It's been 30 years since director Robert Zemeckis, writer Eric Roth and stars Tom Hanks and Robin Wright teamed up for Forrest Gump, a facile, overly sentimental approach to the sweep of history—and it looks like they haven't learned much since then. Adapting Richard McGuire's 2014 graphic novel, they tell the story of a single spot on the North American continent, almost entirely from a fixed camera location, spanning the ages from the primordial soup through indigenous cultures and the American Revolution, but mostly focusing on a single family from the 1940s – early 2000s: WWII veteran Al Young (Paul Bettany) and his wife Rose (Kelly Reilly), and Al's oldest son Ricky (Hanks) and his eventual wife Margaret (Wright). The gimmicky premise also allows the filmmakers to peek in on other residents of the same house over the decades, to little effect but allow touchstones like the attack on Pearl Harbor or the COVID pandemic to make cameo appearances. But without the creative courage to go truly experimental the way McGuire did—capturing individual human lives as fleeting specks on a massive timeline—Zemeckis and company are left with a parade of CGI de-aging and a simplistic homily about carpe-ing the diem. If Forrest Gump was a cinematic version of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire," this is simply Fall Out Boy's "We Didn't Start the Fire." Available Nov. 1 in theaters. (PG-13)
NOVEMBER SPECIAL SCREENINGS
Made-in-Utah Westerns @ Broadway Centre Cinemas: The distinctive landscape of Utah has made it the backdrop for many celebrated Westerns over the years, and Salt Lake Film Society begins celebrating several of them in November. Clint Eastwood's The Outlaw Josey Wales kicks things off on Sunday, Nov. 3, followed by Thelma & Louise (Nov. 10), Jeremiah Johnson (Nov. 24) and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Dec. 1). slfs.org
Luther: Never Too Much: Documentary filmmaker Dawn Porter—award-winning director of films including John Lewis: Good Trouble and The Way I See It—profiles celebrated R&B artist Luther Vandross in this feature from the 2024 Sundance Film Festival program. The screening takes place at the Salt Lake City Main Library Auditorium (210 E. 400 South) Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m., and is free to the public. utahfilmcenter.org
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone with Utah Symphony: Utah Symphony re-starts its successful cycle of the original Harry Potter film series. Experience John Williams' iconic score and the original cinematic introduction to Harry, Hermione, Ron and company with a live orchestra for three nights at Abravanel Hall (123 W. South Temple), Nov. 7 – 9, with tickets starting at $45. utahsymphony.org
Big Lebowski Festival: For the 10th year, Joel and Ethan Coen's 1998 comedy about an easygoing stoner and a case of mistaken identity gets a full evening of celebration at Peery's Egyptian Theater (2415 Washington Blvd.) in Ogden on Saturday, Nov. 9. Beginning at 5 p.m. with cocktails, art vendors and trivia, the event also includes a character costume contest at 7 p.m. before the film screening at 7:30 p.m.; an after-party at Brewski's is free with screening ticket. Tickets are $20. ogdenpet.com
Utah Filmmaker Showcase: Episodes: In the era of "peak TV," we've all learned that episodic storytelling can be just as artistically creative and compelling as feature films. Utah Film Center presents a showcase of episodic work by local filmmakers, including Lauren Sunshine's Vision for a Gender Healed World and Jedediah Thunell's Delusions of Grandeur. Moderators Jason Faller and Kynan Griffin also lead a Q&A for the event at Edison House (335 S. 200 West) on Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. The 21+ event is free with online RSVP. utahfilmcenter.org
Filméxico @ Broadway Centre Cinemas: Salt Lake Film Society's annual celebration of Mexican cinema brings a week of feature films and shorts, including opening night feature Valentina and the Serenity; the documentary Rebelled, about the 1980s Cine Mujer female filmmaking collective; Set Hernández's profile of a blind undocumented immigrant, Unseen; and Abraham Escobedo-Salas' Underdogs, about a group of young hip-hop dancers. Programming runs Nov. 14 – 20, with $60 full festival passes as well as individual screening tickets. slfs.org