Almost a sad affair
Selena Gomez turned down Thanksgiving at Taylor Swift’s house in order to spend time with her family.
Taylor threw a beach party for her ‘squad’, including model pals Lily Donaldson, Martha Hunt, singer Todrick Hall, her brother Austin and her parents Scott and Andrew at her lavish estate in Rhode Island, New England, to celebrate the holiday; but Selena flew to Texas to be with her family.
A source told HollywoodLife.com: “Taylor invited Selena to her big Thanksgiving dinner, but right now Selena just wants to be with her family. Spending time with them is her priority.”
Selena, 24, admitted herself to rehab earlier this year in order to treat depression which was brought on as a result of her battle with autoimmune disease lupus, and she spoke openly about her battle at the American Music Awards last week.
And sources close to the singer say she has been leaning on Taylor, 26, as she continues her recovery. Kanye West educator Donnie Smith, Donda’s House, Inc.
“In order to deepen its impact, Donda’s House has acquired a home facility that will provide a permanent location for all of the Donda’s House family to gather, offer programming, and grow. Donda’s House envisions this facility as not only a homegrown hub of economic activity for the Southside, but also a gathering place for the community with events and concerts. Donda’s House selected this location in particular because it is the former home of the organisation’s namesake Dr Donda West, who at one time provided similar services and support to incubate young artists. Donda’s House is committed to the success of Chicago’s young creatives and this property will help these young people flourish.”
Donda passed away on November 10, 2007, following complications after a breast reduction and abdominoplasty surgery.
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The insider added: “She’s been leaning on Taylor a lot though, they’re in touch every day and they’ll be seeing each other soon.”
Lady Gaga also reached out to the “brave” singer to praise her for being so open about her problems.
She said: “I found it very brave of her to stand up and speak about [depression].
“I know her and I had a kindred excitement for her at that moment.
“As artistes, we don’t want to let people down. I found it very brave of her to let it out and take the shackles off.
“You don’t always have to keep up a good front to succeed, what matters most is you’re OK inside. I applaud her.” A family reunites in ‘Almost Christmas’.
DESPITE BEING declared the ‘most wonderful time of the year’, Christmas has its fair share of critics. Truly, some people don’t enjoy agonising over the perfect gift and then spending money on it, for people that they don’t really care for. That last bit is at the heart of Almost Christmas, a movie that tries to capture the awkward tension inherent with family gatherings. Isn’t Christmas grand?
For all its attempts at emulating a complex family dynamic, Almost Christmas mostly misses the mark. Danny Glover’s Walter is the patriarch of a big family, whose members bring not only their luggage, but all their baggage too. Baggage that seems a little too familiar. There’s the dad that works too much, the sisters who’ve hated each other since they were little. Every character in the film is instantly recognisable, which makes it fairly easy to figure out where everyone will end up when the cameras stop rolling.
It’s the first Christmas since Walter’s wife died, and the movie is full of heart-warming scenes of different characters, working through that grief.
Predictability doesn’t make or break a film. The most formulaic of films can have several moments that delight and excite. In the case of Almost Christmas, those moments are few. Much of the humour is reliant on slapstick, like the wacky uncle falling off a roof after trying to fix a broken roof ornament. While hilarious in a cartoon, when it’s a JB Smoove, it’s a little sad.
If you find yourself feeling sad more than once in Almost Christmas, that’s because underneath the so-so comedy is a story of a family attempting to make it through the holidays in mourning. It’s the first Christmas since Walter’s wife died, and the movie is full of heart-warming scenes of different characters working through that grief. Sometimes these scenes seem sudden, completely different in tone from the comedic scenes that played before it. Truthfully, though, that’s an honest depiction of grief. It sneaks up on people when they least expect it.
On the whole, the movie is a collection of stories and scenes that are mostly expected. At the time of year when you’ve already spent money you didn’t want to spend, then perhaps save what you have left and miss this one. Next year when it comes on cable, put it on, so you can avoid talking to those relatives you wish you didn’t have to see for an hour and a half.