Sure, the holidays are about family, giving, all that jazz — but every film buff knows that the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is also prime time at the movie theater.
As studios roll out their best fare, hoping to capitalize on multiple long weekends or the last chance to qualify for the year’s awards, the offerings can be overwhelming.
But don’t worry: all you have to do is see one of these movies every Saturday and another one every Sunday, plus one on Christmas day, and you’ll be all caught up by the beginning of next year.
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Out of the Furnace
Release Date: Dec. 6
Starring: Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Zoe Saldana
Why We’re Excited: Nothing says “gritty drama” like Bale, Affleck and the Rust Belt.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhsGY8jZnR4]
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The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Release Date: Dec. 13
Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Benedict Cumberbatch
Why We’re Excited: We’re in this Hobbit thing for the long haul—and by now it’s not the holiday season without a little on-screen Tolkien.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvGcbFIfJos]
(MORE: You Can Now Explore Middle-earth on Google Maps)
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American Hustle
Release Date: Dec. 18 (Dec. 13 limited)
Starring: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence
Why We’re Excited: It’s Argo meets Silver Linings Playbook, complete with the latter’s director and much of its chemistry-heavy cast.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST7a1aK_lG0]
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Saving Mr. Banks
Release Date: Dec. 20 (Dec. 13 limited)
Starring: Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson
Why We’re Excited: The making of Disney’s Mary Poppins gets the full historical treatment, giving audiences a new way to look at an old favorite.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nijccxWvyXU]
(MORE: Exclusive First Look: Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson in Saving Mr. Banks)
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Inside Llewyn Davis
Release Date: Dec. 20 (Dec. 6 limited)
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Justin Timberlake
Why We’re Excited: The Coen Brothers work their words-and-music magic — as seen in O Brother, Where Art Thou? — on a vision of the folk scene in pre-Dylan Greenwich Village.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8eKgUW5XxQ]
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Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
Release Date: Dec. 20
Starring: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd
Why We’re Excited: We still love lamp.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Elczv0ghqw0]
(MORE: You Stay Classy, Emerson: College to Establish Ron Burgundy School of Communication)
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August: Osage County
Release Date: Dec. 25
Starring: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Benedict Cumberbatch, Abigail Breslin
Why We’re Excited: This adaptation of the acclaimed play, packed with star power, is sure to be an awards-season heavyweight.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwcRrgmoeAY]
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Labor Day
Release Date: Dec. 27, limited
Starring: Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin
Why We’re Excited: Writer-director Jason Reitman is best known for wry fare like Juno and Thank You for Smoking, but this darker adaptation of a Joyce Maynard novel has won praise from early viewers.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOQL3Xi8dPE]
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The Wolf of Wall Street
Release Date: Dec. 25
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jon Favreau, Matthew McConaughey, Jonah Hill
Why We’re Excited: DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese have teamed up again, this time for the based-on-a-true story of finance-world excess and wrong-doing.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iszwuX1AK6A]
(MORE: Wolf of Wall Street Ruins Hollywood’s Christmas Plans)
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Grudge Match
Release Date: Dec. 25
Starring: Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone
Why We’re Excited: There’s no need to go back and re-watch Rocky when you can see Sly Stallone duke it out in a brand new ode to boxing and legendary men.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bQSOBJCPQE]
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The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Release Date: Dec. 25
Starring: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Adam Scott
Why We’re Excited: This take on the classic James Thurber story goes one further, allowing the iconic daydreamer to actually have a few adventures—and it’s perfect fodder to meditate on as you think up a New Year’s resolution.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGWO2w0H2V8]
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