signed the law on March 1.
Governor Martin O’Malley speaks to reporters outside Northwood Elementary School in Baltimore on Nov. 6. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)
The governor soon emerged as the law’s most prominent supporter, especially after the Maryland Marriage Alliance collected more than 160,000 signatures to force a referendum on the issue. Marylanders for Marriage Equality turned to O’Malley, among others, in early August to help bolster their then-anemic fundraising efforts.
“We found ourselves in a situation where polling looked good, we felt good about what we were building, but we simply weren’t bringing in money at the rate that we needed to,” Levin says. “We as a campaign and with our board members we sort of rang the bell a little bit and talked to the governor, got Maggie McIntosh more involved. The ACLU redoubled their efforts. And I think brought to bear all the efforts that helped us [reach] the financial goals that we needed to.”
Levin said in June his group could effectively defend the law with between $5-$7 million, in spite of some observers who said Marylanders for Marriage Equality needed to raise up to $12 million.
O’Malley headlined a star-studded fundraiser gay former Republican National Committee Chair Ken Mehlman co-hosted at a New York City hotel in September that raised more than $100,000 for the pro-Question 6 group. The governor also appeared at an Oct. 2 fundraiser with D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) at gay Democratic lobbyist Steve Elmendorf’s Logan Circle home. Former National Football League Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and his wife Chan announced a $100,000 donation to Marylanders for Marriage Equality during the fundraiser that Chip DiPaula, Jr., former Gov. Bob Ehrlich, Jr.’s gay chief-of-staff, attended alongside Mizeur and others.
The Human Rights Campaign contributed more than $1.5 million in cash and in-kind contributions to the pro-Question 6 campaign. Freedom to Marry, which initially declined to join the coalition defending the state’s same-sex marriage law, said it invested more than $200,000 into the campaign. This figure includes the $70,000 it gave that helped Marylanders for Maryland Equality air their radio ad highlighting President Obama’s support of marriage rights for same-sex couples in the days leading up to Election Day.
“HRC provided so much of the backbone to this whole effort,” Madaleno says. “They were absolutely critical.”
Marylanders for Marriage Equality ultimately raised $6 million — they consistently outraised the Maryland Marriage Alliance throughout the Question 6 campaign. The ACLU and other organized labor groups contributed more than $1 million to Marylanders for Marriage Equality.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Republican hedge fund manager Paul Singer both donated $250,000 to the pro-Question 6 campaign. The bulk of the 11,000 people who contributed to Marylanders for Marriage Equality, however, live in Maryland.
“We proved from going to the state that nobody thought could win to being the second-widest margin after Maine among the four is pretty cool,” Levin says. “And I want to really say the team that was here through the legislative campaign that figured out, that believed in doing Maryland when nobody else did — the leadership of folks like Sultan [Shakir] and Kevin [Nix], Rich Madaleno and Luke Clippinger and all the others.”
One of the proudest moments of the campaign for Levin came when Marylanders for Marriage Equality was able to counter a Maryland Marriage Alliance television ad that claimed Question 6 would force schools to teach same-sex marriage with their own ad eight hours later that featured Baltimore County teacher Pamela Gaddy. Levin showed it to McIntosh, HRC President Chad Griffin, former O’Malley adviser Joe Bryce and his wife Kristen and a handful of others shortly after he arrived at a campaign fundraiser at DiPaula’s home before he put it on the air on Oct. 26.
“We were ready and able to do it that fast, versus the stories that so many other folks who worked in California [on the campaign against Proposition 8] told just having to figure it out there,” Levin says. “The lessons they learned they gave us and we applied. And we took a Maryland angle on it, putting up an African-American, Baltimore-area schoolteacher to just go, ‘That’s not true, you know.’ When we looked at it a week later, their argument wasn’t resonating. People just weren’t buying it, according to our research.”
Obama, NAACP endorsements key
O’Malley, Levin and Mizeur all noted Obama’s public support of marriage rights for gays and lesbians and his endorsement of the same-sex marriage law garnered additional support among black Marylanders.
In addition to the radio ad featuring the president, Marylanders for Marriage Equality also sent a mailing that contained his and first lady Michelle Obama’s statements in support of marriage rights for same-sex couples to 200,000 African-American households in the state. (Baltimore Black Pride co-chair Meredith Moise was handing out these fliers on Election Day as she spoke with voters outside a polling place at a Northeast Baltimore elementary school.)
“It was important that we echoed their support,” Levin says.
The NAACP’s support of Question 6 and particularly television ads that featured Julian Bond, the civil rights organization’s chair emeritus, and Revs. Delman Coates of Mount Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton and Donté Hickman of Southern Baptist Church in Baltimore appear to have resonated with voters in the predominantly black Charm City.
Question 6 passed by a 57-43 percent margin in Baltimore City. It lost by slightly more than 4,300 votes in Prince George’s County.
A Public Policy Polling survey in May found 55 percent of black Marylanders would vote for the law, compared to 36 percent who said they would oppose it. A Hart Research Associates survey conducted in late July found 44 percent of African-American voters would support Question 6, compared to 45 percent who said they would vote against it. A Gonzales Research poll in September noted 44 percent of black Marylanders backed marriage rights for same-sex couples, compared to 52 percent who oppose nuptials for gays and lesbians. An Associated Press exit poll indicates roughly half of black Maryland voters voted against Question 6.
Maryland Marriage Alliance Chair Derek McCoy, Bishop Harry Jackson, Jr., of Hope Christian Church in Beltsville and others who opposed the law repeatedly criticized and even mocked the NAACP, Obama, Coates, Hickman and other prominent black leaders who backed marriage rights for same-sex couples in the state. Some Question 6 opponents resorted to increasingly homophobic rhetoric during appearances at black churches and other public forums in the weeks leading up to Election Day. Pastor Luke Robinson of Quinn Chapel AME Church in Frederick even suggested during a sparsely attended rally against the same-sex marriage law at a city park on Nov. 4 that Superstorm Sandy struck New York City less than three weeks after Bloomberg donated $250,000 to Marylanders for Marriage Equality.
“It pretty clearly was having an effect,” Levin says. “I don’t think the other guys would have been bringing it up as often if it hadn’t been.”
The Maryland State Conference of the NAACP and the organization’s Prince George’s County and Baltimore branches in particular factored prominently in the pro-Question 6 campaign.
Bob Ross, president of the Prince George’s County Branch of the NAACP, organized phone banks and canvassing efforts ahead of Election Day. He also spoke about his gay brother who had lived in the closet for years during a Nov. 5 rally at the University of Maryland in College Park that O’Malley, Hoyer, Madaleno, state Sen. Allan Kittleman (R-Carroll and Howard Counties) and others attended.
“Surely we need to recognize not only the importance of their endorsement, but the amount of work that they did,” Levin says.
Couples busy planning weddings
With all the behind-the-scenes work that led to the passage of Question 6, the only thing that matters to those who plan to take advantage of the law once it officially takes effect on Jan. 1 is the fact they can legally marry the person they love.
“It was kind of like, ‘Oh my God, what are we doing about our wedding plans?’” says ShaDonna Jackson, a Hyattsville, Md., resident who plans to wed her partner of nearly four years, Latisha Smith. “We needed absolute certainty because it’s a serious matter. It’s like, ‘Oh my goodness everything depends on this, so we need to know.’ And now that we know, we are back to our wedding plans.”
Eathorne and Hinken, who chairs the annual Chesapeake Pride Festival, are planning to get married in Annapolis on the first day same-sex couples can legally marry in the state.
“We’ve waited so long for it to be legal in our home state that we really wanted to do it as soon as possible,” Eathorne says (they had a church wedding in 2007). Hinken also spoke in support of the same-sex marriage bill in front of the State House in Annapolis. “We just want to make that statement. And that’s one of the reasons why we want it to be ASAP. We’ve been together for nine years. We don’t need a big full-blown wedding. We had our thing. It is special and we do plan to acknowledge it and celebrate it in some way.”
Madaleno, who once again proposed to his husband Mark on stage at the Baltimore Soundstage after Question 6 passed, plans to have what he describes as their “renewal of vows” once they and their two children return from a family vacation at Walt Disney World in Florida in January. The couple married 11 years ago at their Bethesda church, but Madaleno said having the legal recognition will make it even more official.
“What will be different,” he says, “is we’re getting a license.”
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Meet Mr. Christmas
Hallmark’s Jonathan Bennett on telling gay love stories for mainstream audiences
Jonathan Bennett believes there are two kinds of people in the world — those who love Hallmark movies and liars. And in Season 2 of Finding Mr. Christmas, which the Mean Girls star co-created with Ben Roy, Bennett is searching for Hallmark’s next leading man.
“It’s so fun for people because everyone in their life has someone they know that they think should be in Hallmark movies, right? The UPS driver, the barista at the coffee shop, the dentist,” Bennett says. “So we’re testing their acting abilities, we’re testing who they are, but we’re also looking for that star quality — the thing that makes them shine above everyone else. It’s almost something you can’t explain, but we know it when we see it.”
Season 2’s cast includes a former NFL player for the Green Bay Packers, a few actors, and a realtor. The 10 men compete in weekly festive-themed acting challenges, one of which included having to ride a horse and act out a scene with Alison Sweeney. The contestants were chosen from a crop of 360 potential men, and Bennett gives kudos to the show’s Emmy-nominated casting director, Lindsay Liles (The Bachelor, Bachelor in Paradise).
“She has a tough job because she has to find 10 guys that are going to be good reality television, but also have the talent to act, carry a scene, and lead a Hallmark movie eventually,” he says. To be the right fit for a Hallmark leading man, Bennett singles out five key characteristics: you have to be funny, charming, kind, have a sense of humor, and you have to do it all with a big heart.
Of course, Finding Mr. Christmas wouldn’t be Finding Mr. Christmas without its signature eye candy — something Bennett describes as “part of the job” for the contestants. “I can’t believe Hallmark let me get away with this. I dressed them as sexy reindeer and put them in harnesses attached to a cable 30 feet in the air, and they had to do a sexy reindeer photo shoot challenge,” he says with a laugh. “This season is just bigger and bolder than last. People are responding to not only all the craziness that we put them through, but also comparing and contrasting the guys in their acting scenes when we do them back-to-back.”
Season 1 winner Ezra Moreland’s career has been an early testament to the show’s success at finding rising talent. On seeing the show’s first winner flourish, Bennett says, “Now to watch him out in the world, just booking commercial after commercial and shining as an actor and a model, I think the show gave him the wings to do that. He learned so much about himself, and he took all that into his future auditions and casting. He just works nonstop. I’ve never seen an actor book more commercials and modeling gigs in my life.”
Bennett has been a star of plenty of Hallmark movies himself, including the GLAAD-award-winning The Groomsmen: Second Chances, which makes him a fitting host. Among those movies are 2020’s Christmas House, which featured the first same-sex kiss on the network and had a major impact on Bennett’s career as an openly gay man. “Hallmark’s been so great about supporting me in queer storytelling. But again, I don’t make gay movies for gay audiences. I make gay love stories for a broad audience, and that’s a huge difference, right? We’re not telling stories inside baseball that only the gay community will understand.”
He continues, “The backdrop of a Hallmark Christmas movie is very familiar to these people who watch. And so when you tell a gay love story, and you tell it no differently than a straight love story in that space, they’re able to understand. It’s able to change hearts and minds for people who might not have it in their lives.”
While Hallmark has become a major staple of Bennett’s career, he started off wanting to be a Broadway actor. And before the first season of Finding Mr. Christmas aired, Bennett took a break from TV to make his Broadway debut in Spamalot, replacing Michael Urie as Sir Robin and starring alongside Ethan Slater and Alex Brightman.
“That was my dream since I was five years old – then I booked a movie called Mean Girls, and everything kind of changes in your life. You no longer become a person pursuing Broadway, you become a part of pop culture,” Bennett recalls. “And to be honest, when I hit 40, I was like, ‘I’m probably never going to get to live that dream.’ And that’s okay, because I got to do other dreams and other things that were just as cool but different. So I honestly never thought it would happen.”
Bennett is still determined to make his way back on Broadway with the right role — he calls Spamalot the “best experience” of his life, after all — but he’s got another Hallmark show lined up with Murder Mystery House, which he co-created. The show was recently greenlit for development and intends to bring the Hallmark mystery movie to life. “It’s kind of like our version of The Traitors,” Bennett admits.
Looking back on both seasons, Bennett says that what makes Finding Mr. Christmas stand out in the overcrowded reality TV landscape is that everyone involved makes it with heart: “This isn’t a show where you’re going to watch people throw drinks in each other’s faces and get into big fights. The thing that has amazed me so much about this show, the more we’ve done it, is that every season, 10 guys come in as competitors, but they leave as a family and as brothers. That’s something you don’t get on any other network.”
Finding Mr. Christmas airs every Monday on Hallmark through December 20, with episodes available to stream on Hallmark+.
The new LGBTQ venue Rush (2001 14th Street, N.W.) held a preview night on Friday, Nov. 28. Performers included Cake Pop!, Druex Sidora and Tiara Missou.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Movies
Holiday movie season off to a ‘Wicked’ good start
From Hallmark to horror, something for all tastes
With Christmas just around the corner, it’s time to look ahead to the movies headed our way for December – and just like last year, the perfect film to launch it all is already here.
We’re talking, of course, of “Wicked: For Good” (now in theaters), the follow-up to last year’s smash adaptation of the hit Broadway musical that turns the witchy mythos of “The Wizard of Oz” inside out. A continuation rather than a sequel, director John M. Chu’s sumptuously crafted epic adapts the show’s second act to conclude the saga of green-skinned Elpheba – branded as a “wicked” witch by the authoritarian Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) for her rebellion against his suppression of Oz’s animal population – and her complicated relationship with “frenemy” Glinda (Ariana Grande-Butera), who is now serving as a sort of “double agent” by working to change the regime from within. As with the movie’s source material, there’s a definite “second act slump,” which Chu and co-screenwriters Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox attempt to counter with some minor retooling of the plot, incorporating more material derived from the Gregory Maguire novel that inspired it all, and adding a couple of new, original songs; it works, to a large degree, but the second half still lacks the bubbling sense of joy and excitement that made the first such an infectious hit.
Still, that’s just a quibble – and while this one may not leave us as giddy, it’s a worthy completion of the project, arguably improving the show by granting it levels of emotional resonance, political subtext, and overall depth that always seemed to be the missing element to the material. As for the cast (which also includes first out gay “sexiest man alive” Jonathan Bailey, alongside Michelle Yeoh, Marissa Bode, Ethan Slater, and Bowen Yang), they all continue to deliver powerhouse performances, breathing the kind of fully developed life into their fantastical characters that makes them all stick with us after the final high note is sung. So never mind the inevitable letdown that comes with the splitting of the story into two parts – taken as a whole, Chu’s “Wicked” saga is still a cinematic triumph that, frankly, very few of us expected it to be, and that’s hardly a reason to be disappointed.
As for the rest of the holiday season, there’s not much in the way of directly LGBTQ content coming to our screens – but there are still plenty of promising titles for us to look forward to.
Cutting to the chase for fans of the “Queer Christmas Romance” genre, we’re happy to report that Hallmark – the reigning champion of such fare – has two queer holiday entries lined up for you this season. First up is “A Keller Christmas Vacation” (Hallmark+, now streaming), a quirky tale of three adult siblings on a holiday cruise with their parents in Europe, each dealing with their own personal issues as they find “unexpected joy, romance, and family bonds” along the way – and gay heartthrob Jonathan Bennett, who’s pretty much become the poster boy for this genre, stars as one of them, with former Superman Brandon Routh providing extra eye candy for good measure. The second is “The Christmas Baby” (Hallmark, 12/21), starring Ali Liebert and Katherine Barrell as a lesbian couple who get a holiday surprise when they find a baby on their doorstep; they decide to adopt – which, naturally, requires them to negotiate the process of balancing their relationship and careers with the challenge of being new moms.
There’s also “The Christmas Writer” (Tello, now streaming) in which a lesbian romance author (Shelby Allison Brown) returns to her hometown in search of some Christmas spirit after the death of her mother, an ugly breakup, and a bad case of writer’s block. What she finds is a single lesbian mom (Callie Bussell), and flying sparks ensue.
For heartwarming Christmas cheer without the romcom trappings, there’s “Oh. What. Fun.” (Prime Video 12/3), which serves up Michelle Pfeiffer as a mom and grandma whose knack for putting on the perfect holiday gathering is taken for granted by her self-absorbed family – until they leave her behind on a family outing, forcing them to pull it together themselves. Pfeiffer leads an ensemble cast that includes co-stars like Eva Longoria, Felicity Jones, Denis Leary, Danielle Brooks, Jason Schwartzman, Maude Apatow, Joan Chen, and Chloë Grace Moretz as the queer daughter whose vegan girlfriend throws a last-minute wrench into the dinner menu. Sounds relatable!
Not holiday-themed but still a gift, “Merrily We Roll Along” (limited theaters 12/5) is the multiple-Tony-winning 2023 Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s musical that tells the story – in reverse – of three high school BFFs as their relationship (and their ideals) shift across three decades. Featuring some of Sondheim’s most personal compositions, director Maria Friedman’s production of the show (starring Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, and Lindsey Mendez) was immersively captured on film before closing in 2024 – and now, it’s on its way to movie screens as a special holiday treat for musical theatre lovers.
Likewise unseasonable and just as intriguing is “100 Nights of Hero” (limited theaters 12/5), an adaptation of the graphic novel by Isabel Greenberg (itself based on the classic folk tale “1,001 Nights”) in which a woman (Maika Monroe) is left alone by her neglectful husband (Amir El-Masry) for 100 nights at the estate of his seductive friend (Nicholas Galitzine, “Red, White, and Royal Blue”) as a test of her fidelity, with only her loyal maid (Emma Corrin, “The Crown”) as an ally. A sexy and stylish period fantasy with a queer-inlusive cast, it comes with buzzy acclaim from its Venice Film Fest debut, so we’ve definitely got this one on our list.
Kristen Stewart fans will be excited to see the debut of “The Chronology of Water” (limited theaters 12/5), the queer screen queen’s first film as producer, director, and co-writer. Adapted from Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir, it stars Imogen Poots as a woman who overcomes personal trauma through her writing, and earned a lengthy standing ovation at its Cannes premiere earlier this year. The release is limited, with a wider expansion in early 2026 – but we’re confident it will be worth waiting for, if you have to.
“Hamnet” (Theaters, 12/12), from Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao, delivers a speculative slice of behind-the-scenes history with a period tearjerker about William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife, Agnes (Jessie Buckley), as they struggle to cope with the death of their 11-year-old son – a real-life tragedy that inspired the playwright in his creation of “Hamlet.” Advance reviews have offered high praise for this one, especially regarding Buckley’s performance; but as his fans know, Mescal is no slouch either, and they’ll no doubt be standing in line for this one whether they’re interested in Shakespeare or not. Emily Watson and Joe Alwyn also star.
It’s been 15 years since iconic producer/director James L. Brooks has made a movie, but the “Terms of Endearment filmmaker is back this month with “Ella McCay” (theaters, 12/12), a political dramedy set in the Obama era, which follows a young Lieutenant Governor (Emma Mackey) as she prepares to take over after her boss and mentor (Albert Brooks) accepts a Cabinet position with the new administration. Also featuring popular and prolific queer ally Jamie Lee Curtis, alongside Jack Lowden, Kumail Nanjiani, Ayo Edebiri, and Woody Harrelson, it’s sure to be a highlight of the season – after all, besides all his movies, Brooks is the man responsible for “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “The Simpsons,” so the track record speaks for itself.
Daniel Craig returns for one more round as Master Detective Benoit Blanc in “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” (Netflix, 12/12), the third installment in filmmaker Rian Johnson’s series of all-star comedic “whodunnits” that both spoof and pay homage to the classic murder mystery genre defined by Agatha Christie and other authors of her era. This time, the eccentric gay detective investigates a murder within a devout church community centered around a charismatic priest (Josh Brolin), in what’s described as “his most dangerous case yet,” and the list of suspects includes Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church. If it’s even half as diabolically clever as the first two films, it’s bound to be a fun ride.
Screen icon Kate Winslet makes her directorial debut (from a screenplay by her son, Joe Anders) with “Goodbye June” (limited theaters 12/12, Netflix 12/24), a Christmas-set British drama about a family that gathers around its ailing mother (Helen Mirren) as she prepares to face the end of her life on her own terms. Inspired by the personal experiences surrounding the death of Winslet’s mother from ovarian cancer, some audiences might find the subject matter too much of a downer for the holiday season, but a light-hearted and positive tone – along with an ensemble cast that includes Toni Collette, Johnny Flynn, Andrea Riseborough, Timothy Spall, and Winslet herself – is likely to take the edge off for those willing to include a touch of bittersweet flavor in their holiday season.
For those who love the immersive, imaginative spectacle of James Cameron’s “Avatar” franchise, “Avatar: Fire and Ash” (theaters, 12/19) makes its eagerly awaited debut this month, with a third installment that sees the Na’vi people enmeshed in further struggle with exploitative humans from Earth – which gives the phrase “it’s going to be a Blue Christmas” a whole new meaning. The cast includes returning players Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, and multiple other veterans of the series.
Because sometimes you need a creepy psychological thriller to offset all the seasonal sweetness, versatile director Paul Feig’s “The Housemaid” (Theaters, 12/19) gives us Sydney Sweeney as in the title role, who takes a job as live-in servant to a wealthy woman (Amanda Seyfried) and her family, and slowly begins to discover the dark secrets lurking behind her new employers’ seemingly perfect life. Brandon Sklenar, Michele Morrone, and Elizabeth Perkins also star.
With “Father Mother Sister Brother” (limited theaters 12/24), acclaimed cult filmmaker Jim Jarmusch re-emerges with an anthology movie that follows three estranged family relationships in three different countries around the world. Its ensemble cast features Tom Waits, Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik, Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett, Vicky Krieps, Sarah Greene, Luka Sabbat, and transgender actress Indya Moore (“Pose”) – and oh, by the way, it won the Golden Lion at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, so cinema enthusiasts are especially advised to consider it a “must-see” for their holiday season.
Finally, if you’re a member of the “Cult of Chalamet,” you’re probably already looking forward to “Marty Supreme” (theaters 12/25), in which the gifted young “It Boy” actor plays an ambitious ping pong player who “goes to hell and back” on his path to becoming a champion in the sport. Loosely based on the story of real-life table tennis champion Marty Reisman, it’s helmed by acclaimed director Josh Safdie (“Uncut Gems”) and co-stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, Kevin O’Leary, Tyler Okonma, Abel Ferrara, Sandra Bernhard, and Fran Drescher – but let’s face it, it’s going to be all about Timothée, and we’re perfectly fine with that.
With all those titles to choose from, we’re pretty confident you’ll have enough to keep you entertained until next year, when we can look forward to thrilling new releases like the much-anticipated “Pillion,” with Alexander Skarsgård – but we’ll have more on that for our next preview. For now, enjoy the seasonal offerings already on your plate.
Happy holidays!
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