A Friday night, a date night no less, and we needed something to do. Optimally, we wanted to catch a nice dinner at a local restaurant, catch a movie, and pick up the kids before 11pm. Always a challenge. We had considered watching Seeking a Friend for the End of the World starring Steve Carrell and Keira Knightley. However, I ended up getting out from the office late Friday evening, and now we didn’t have time for both dinner and a movie? Or did we?
On the train, my wife had an inspired idea — AMC Dine-In Theatres Menlo Park 12 in Edison, NJ. We’ve attempted to try this theater in the past, but available movies and showtimes never quite worked out. This week? An 8:30pm showing of People Like Us (2012), starring Chris Pine and Elizabeth Banks. What about dinner? Well, the AMC theater in Menlo Park offers reserved seating and in-theater dining. When I purchased two tickets through the iOS Fandango app on the phone, I was able to select our seats. When we picked up our tickets at the theater kiosk and entered the theater, we found ourselves in a smaller, more intimate theater. Few seats, but the seats themselves are numbered, and huge leather chairs reminiscent of Business class on an airplane. There’s even an a fold-out tray for your drinks and dinner. After we found our seats, our waiter came by to introduce himself, explain how the “dine-in” system worked. We ordered our drinks and food off the menu, and settled into the movie.
What’s the film about? Oh, we had no idea going in. Chris Pines is a salesman who goes home after his father passes away unexpectedly. He’s been estranged from his parents for years, so it’s uncomfortable. Pines’ character finds out that he has a secret half-sister (Elizabeth Banks), and he ends up getting to know her and her son. So the film is about Chris Pines and Elizabeth Banks, having no familial connections, finding familial bonds between each other. However, he doesn’t tell her he is her brother, so you know it’s going to be a big reveal at the end to her, she’ll be mad he deceived her, etc.
It was a decent film, but I consider it more of a rental.
People Like Us (2012)