NOW ENTERTAINMENT Dec. 21 Month 00--27, 00,2025 2023
Your Weekly TV Entertainment Brought To You By Olean Times Herald & The Bradford Era
Kate Winslet (“Titanic,” 1997) makes her directorial debut with “Goodbye June,” written by her son, Joe Anders (“1917,” 2019), streaming Wednesday, Dec. 24, on Netflix. Kate Winslet and Timothy Spall on the set of “Goodbye June”
Cover Story Christmas with a cast: Winslet premieres star-studded project ‘Goodbye June’ By Dana Simpson Kate Winslet has, to date, had a bountiful career in the limelight. Although the minds of many may jump to Rose, the first-class, door-hugging love interest in James Cameron’s 1997 epic “Titanic,” that role came just five years after her breakout role as Reet in the British sci-fi television series “Dark Season” at age 17. By 34, the actress won her first Academy Award, for playing bus conductor Hanna Schmitz in “The Reader” (2008), and now, at age 50, Winslet is adding another boon to her ever-expanding resume: director. Don’t miss “Goodbye June,” a collaboration between Winslet and her son, burgeoning screenwriter Joe Anders, when it premieres Wednesday, Dec. 24, on Netflix.
“Goodbye June” is, per Netflix, a drama that “takes place just before Christmas, when an unexpected turn in their mother’s health thrusts four adult siblings and their exasperating father into chaos as they navigate messy family dynamics in the face of potential loss.” Perhaps relatable to many with siblings of their own, the holiday film boasts a star-studded cast that features Academy Award winner Helen Mirren (“The Queen,” 2006) as the family’s titular matriarch, who, aware of her worsening situation, resolves to “orchestrate her decline on her own terms,” thus “bringing the family closer together through humor and blunt honesty.” Mirren and Winslet, the latter of whom stars as one of June’s daughters in the film, shares the screen with
fellow big names Toni Collette (“Hereditary,” 2018), Andrea Riseborough (“To Leslie,” 2022), Timothy Spall (“Mr. Turner,” 2014), Stephen Merchant (“Extras”) and Johnny Flynn (“Emma., 2020”), to name a few. But, of all the known names attached to the film, there is one lesser-known name that carries a lot of weight. Joe Anders, son of Winslet and Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes (“Skyfall,” 2012), is the source of the story and is credited as writer for the first time in his career. Aged 21, the budding filmmaker is now the age his mother was while filming her memorable “Titanic” role. Anders himself has already appeared in several films, including “1917” (2019), “Lee” (2023) and “Bonus Track” (2023), but “Goodbye June” marks the first project
the aspiring screenwriter has penned. His mother sharing this first with him is a wonderful echo to the family themes within their film, especially since the actress said the idea of giving the film to another director felt like being “stabbed in the gut.” “As soon as we give this to another director,” Winslet reportedly told Anders, “it becomes theirs. That’s what happens. So I said that I want for us to really feel like we’ve done this. I want to direct it.” As for how it feels to sit in the director’s chair for the first time, Winslet says, “It just feels great to have directed my first film in the 50th year of my life as a woman. It feels good, it feels good.” “Goodbye June” premieres in select theaters Friday, Dec. 12, before releasing Wednesday, Dec. 24, on Netflix.
In Focus
In Focus “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2026” (ABC/ Hulu — Dec. 31, Special Premiere) Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, with special co-hosts Rita Ora, Chance the Rapper, Rob Gronkowski and Julianne Hough, this annual celebration to ring in the new year spans time zones as special performances ring 2026 in, in style.
“New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash” (CBS/Paramount+ — Dec. 31, Special Premiere) Headlined by Jason Aldean, Lainey Wilson and Bailey Zimmerman, this festive special airs live from Nashville, Tennessee’s Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. Joining the celebration as a special guest, gospel music legend CeCe Winans will bring her powerhouse vocals to the night’s festivities.