What to Watch on TV this Weekend: Chloe's Guide

July 22 –24, 2016

Here are suggestions for what to watch this weekend.

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Friday, July 22 – E! – 8 p.m.

I had the best time of my life watching Dirty Dancing on the floor of my grandmother's bedroom circa 1997, riding the wave of Patrick Swayze fandom after falling in love with Sam Wheat in Ghost. Dirty Dancing isn't for everyone; for me, the film waxes poetic on a tale of opposites attracting and love conquering all with feminist undertones. Dirty Dancing, a coming-of-age story featuring Swayze and Jennifer Grey, tells the story of star-crossed lovers Frances "Baby" Houseman (Grey) and dance instructor Johnny Castle (Swayze), who find unexpected romance one summer at a resort in the Catskill Mountains. Grey and Swayze had previously costarred in Red Dawn (1984). Originally intended as a one-weekend showing, Dirty Dancing grossed $214 million worldwide and gave rise to various, alternative versions, including the 2004 prequel, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights.

Constantine (2005)

Saturday, July 23 – Syfy – 3 p.m.

The first time I watched Constantine, I was in high school, feeding my ever-growing love for Keanu Reeves. Little did I know that the character would reemerge in my adulthood through an introduction to the DC Universe of comics. Reeves plays occult detective John Constantine alongside Rachel Weisz. Constantine seeks redemption for a suicide attempt during his youth and instead finds himself in the company of a police detective (Weisz) aiming to uncover the truth behind her sister's death. The plot swiftly – and wickedly – thickens in the wake of these characters' union. The picture painted in the film, however, is but a taste of what imagination and intricacy exist in the eponymous comic book series from which the film is adapted. Comic book Constantine, for instance, comes to serve as the leader of Justice League Dark, which consists of the more supernatural members of the DC Universe. The Hellblazer series, which illustrates the life and times of Constantine, was once the longest-running and most successful title of DC's Vertigo imprint. Reeves does the titular antihero justice in his portrayal of a brooding humanist driven by the desire to do some good in his life.

American History X (1998)

Saturday, July 23 – IFC – 5:15 p.m.

American History X is not for the faint of heart. A high school teacher of mine presented this film to the class for the purpose of a lesson in diversity. American History X, which introduced me to actor Edward Norton, is a raw and bare-knuckled crime drama that follows the story of two brothers involved in the neo-Nazi movement after the older of the pair (Norton) is arrested for voluntary manslaughter. Director Tony Kaye guides the provocative narrative. He is also known his collaboration with Red Hot Chili Peppers and Johnny Cash on their music videos for "Dani California" and "God's Gonna Cut You Down," respectively. The nonlinear accounts represented in American History X are jarring in their ability to reach into the audience and pull something out, encapsulating the underlying controversy and complexity of racism.

Modern Family

Saturday, July 23 – USA – 8 p.m.

Following the darker tone of American History X, viewers will find comic relief in a Modern Family marathon, with reruns airing through 11:30 p.m. The mockumentary premiered on ABC in 2009 and draws from real-life inspiration through creators Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd. Modern Family centers on the life of Jay Pritchett, played by Ed O'Neill, and his dynamic family, comprising Jay's second wife (Sofia Vergara), stepson (Rico Rodriguez), two adult children (Julie Bowen, Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and their respective families. The ensemble cast, which won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2010 and Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series in 2011, employs disarming stereotypes to satirize notions of a conventional family. Any given episode is brimming with absurdity and revels in the tongue-in-cheek, but in the end, all misgivings and mishaps are overcome by three-dimensional characters and the warmth of family love.

Signs (2002)

Sunday, July 24 – Starz – 9 a.m.

Signs is a film that I needed to watch twice in order to fully grasp, but after the second attempt, success came swift and certain. Starring Joaquin Phoenix and Mel Gibson, the science fiction thriller by M. Night Shyamalan exercises a full-circle story line that explores the real-life mystery of crop circles and what events unfold for a small, rural family upon the discovery of such phenomena. Mel Gibson plays Graham Hess, a faithless and former priest, who lives with his brother and two children on an isolated farm in Pennsylvania after the death of his wife. Shyamalan – also known for The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable – executes cinematic symmetry in the building of atmosphere, layered characters and dichotomous plot.

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