Wonkette Movie Night: The Night Before (2015)

"Christmas was about family, now it's about friends."

Two friends promise to spend every Christmas Eve with their friend who lost both his parents in a car accident so he will not be alone. Because that's what friends are for. Year after year they spend every December 24th wearing ugly sweaters and doing a list of fun things like karaoke and eating Chinese food before trying to find the best holiday party in New York, The Nutcracker Ball. A mythical bash that they had never found over the years. Drinking and smoking weed the whole way. But now they are more into adulthood and each has changed(or not changed) over the years. Anthony Mackie's character Chris has become a famous football player, but he's been helped by steroids(not a spoiler, they show it early on.) Seth Rogen's character Isaac has settled down, married with a baby on the way except him and his wife aren't sure if they are ready for their first child. Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character Ethan is the one who lost his parents and he never moved on, stuck in the past and pining for a lost love. They all learn a lot about themselves and their friendship as the movie progresses with adventures throughout New York City.

It really is about finding people in our lives that become our family that across time still holds together because of love. Like Ethan some of us may no longer have connections to the family we were born into, sometimes we find our family in places like Wonkette. I think The Night Before mirrors our non-comment section in a way. People have fallen in love, lifelong friendships have developed, people who are down get raised up, we look out for each other and we fight each other too. It is a family after all. I know many of us would feel quite alone if this community wasn't here and even though it can get spicy at times we still find the snark. Even this here Movie Night was born in the non-comments. Starting out as a small group of us just hanging out till Rebecca generously gave us our own space. And look at us now, all grown up! At this time of celebrations it is nice to reflect on the friends who are now our family. My life has been immensely positively changed because of Wonkette. What about you? Thinking of it this way can help smooth out the rough times, when someone is annoying and "mute" is useless.

There’s lots of pressure this time of year to have the best holiday, to keep traditions and to make everything perfect. Expectations that it will all be the most awesomest of times. Try to remember that kind of thinking is a fantasy, the reality is that the people who care about you just want to spend time with you. Even in the non-comments of a funny little mommy blog, recipe emporium that just also happens to have a pretty cool Movie Night.

The Night Before cast also includes Michael Shannon, Lizzy Caplan, Jillian Bell, Mindy Kalig, Ilana Glazer, James Franco, Miley Cyrus and Tracy Morgan as Santa. Directed by Jonathan Levine.

Available for free with ads on Tubi. For $3.99 on Prime, YouTube, Google Play and Apple TV.

To make requests, see the movie lists and schedules go to WonkMovie.

Got your popcorn? Enjoy!

Tonight’s cartoon is Christmas Comes But Once A Year (1936)  Uncle Grampy, from the Betty Boop series of cartoons is the main character. Produced by Max Fleischer.