3 of 2015's most underrated movies

With 2015 coming to a close, I thought of a few movies I saw this year that were drastically underrated. Here are my picks for 3 of 2015's most underrated movies:

1. The Age of Adaline: Blake Lively stars as Adaline Bowman, a woman who, after a chance accident, became immune to the effects of time. In other words, she does not age. After a few run-ins with the law, she realizes she has to live a quiet existence, changing her identity every decade. She soon meets Ellis Jones (Michael Huisman, TV's Orphan Black) who won't let her go without a fight. Adaline gives in and decides to let herself fall for him, only to discover she knows his father (Harrison Ford). The movie had an absolutely lovely magical feel with romantic undertones. The storyline and performances were definitely superbe, but The Age of Adaline only received mixed reviews with critics.

2. Ricki and the Flash: Meryl Streep stars as Ricki Rendazzo, a woman who left her husband and kids to chase her dream of becoming a famous rock star. That didn't exactly work out; she now works in a grocery store and performs with her band, The Flash, in a bar most nights. But Ricki can't escape the fact that she once had a family: her daughter Julie (Mamie Gummer, also Streep's real-life daughter) has just been abandoned by her husband and her ex-husband Pete (Kevin Kline) asks Ricki to come to Indianapolis to help her recover. Time doesn't heal all things, especially when Ricki's two sons, Josh (Sebastian Stan) and Adam (Nick Westrate), are hesitant to see her and accept her into their grown-up lives. Rick Springfield co-stars as Ricki's singing partner and on-again-off-again boyfriend, Greg. The movie was visually stunning with both great performances (who knew Meryl Streep had such a killer voice?!) as well as a fairly descent story crafted by Diablo Cody (Juno). But I believe the movie was so good because it relies on how the love a family shares never truly dies despite everything, and anyone who has ever been apart of a dysfunctional family will appreciate it. Ricki and the Flash also only received mixed reviews with the pace of the storyline being criticized, but Streep's performance received praise.

3. Love the Coopers: Love the Coopers features an ensemble cast led by Diane Keaton and John Goodman, an older married couple with grown children and grandchildren. While the movie brings to mind Keaton's previous Christmas family comedy The Family Stone (2005), Love the Coopers manages to portray an accurate portrait of a dysfunctional family in present day. The script definitely makes use of its all-star cast, including Olivia Wilde, Amanda Seyfried, Alan Arkin, Ed Helms and Jake Lacy. Unfortunately, it received negative reviews from critics, despite being a quite adorable warm-hug of a movie that makes you feel warm all over on a cold winter night.

Sheldon and Amy got busy on 'The Big Bang Theory'... Now what?

I've stewed over writing anything about this because I really didn't know how I felt about it, but now I realize that The Big Bang Theory is just getting worse and worse by the episode.

Everyone on social media seemed to have the same opinion: Sheldon and Amy "finally" having sex on the fall finale of TBBT was great, about time, and perfectly written. It wasn't awfully written, I'll give them that, but I just don't get the point. Does anyone know what the television sitcom means anymore? I won't go into intricate detail and repeat what I said in my previous post, but I just don't see why Sheldon and Amy had to eventually sleep together. They spent the first three years creating and showing the audience how quirky a person Sheldon was, then they gave him a female companion, and yet somehow just because they're a "couple" means they eventually had to have sex? Yes, I know, Sheldon once told Penny that it was a "possibility" he might eventually sleep with Amy and it became a common joke amongst the characters PLUS the fact that Amy was obviously always open to a physical relationship with him, but I just don't see why they eventually had to have sex just because that's what normal couples do. I thought the whole point of their very existence was to portray an obvious abnormal couple.

Not only has season nine of the top CBS comedy been fairly crappy up until now, but it's almost like it's becoming the season of unfinished business. I suppose they were planning on having Sheldon and Amy eventually do the deed, but it just seemed out of touch with everything the show spent nine years building. Sheldon just all of a sudden decided he was ready to have sex? The man who was once incapable of handling another human's touch on his shoulder? "I'm ready to have coitus with Amy." Just out of the blue? I don't buy it. I just don't. And I don't believe this is me giving it too much thought, this is me believing that a major milestone in what became the show's breakout pairing was completely unrealistic in contrast to what Sheldon and Amy once were.

That's not even the worst part... Now that Sheldon and Amy have slept together, are they just supposed to go back to their version of "normal"? Or are they going to become a couple that has coitus all the time? Sheldon did say that he couldn't wait until Amy's next birthday when they have sex again, but that doesn't mean Sheldon and Amy losing their virginities was just a one-time, "let's get it over with" kind of episode. This will now bring reprecussions to their storyline that, based on everything we've seen so far this season, will probably not be very good. Sheldon and Amy aren't even the worst part of season nine. The group doesn't even spend that much time together anymore, they've all split into their own separate storylines and, apart from Leonard and Penny's enduring chemistry and likeability, are all terrible. Howard and Raj are in a band now? What? A band? Are you kidding me? Ridiculous, stupid and an obvious example of how the writers are running out of creative fuel.

I recently saw an article by The Hollywood Reporter saying, "Should The Big Bang Theory go off the air after season ten?" I say hell yes. This was a show that was a strong comedy, but now, as I've pointed out, has been running low on creative fuel. It's super obvious in season nine, and we still have another season to go. CBS should most definitely say goodbye to The Big Bang Theory after season ten next year. Watch it Thursdays at 8/7c.