Everyone in Dallas-Fort Worth has spent four days slipping and sliding on the ice that has coated the region, so it's only logical that, just as the ice starts to melt, Klyde Warren Park will finally introduce its long buzzed-about ice skating rink on Friday, December 13.
We kid, of course; it's purely coincidence that the deck park would choose this of all times to tempt people with the fun entertainment option, because it's been in the works for months.
Besides, the park isn't even bringing in real ice: The 32-by-100-foot skating rink, which will be placed on the lawn in front of the children’s park, is made out of a synthetic ice skating surface called Super-Glide. The eco-friendly surface lets skaters glide just as smoothly as on real ice.
The other benefit of a synthetic skating surface is that skaters can enjoy it no matter if it's 20 degrees or 70 degrees, which is a real possibility given Texas' mercurial weather.
The rink is scheduled to be open December 13 through February 2. Hours are Monday-Thursday, 11 am-8 pm; Friday-Saturday, 10 am–10 pm; and Sunday, noon-6 pm. Anyone who owns ice skates can use the rink for free; skate rentals are $5 per person on weekdays and $10 on weekends.
Park officials will celebrate the opening of the rink with free skate rentals on December 13 and free skating lessons on December 14-15. Additionally, skating will be free every Tuesday thanks to a sponsorship from El Centro College.
Skaters will be able to take in the grandeur of the park's Christmas tree while they skate.
Photo courtesy of Klyde Warren Park
Skaters will be able to take in the grandeur of the park's Christmas tree while they skate.
Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney in The Housemaid.
Both Amanda Seyfried (the upcoming The Testament of Ann Lee) and Sydney Sweeney (Christy) are starring in movies with Oscar ambitions this year. By sheer coincidence, the two actors are also co-starring in The Housemaid, a thriller coming out within weeks of their more ambitious works, one that is likely to be seen by many more people than those prestige plays.
Sweeney is given top billing as Millie, a down-on-her-luck ex-convict looking to land any type of job so as not to break her parole. She finds a too-good-to-be-true lifeboat with Nina (Seyfried), who hires her to be a housemaid for her large house on Long Island, where she lives with her husband, Andrew (Brandon Sklenar), and daughter, Cecilia (Indiana Elle).
After a warm interview, Nina almost immediately becomes highly erratic, whipping back-and-forth between happy-go-lucky and rageful. It seems clear that Nina is suffering from mental health issues, as she’ll often accuse Millie of misplacing or stealing items that she didn’t take. Andrew, apparently used to Nina’s tirades, tries to protect Millie from the worst, something that grows increasingly difficult as Nina ups the ante.
Directed by Paul Feig (A Simple Favor) and adapted by Rebecca Sonnenshine from the bestselling book by Freida McFadden, the film is likely the trashiest mainstream movie to come out in 2025. The first half of the movie relies not on story but on moments as Nina embodies the word “hysterical” to an unbelievable extent. The resigned acceptance of the abuse by Millie, as well as the saintly patience of Andrew, make almost every scene laughable, as nobody seems to be acting anywhere close to how a person would normally react to such extreme situations.
The scenes and the performance of Seyfried are so over-the-top, in fact, that it’s clear that the filmmakers are in on the joke. It’s next to impossible not to have a little bit of fun while watching the actors react to outrageous incidents as if nothing is out of the ordinary. The worse Nina acts, the more Millie and Andrew retreat into their chosen roles, and the funnier the film becomes.
Fans of the book will know that the story changes course, eventually turning into a more stereotypical thriller that also has some relatively gnarly visuals to offer. But the trashiness continues, with Sweeney’s, um, assets repeatedly on display in both clothed and unclothed ways. The sex appeal of the R-rated movie makes it an outlier, as recent studio films have shied away from asking their big stars to disrobe completely.
Both Seyfried and Sweeney are far from their Oscar hopeful roles here. Seyfried is given free rein to act as brazenly as she pleases, and she takes full advantage of that ability. Sweeney seems to have been told to be much more reserved, and unfortunately that results in too many wooden line readings. Sklenar continues his breakout streak (It Ends with Us, Drop) with a role that allows him to show more range than either Seyfried or Sweeney.
The Housemaid is an unusual type of movie to be released at a time of year when most films are either those aiming for awards or more family-friendly fare. Despite its many flaws, it’s still an enjoyable watch that features a variety of crazy scenarios not typically seen in movies nowadays.
