The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
New this week: ‘Nomadland,’ ‘Kenan’ and Andra Day music
Movies
⏩ There are many reasons to make time for “Nomadland” when it hits Hulu Friday, it’s one of the loveliest and most spiritually invigorating films in recent memory, an American odyssey about life on the fringes. Frances McDormand gives an all-time performance as Fern, who takes to the road after her spouse dies and the great recession leaves her with nothing. David Strathairn is also terrific as a fellow nomad and writerdirector Choe Zhao is a once-in-a-generation talent who you’ll want to get to know sooner rather than later.
⏩ Anyone who’s seen “Gone Girl” knows that Rosamund Pike plays a top -notch sociopath, which makes J Blakeson’s “I Care A Lot,” on Netflix Friday, immediately intriguing. In the film, Pike plays Marla Grayson, a shark with a severe blonde bob whose evil con is to pose as a conservator and guardian for senior citizen clients who she promptly steals from.
⏩ Or if you need something more family friendly, “Sonic The Hedgehog,” featuring the voices of Ben Schwartz and Jim Carrey, comes to Amazon Prime and Hulu on Thursday.
Music
⏩ Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, who released their debut in 1988, will return with their fifth album on Friday. The 11-track “Hunter And The Dog Star” was written by Brickell and her bandmates, including Brandon Aly, Josh Bush, Brad Houser and Kenny Withrow.
⏩ Grammy-nominated singer Andra Day, best known for the R&B hit “Rise Up,” has earned two Golden Globe nominations for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in the Hulu film “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” which premieres Feb. 26. But on Friday the film’s soundtrack featuring songs recorded by Day will be released.
⏩ The sons of John Fogerty, Tyler and Shane, make up the duo Hearty Har and they will release their debut album Friday. “Radio Astro” includes 11 tracks from the psych rockers, who have been working together under the Hearty Har name since 2012.
Television
⏩ How the pandemic is affecting high school students emotionally and academically is explored in NBC News’ “Kids Under Pressure,” airing this week on shows and platforms including “Today,” “NBC Nightly News,” MSNBC and NBCNews.com. In partnership with the nonprofit Challenge Success, NBC News surveyed more than 10,000 students in a variety of American high schools. Among the findings detailed in reporting by NBC correspondents: a rise in diagnosis and prescriptions for attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder as students try to focus in online classes, and rising stress and sleep problems.
⏩ “Saturday Night Live” cast member Kenan Thompson, who two decades ago co-starred in “Kenan and Kel,” is headlining his own sitcom. NBC’s “Kenan,” debuting 8:30 p.m. EST Tuesday, stars Thompson as a widower who’s raising two young daughters (played by real-life sisters Dani and Dannah Lane) while working as an Atlanta TV host. Ready to help — or meddle, as Kenan sees it — are Don Johnson as his father-in-law and Chris Redd, Thompson’s “SNL” castmate, as his brother. Thompson will be commuting between East and West coasts to do both “SNL” and the sitcom.
⏩ The names could top a concert bill, but John Legend, Jennifer Hudson, BeBe Winans and Yolanda Adams are among those interviewed in “The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song,” a four-hour, twopart series airing Tuesday and Wednesday on PBS.