Every year around this time, I try to watch Home for the Holidays. This is my Turkey Day equivalent to most people’s December obsession, A Christmas Story.

If you:

• Have a dysfunctional family, and/or
• Have a sense of humor

…then you will like Home for the Holidays. Go rent it.

Directed by Jodie Foster (who you wouldn’t normally equate with ‘fun’) in 1995, Home for the Holidays is a mixed bag of comedy and poignancy. Family gatherings for holidays are frequently disastrous, and this clan is no exception. And talk about great casting: Anne Bancroft, Geraldine Chaplin, Claire Danes, Robert Downey Jr., Charles Durning, Steve Guttenberg (!), Holly Hunter, Dylan McDermott, David Strathairn and Cynthia Stevenson.

W.D. Richter wrote the screenplay for Home for the Holidays, which only strikes me as odd because his previous work included Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Brubaker (for which he earned an Oscar nomination in 1981). He seemingly took a ten year hiatus, and then returned to the big screen with Stealth in 2005. Now that is what I call a random career.

Although I’ve only seen it two times, my other favorite Thanksgiving film is Pieces of April. Written and directed by Peter Hedges (who also wrote/directed the current release Dan in Real Life, as well as penned screenplays for About a Boy and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape), Pieces of April is Katie Holmes’ best work to date. Regardless of how you view her now as Mrs. Tom Cruise, Holmes has quietly showcased her true talent in a variety of other small films with similar independent spirits and stellar casts (The Ice Storm, Go, Wonder Boys, The Gift, Thank You for Smoking). Pieces of April follows Holmes’ misadventures as she attempts to host Thanksgiving for her maladjusted family. Co-star Patricia Clarkson earned a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nod for her portrayal of Holmes’ bitter mother. Frankly, Clarkson is golden, and I’d be content just to watch her read the ridiculously lengthy instruction manual for my cell phone.

Gobble gobble. Happy Thanksgiving to my 14 subscribers, 6 or so regular commentators, and all of you other mystery readers!

All week, I absorbed the extensive writer’s strike coverage on UnitedHollywood, Deadline Hollywood Daily and TV Guide’s Strike Watch. But I managed to peel myself away to watch a few films and shows…

THIS WEEK

MOVIES

• Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (theater; cast=A, script=B, direction=C)
  
• A Mighty Heart (DVD; Jolie deserves an Oscar nod)
  
• Mr. Brooks (DVD; Kev should play evil more often)

TV

• Brothers and Sisters (love the cast and chemistry)
• Dexter (Jennifer Carpenter & Keith Carradine are fantastic together)
  
• Heroes (should have been the 1st episode of the season; finally intriguing again)
  
• The Office (last new episode until strike is resolved)
• Private Practice (I heart Cooper & Violet…but separately)
• Project Runway (the most flamboyant cast yet; bring on the drama!)
• Weeds (I can no longer hide my crush on Mary-Louise Parker)

THIS WEEKEND/NEXT WEEK

MOVIES

• Away From Her (DVD)
• Into the Wild (theater)
  

TV

• Friday Night Lights (oh Landry…)
• The Amazing Race (stresses me out just to watch, but still the best reality competition on TV)

So what have you seen lately that you loved on the big or small screen? Come on, don’t be shy.

Every year there is one movie that I pin all hopes and expectations on. My 2007 Must-See Movie is Juno, director Jason Reitman’s follow-up to the fantastic Thank You For Smoking. I am a strong believer in word-of-mouth, buzz, great marketing and just enough of a teaser trailer; Juno has all of that and more.

Season 4 of Project Runway kicks off tomorrow night, adding an hour of fabulousness to my already crowded Wednesday night on TiVO. At least for the time being (until new episodes run out due to the writer’s strike), I am loving the 1-2-3 punch of Pushing Daisies, Private Practice and Dirty Sexy Money. And because the Bravo network is the Channel Queen of Repeats, I am able to record the 11pm edition of Project Runway every week.

I almost feel guilty for watching a reality TV program during the writer’s strike. But at least this show is an existing, unscripted series (as far as I know); not one of the many crap reality shows that are being rushed into production to air as filler during the strike. 

This is the best news I’ve heard all week. According to USA Today’s Pop Candy, Damages has been renewed for 2 seasons! Obviously the resolution of the writer’s strike will determine when the next season begins filming and airing. But at least FX finally announced the renewal.

TiVO Tonight
Heroes
Weeds

And now I’m off to see Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead.

If you love television, you support the Writers Guild of America. If you own, rent or go to movies, you support the thousands of writers on strike on both coasts.

Obviously there are hundreds of blogs out there with strike perspectives. So which are you reading?

I openly admit that I voted for Kelly Clarkson several times during Season 1 of American Idol. That was the first and last time that I ever called in to support a reality TV show contestant. I remember exactly when and why I picked up the phone. It was Big Band week, and I literally jumped off of the couch with applause when she just nailed it with the song “Stuff Like That There.” Honestly, I have not watched an entire season of that show since. After Kelly, I simply lost interest.