Weekend events planner

Here are the top 8 things to do in Houston this weekend

Whether you want to listen to live music, hit up an art fest, or catch a world premiere space exhibit, there’s plenty to do in Houston this weekend. Check out what's going on, and take your pick from all of the terrific choices. Read on for the top eight things to do in Houston this weekend. For more options, check out the full CultureMap Events Calendar.

Life's a garden
Thursday, October 12-Saturday, October 14
Top-quality bulbs, from amaryllis to daffodils, and a collection of hard-to-find crinums, daylilies, gingers, perennials, trees, and more, are on tap at the Garden Club of Houston's 75th Annual Bulb and Plant Mart at The Church of St. John the Divine. Special exhibits include a live butterfly tent from The Museum of Natural Science Cockrell Butterfly Center and a conservation booth with native and drought plants curated by experts in ecological conservation and education. Thursday, enjoy early-bird shopping and a party on the patio with live music and light bites. (Thursday from 4:30-7 pm and Friday-Saturday from 9am-2 pm; tickets: $20 per person Thursday and free admission Friday-Saturday)
2450 River Oaks Blvd.

Now that's Italian
Thursday, October 12-Sunday, October 15
Head to the University of St. Thomas for the Italian Cultural and Community Center’s 39th Houston Italian Festival complete with performances from DJ Italia, the Fab 5 (Beatles Tribute Band), local international folk dancing group The Tarantellas, and Italian tenor Aaron Caruso. Other activities include film screenings, cooking classes for kids, wine and beer tastings, Italian language classes, and puppet shows. (Various times; tickets: free admission Thursday, otherwise $8 per person with additional costs for food and activities)
3800 Montrose Blvd.; 713-522-7911

Honky tonk man
Thursday, October 12
Country music singer-songwriter Dwight Yoakam hits the stage at Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land in support of his first-ever bluegrass album, Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars. Yoakam has released 46 singles, including two Billboard Hot Country Songs No. 1 hits. (8 pm; tickets: $49.50-$79.50 per person)
18111 Lexington Blvd., Sugar Land; 281-207-6278

Scary fun
Friday, October 13-Sunday, October 15
The family-friendly Zoo Boo event at the Houston Zoo offers a DJ, Fiesta Mart Pumpkin Patch, Festival of Fun, and lots of delicious Halloween candy. Kids are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes. Zoo Boo takes place the last three weekends of October. (9 am; tickets: $14-$18 per person for zoo entry)
6200 Hermann Park Dr.; 713-533-6500

Ren Fest
Friday, October 13-Sunday, October 15
The Texas Renaissance Festival transports patrons to the 16th century, offering live entertainment, works by master artists and craftspeople, food and drink, hand-powered rides and games, and over 100 interactive characters. The festival takes place weekends through November 26. (Hours vary; tickets: $11.95-$23.95 per person)
21778 FM 1774, Todd Mission

Art fun
Saturday, October 14-Sunday, October 15
The Bayou City Art Festival in downtown Houston presents the opportunity to see and purchase unique custom art, plus listen to live music and nosh on food truck fare. There’s also a children's creative zone. (10 am-6 pm; tickets: $12 per person online and $15 per person at the gate.
901 Bagby; 713-521-0133

Welcome aboard
Saturday, October 14
World premiere exhibit Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission at Space Center Houston launches Saturday, featuring the Apollo 11 command module and more than 20 one-of-a-kind Apollo 11 mission artifacts (think astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s extravehicular visor and astronaut Michael Collins’ Omega Speedmaster Chronograph). The exhibition, a partnership of the National Air and Space Museum and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, commemorates the 50th anniversary of the achievement of man’s first step on the moon. (10 am-5 pm; tickets: $29.95 per person)
1601 E. NASA Pkwy.

Country music
Saturday, October 14
The 15th annual ZiegenBock Music Festival boasts performances by Josh Abbott Band, Aaron Lewis, Blackberry Smoke, and Whiskey Myers, along with Shooter Jennings, Jamestown Revival, Lukas Nelson, and lots more. (11:30 am; tickets: $29.50 per person)
7575 N. Sam Houston Pkwy. W.; 281-807-8700

World premiere exhibit “Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission” at Space Center Houston launches Saturday featuring the Apollo 11 command module.

Houston, NASA, Destination Moon, Apollo 17 shuttle

Courtesy photo

World premiere exhibit “Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission” at Space Center Houston launches Saturday featuring the Apollo 11 command module.

event-planner

Movie Review

Star TV producer James L. Brooks stumbles with meandering movie Ella McCay

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Emma Mackey in Ella McCay.

The impact that writer/director/producer James L. Brooks has made on Hollywood cannot be understated. The 85-year-old created The Mary Tyler Moore Show, personally won three Oscars for Terms of Endearment, and was one of the driving forces behind The Simpsons, among many other credits. Now, 15 years after his last movie, he’s back in the directing chair with Ella McCay.

The similarly-named Emma Mackey plays Ella, a 34-year-old lieutenant governor of an unnamed state in 2008 who’s on the verge of becoming governor when Governor Bill (Albert Brooks) gets picked to be a member of the president’s Cabinet. What should be a happy time is sullied by her needy husband, Ryan (Jack Lowden), her agoraphobic brother, Casey (Spike Fearn), and her perpetually-cheating father, Eddie (Woody Harrelson).

Despite the trio of men competing to bring her down, Ella remains an unapologetic optimist, an attitude bolstered by her aunt Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis), her assistant Estelle (Julie Kavner), and her police escort, Trooper Nash (Kumail Nanjiani). The film follows her over a few days as she navigates the perils of governing, the distractions her family brings, and the expectations being thrust upon her by many different people.

Brooks, who wrote and directed the film, is all over the place with his storytelling. What at first seems to be a straightforward story about Ella and her various issues soon starts meandering into areas that, while related to Ella, don’t make the film better. Prime among them are her brother and father, who are given a relatively small amount of screentime in comparison to the importance they have in her life. This is compounded by a confounding subplot in which Casey tries to win back his girlfriend, Susan (Ayo Edebiri).

Then there’s the whole political side of the story, which never finds its focus and is stuck in the past. Though it’s never stated explicitly, Ella and Governor Bill appear to be Democrats, especially given a signature program Ella pushes to help mothers in need. But if Brooks was trying to provide an antidote to the current real world politics, he doesn’t succeed, as Ella’s full goals are never clear. He also inexplicably shows her boring her fellow lawmakers to tears, a strange trait to give the person for whom the audience is supposed to be rooting.

What saves the movie from being an all-out train wreck is the performances of Mackey and Curtis. Mackey, best known for the Netflix show Sex Education, has an assured confidence to her that keeps the character interesting and likable even when the story goes downhill. Curtis, who has tended to go over-the-top with her roles in recent years, tones it down, offering a warm place of comfort for Ella to turn to when she needs it. The two complement each other very well and are the best parts of the movie by far.

Brooks puts much more effort into his female actors, including Kavner, who, even though she serves as an unnecessary narrator, gets most of the best laugh lines in the film. Harrelson is capable of playing a great cad, but his character here isn’t fleshed out enough. Fearn is super annoying in his role, and Lowden isn’t much better, although that could be mostly due to what his character is called to do. Were it not for the always-great Brooks and Nanjiani, the movie might be devoid of good male performances.

Brooks has made many great TV shows and movies in his 60+ year career, but Ella McCay is a far cry from his best. The only positive that comes out of it is the boosting of Mackey, who proves herself capable of not only leading a film, but also elevating one that would otherwise be a slog to get through.

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Ella McCay opens in theaters on December 12.

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