Capsule reviews for Oct. 23

Friendsgiving

Dysfunctional holiday gatherings aren’t reserved for squabbling family members, as demonstrated by this formulaic collection of quirks and stereotypes. It centers on Molly (Malin Akerman), an actress and new mother whose tradition of a quiet Thanksgiving with her cynical best friend (Kat Dennings) is interrupted by the arrival of Molly’s new boyfriend (Jack Donnelly), her obnoxious mother (Jane Seymour), and various other acquaintances ready to dish about relationships and past secrets. The sharp cast provides some scattered big laughs, but by the time the turkey is served, it seems the bickering houseguests don’t want to be around each other anymore. Moviegoers will be able to relate. (Rated R, 95 minutes).

The Place of No Words

There’s a certain do-it-yourself ingenuity to this drama about childhood innocence and coping mechanisms from director Mark Webber (Flesh and Blood), although his intensely personal story feels muddled and meandering. Following a previous pattern of mixing reality with fiction, Webber stars alongside his real-life wife (Teresa Palmer) and their adorable and precocious 5-year-old son, Bodhi. With dad facing a terminal illness, he escapes with the youngster to a fantasy world filled with perilous adventure. Bolstered by Bodhi’s expressive screen presence, the film admirably tackles weighty subjects like spirituality and the afterlife from a young kid’s perspective, although the eccentric result is more tedious than profound. (Not rated, 94 minutes).

Radium Girls

When it remains focused on the titular struggle, this historical drama is another powerful example of the working class fighting for justice against corporate greed. Based on a true story, it’s set in the 1920s, when underpaid female workers at a clock factory began exhibiting symptoms of job-related radium poisoning. One of them is Josephine (Abby Quinn), whose teenage sister, Bessie (Joey King) explores legal options to expose the company’s cover-up tactics at great personal risk. Attempts to intertwine Bessie’s tenacious efforts with equality movements at the time feel forced, but otherwise the film sidesteps its melodramatic trappings with an enlightening female perspective on familiar themes. (Not rated, 102 minutes).