Jason Reitman’s latest film Labor Day has been moved from its Christmas release to a late January opening. The Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin vehicle premiered at Telluride and played at the Toronto International Film Festival where it received mixed reviews. It is an adaptation of Joyce Maynard’s novel of the same name, about a sheltered single mother who uncharacteristically takes in an ex-convict and finds out how to live in the process.
The film will still have an Oscar qualifying run for a week in December, mainly so that Kate Winslet can have a shot at another Best Actress nomination (she was previously nominated for her role in Revolutionary Road.)
The Christmas season this year is full with huge releases, and many films have been moved around; one instance being the highly anticipated Wolf of Wall Street taking a Christmas release and pushing Kenneth Branagh’s Jack Ryan to next year.
Labor Day’s new US release on January 31st will give it a better chance of standing out as it won’t be up against other major Hollywood releases. Maybe the film should have been released at the more appropriate time of year, on Labor Day, but unfortunately that opportunity has passed. Only time will tell if Jason Reitman’s latest is a quality entry into his already impressive oeuvre.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter