This year, there are a few different ways you can spend the holidays with your family. You can curl up next to the fire and catch a few nostalgic Christmas specials on TV that are sure to hit you right in the feels. You can head to the movie theater and catch some Academy Awards hopefuls that are receiving nationwide releases. Or, you can complement your recent "Star Wars" madness with a related read. It's up to you.
See what HNGN is anticipating in entertainment this week.
In Theaters - Wide Release (Dec. 25).
Concussion (PG-13)
Will Smith stars as Dr. Bennet Omalu, the real-life forensic pathologist who discovers neurological deterioration in football players that has echoes of Alzheimer's disease. As he tries to raise awareness for the disease and combat its cruel realities, he finds himself in the crosshairs of the multi-billion dollar organization that is the NFL.
Joy (PG-13)
Teaming up for the third consecutive film, director David O. Russell and star Jennifer Lawrence hope to recapture the magic they created with "Silver Linings Playbook" and "American Hustle." This time around, Lawrence plays Joy Mangano, a struggling single mother who manages to found a business dynasty. But, unfortunately, betrayal and greed threaten to tear down all that she has built.
TV Must Watch
I Love Lucy Christmas Special (Wednesday, Dec. 23 at 8 pm on CBS)
Two iconic episodes of the matriarch of all sitcoms come blasting into the 21st century with a fresh paint job (no more black and white) and a heaping dose of nostalgia. The "I Love Lucy Christmas Special" has the perfect family message and a side of gut-wrenching laughs for you this week.
A Christmas Story (Thursday, Dec. 25 at 7 pm on TNT)
It's not the holiday season without one of the holiday's longest-running and most enjoyable traditions. 1983's "A Christmas Story" will kick off two separate 24-hour marathons for this wonderful coming-of-age tale.
DVD Releases (12/29)
Heist
Hitman: Agent 47
Book Releases
The Force Awakens (Star Wars) by Alan Dean Foster
Have you seen J.J. Abrams' "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in theaters yet? You haven't? We'll, stop reading this immediately and go do it, and after, check out this companion book which included the official novelization and some serious background detail.
The Bone Labyrinth (Sigma Force Series #10) by James Rollins
When a book series hits double digits, you know it has got some serious staying power. Check out Rollins' rollicking adventure that takes place in the mountains of Croatia where a strange discovery is made.
