Weekend Event Planner

These are the 9 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

Holidays take center stage this weekend in and around Dallas, as both the holiday season and Veterans Day are being celebrated at different events. There are also performances by a legendary country music singer and one of the top comics in the country, a major music and beer festival, and an insider theater production.

Below are the best options for your precious free time Thursday through Sunday. Don't like what you see? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, November 10

Holiday events galore
Every weekend leading up to Christmas features some kind of new holiday event. This weekend you can choose between shopping at the 21st annual 'Neath the Wreath Holiday Gift Market at Plano Centre (taking place through Sunday), checking out the festivities at the 13th annual Lone Star Christmas at Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine (going on through January 1), or raising money for a good cause at DIFFA/Dallas' 21st annual Holiday Wreath Collection at Fashion Industry Gallery.

Undermain Theatre presents 10 out of 12
The second production of Undermain Theatre's 2016-2017 season is a behind-the-scenes look at a theater company engaged in the very peculiar task of making a new play. The audience eavesdrops as the sound designer mixes cues, backstage gossip flies over headsets, and the director struggles to contain the uncontainable. 10 Out of 12 runs through December 3.

Louis C.K. in concert
If you don't already have tickets for this, the second of Louis C.K.'s two dates at the Music Hall at Fair Park, it's too late: His shows sold out quickly, and he's very effective at shutting down the secondary ticket market. But for anyone who actually has tickets, C.K.'s cathartic brand of comedy is sure to be a welcome respite during this stressful week.

Friday, November 11

2016 Stars & Stripes Luncheon and Film Festival
Held annually on or near Veterans Day, the Stars & Stripes Film Festival features a variety of military-themed movies. The list for this year's festival, taking place through Sunday at Highland Park Village Theatre, includes An Officer and a Gentleman, Glory, and South Pacific, among others. This year, there's also a kick-off luncheon on Friday featuring United States Congressman Sam Johnson at Dallas Country Club.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents Patriotic Pops
Another Veterans Day tribute takes place all weekend long at Meyerson Symphony Center, as the Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents Patriotic Pops. Principal Pops conductor Jeff Tyzik brings the United States Naval Academy Men’s Glee Club to town to perform patriotic favorites in celebration of those who have served.

Loretta Lynn in concert
When most living legends come to town, they do so as a way to look back on their past successes. While Loretta Lynn's appearance at Majestic Theatre will undoubtedly be partly about that, the 84-year-old is very much in the here-and-now, having released Full Circle, her first new album in 10 years, in March 2016, and her second-ever Christmas album, White Christmas Blue, in October.

Saturday, November 12

TEDxSMU 2016
The annual TEDxSMU, taking place at the Bomb Factory, features a day-long lineup of speakers, performers, and musicians riffing on this year’s theme of “Illuminate.” Among the speakers are Jason Roberts, founding director of Better Block; Paige Chenault, founder of the Birthday Party Project; Douglas Newby, owner and founder of Architecturally Significant Homes; and Garnette Cadogan, author of Walking While Black.

2016 Untapped Festival Dallas
The annual Untapped Festival once again sets up at Fair Park in Dallas, where guests can enjoy a full day of live music while sampling over 400 unique craft beers and snacking on delicious food from local restaurants. Performers include TV On the Radio, Gogol Bordello, Kaleo, Bishop Briggs, Adia Victoria, Bassh, and more.

Sunday, November 13

Knife at Highland Dallas presents Sunday Cinema Series: Wes Anderson WesFest
The final event in Knife's Wes Anderson WesFest, which started way back in May, takes place on Sunday with a screening of The Grand Budapest Hotel. Along with the movie comes themed gourmet bites by Knife chef John Tesar and craft beer from Four Corners Brewing Company.

Loretta Lynn performs at Majestic Theatre on November 11.

Photo by Scott Newton

Loretta Lynn performs at Majestic Theatre on November 11.

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Movie Review

Reminders of Him blends trauma and romance in slight but effective story

Photo by Michelle Faye / Universal Pictures

Maika Monroe and Tyriq Withers in Reminders of HIm.

Texas author Colleen Hoover has gone from being a popular writer to a full-on celebrity in the 2020s, with the new film Reminders of Him marking the third adaptation of her books in just 19 months (a fourth, Verity, is scheduled for release in October 2026). All of her books that have been adapted so far - most notably It Ends With Us - are female-led stories that feature elements of romance and trauma, catnip for studios looking to appeal to the underserved demographic of women.

Leading the way in this film is Kenna Rowan (Maika Monroe), who returns to her hometown of Laramie, Wyoming after spending years in prison for killing her boyfriend, Scotty (Rudy Pankow), in a car accident. That relationship resulted in a daughter, Diem (Zoe Kosovic), whom Kenna gave birth to while imprisoned and is now being raised by her grandparents, Patrick (Bradley Whitford) and Grace (Lauren Graham).

Yearning to be a part of Diem’s life, Kenna tries to reconnect with Patrick and Grace, only to be rebuffed by Scotty’s best friend, Ledger (Tyriq Withers), a former NFL player who now owns a local bar. In running interference, Ledger starts to become closer to Kenna, discovering that her tragic mistake shouldn’t be the only thing that defines her.

Directed by Vanessa Caswill and written by Lauren Levine, the film features mostly surface level examinations of its themes and average performances, yet it winds up being effective thanks to a willingness not to rush through its storytelling beats. The filmmakers take the slow and steady approach toward the coupling of Kenna and Ledger, setting up their bond through a series of heart-to-heart conversations that makes any romance feel earned.

The majority of the focus is on Kenna reclaiming her place in the world, and on Ledger coming to terms with the fact that the person who killed his best friend is not inherently a bad person. The film definitely could have gone deeper in its explorations of grief and anger, but the sheer amount of time it takes in addressing the characters’ doubts and fears turns out to be sufficient for a film that’s not aiming to be considered a dramatic masterpiece.

It also helps that Caswill and Levine do a solid job of establishing the variety of characters that inhabit the film. Kenna and Ledger don’t always feel like fully-formed people, but they become so through their interactions with each other and the other townspeople. Lady Diana (Monika Myers), a girl with Down syndrome who lives in Kenna’s apartment complex, and Roman (Nicholas Duvernay), Ledger’s co-worker at his bar, help to broaden the appeal of the two leads.

Monroe has, to this point, been best known for starring roles in horror films like It Follows and Longlegs. While she does somewhat well in this role, her delivery is often more flat than you’d expect for a character going through what she does. Withers thankfully doesn’t remind viewers of his recent bomb Him, demonstrating a crossover appeal that should serve him well in the future. Whitford and Graham don’t get to do much, but their combined experience gives their roles exactly what is needed.

It may sound like damning with faint praise, but Reminders of Him is a competently made film that knows how to serve its core audience without insulting anyone who may not automatically be all-in for such a story. The filmmakers don’t try to force any of the key moments down the audience’s throat, and that stands out in a genre that’s not always known for its subtlety.

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Reminders of Him opens in theaters on March 13.

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Loretta Lynn performs at Majestic Theatre on November 11.

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Movie Review

Reminders of Him blends trauma and romance in slight but effective story