Instead of shopping for presents for the holidays last Saturday with my family, I treated myself to a holiday present by having lunch at Tanzy’s inside the iPic Theater in Westwood. Afterwards I joined a group of women and men in the elegant #3 screening rooms to watch the soon-to-be-released movie JOY. It stars Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, Edgar Ramirez, Isabella Rossellini, Diane Ladd, Virginia Madsen, Elisabeth Rohm and Dascha Polanco.

The Director and Screenplay by David O. Russell, and story by Annie Mumolo and David O. Russell tell the story of family, loyalty, and love. Lawrence plays Joy Mangano, a young woman who sacrifices her creativity for her family and puts her dreams on hold for 17 years. One day as she “wakes up,” she paves the way into becoming a successful businesswoman. The journey is filled with struggle, betrayal, and hardship, yet Joy refuses to give up.  It’s a beautifully written Cinderella story that will warm your heart at the end.

Every Mother and Father should take their daughter to see this film. It’s appropriate for pre-teen ages on up. There aren’t any uncomfortable moments, and will open a wide range of discussion topics after the movie on the car ride home.

5 Things I liked About the Movie –

• It’s one of Jennifer Lawrence’s best performances. She is truly a talented actress, because she is not like Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, and she is not Tiffany Maxwell in Silver Linings Playbook or Rosalyn Rosenfeld in American Hustle. She is strong and determined throughout her performance.
•  Bradley Cooper as Neil dazzles on the screen, especially when he gets so excited about Joy’s success.
• Actress Dascha Polanco from the hit TV series – Orange Is the New Black plays the supportive best friend beautifully.
• Melissa Rivers plays her mother exquisitely in the film.
• Diane Ladd as Joy’s grandmother is one-class act.

The release day for the public is on Christmas Day – December 25, 2015

You can watch a trailer of the movie by clicking on this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR-2TiQVY-k

Spend Christmas Day at Tanzy in Westwood this year and enjoy a meal with culinary offerings from VP of Culinary and three-time James Beard Award winner Chef Sherry Yard. The restaurant will offer a three-course prix-fixe menu along with a gift from the chef for $48 each and $20 each for children under 12 years old.

Menu items will include winter squash soup with puff pastry dome, crispy sage & spiced crème fraîche, herb-crusted prime rib with crispy yukon gold potato rosti, spicy broccolini, horse radish butter, and dark chocolate “BUCHE DE NOEL” a flourless chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, chocolate ganache.

After eating, head over with family and friends and enjoy a movie at iPic Theaters. The meal is available from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. http://www.tanzyrestaurant.com/westwood/

Tanzy and iPic Theater – 10840 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024