Spectrum editor’s list of films to watch – Nov. 17
“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” (2008)
This star-filled rom-com follows Peter, played by Jason Segel, who is heartbroken when his celebrity girlfriend of five years, Sarah, played by Kristen Bell, breaks up with him. He decides to go to Hawaii to take his mind off of her, only to find out that Sarah and her new boyfriend are staying in the exact same hotel. Peter meets hotel concierge Rachel, played by Mila Kunis, and with her help tries to move on amid the awkward circumstances.
Available on Amazon Prime Video | 83% Rotten Tomatoes
“13 Going on 30” (2004)
13-year-old Jenna Rink wants nothing more than to be popular and attractive, desperate to impress the cool kids in her school. After a traumatizing 13th birthday party, she is suddenly transported in time to when she’s 30 years old, and realizes she has the life of her dreams. However, as the movie progresses, she soon realizes that her amazing lifestyle isn’t all it’s cut out to be and that her 30-year-old self has made mistakes along the way. She must decide what she wants her life to look like and figure out what really matters to her.
Available on HBO Max | 65% Rotten Tomatoes
“The 40-Year-Old Virgin” (2005)
Andy Stitzer is a middle-aged man who lives alone and spends most of his time playing video games, adding to his action-figure collection and working at a technology store. When his coworkers find out he’s a 40-year-old virgin, they try to help him to get over his fear of talking to women and losing his virginity. Much to Andy’s chagrin, his friends push him to do things, like wax his chest, in order to make himself more desirable to women.
Available on HBO Max | 85% Rotten Tomatoes
“On the Basis of Sex” (2018)
This biographical drama tells the story of notorious Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, starting from when she was a new mother trying to prove her expertise as a lawyer as one of six women in her class at Harvard Law School up until when she becomes a justice. When she gets the chance to challenge long-standing gender discrimination laws and gender stereotypes, she will stop at nothing to win the case and prove her worth as not only a woman but as a lawyer.
Available on Hulu | 72% Rotten Tomatoes
“Second Act” (2018)
Maya Vargas, played by Jennifer Lopez, works as an assistant manager at a big box store where she’s worked for over a decade. About to turn 40, Maya thinks she’s going to get chosen for the manager position, but ultimately gets overlooked, making her feel disappointed about her dedication to working there. When she voices her disappointment about the fact that she didn’t do more with her life to make her stand out, her friends take it upon themselves to give her the life she never had, even if it’s built on a lie.
Available on Hulu | 44% Rotten Tomatoes
“Night School” (2018)
This comedy film follows Teddy Walker, played by Kevin Hart, who has been able to maintain a career without earning his high school diploma. However, when he loses his job and is offered a new one, he must go back to school to earn his GED. When he gets there, he finds the class is taught by a woman named Carrie, played by Tiffany Haddish, who implements some unorthodox lessons to teach the students.
Available on Hulu | 26% Rotten Tomatoes
