Movie Listings (February 9, 2007)
Because I Said So Release Date: February 2, 2007 Run Time: 1 hr. 42 min. Rating: PG-13 - for sexual content including dialogue, some mature thematic material and partial nudity Cast: Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore, Gabriel Macht Director: Michael Lehmann Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance Synopsis: Daphne Wilder (Diane Keaton) is the proud mother of three daughters: Milly (Mandy Moore), Maggie (Lauren Graham) and Mae (Piper Perabo). Her love for her offspring knows no bounds. Seeing that Milly, her youngest, always chooses the wrong man, Daphne decides to take action. To prevent Milly from repeating the mistakes of the past, Daphne decides to find Mr. Right for her. Dating disaster ensues when Daphne tries to achieve her goal by placing an online personal ad for Milly. Catch and Release Release Date: January 26, 2007 Run Time: 2 hr. 4 min. Rating: PG-13 - sexual content, language and some drug use Cast: Jennifer Garner, Juliette Lewis, Timothy Olyphant Director: Susannah Grant Genre: Drama, Romance Synopsis: A woman (Jennifer Garner) struggles to rebuild her life in the wake of her husband's untimely death and the discovery of secrets he kept from her. Along the way, she receives help from a clownish friend (Kevin Smith) and her husband's roguish former pal (Timothy Olyphant). Charlotte’s Web Release Date: December 15, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 53 min. Rating: G Cast: Dakota Fanning, Julia Roberts, Steve Buscemi Director: Gary Winick Genre: Drama, Family Synopsis: The classic story of loyalty, trust, and sacrifice comes to life in this live-action adaptation. Fern (Dakota Fanning) is one of only two living beings who sees that Wilbur is a special animal as she raises him, the runt of the litter, into a terrific and radiant pig. As Wilbur moves into a new barn, he begins a second profound friendship with the most unlikely of creatures – a spider named Charlotte – and their bond inspires the animals around them to come together as a family. When the word gets out that Wilbur's days are numbered, it seems that only a miracle will save his life. A determined Charlotte – who sees miracles in the ordinary – spins words into her web in an effort to convince the farmer that Wilbur is "some pig" and worth saving. Children of Men Release Date: December 25, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 49 min. Rating: R - strong violence, language, some drug use and brief nudity Cast: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Chiwetel Ejiofor Director: Alfonso Cuarón Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense/Thriller Synopsis: When infertility threatens mankind with extinction and the last child born has perished, a disillusioned bureaucrat, named Theo Faron (Clive Owen), becomes an unlikely champion in the fight for Earth's survival. He must confront his own demons and protect the planet's last remaining hope from danger. Based on the novel by P.D. James. Constellation Release Date: February 2, 2007 Run Time: 1 hr. 36 min. Rating: PG-13 - brief strong language and a sexual reference Cast: Billy Dee Williams, Zoe Saldana, Hill Harper Director: Jordan Walker-Pearlman Genre: Drama Synopsis: Constellation is the story about the lives of an African-American family in the South that must come to terms with an unwanted past and the problems that arose from a difficult interracial affair. Inevitably, the father must summon the courage to face the demons of his past during a difficult period of change for his family, during a period of racial upheaval in America. Dreamgirls Release Date: January 19, 2007 Run Time: 2 hr. 5 min. Rating: PG-13 - language, some sexuality and drug content Cast: Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Jennifer Hudson Director: Bill Condon Genre: Drama, Music/Performing Arts Synopsis: Three girlfriends from Chicago form a singing trio and take steps toward musical stardom. After several dramatic shifts, they begin to realize their dreams. Fame and fortune, though, turn out not to be exactly what they had envisioned. Epic Movie Release Date: January 26, 2007 Run Time: 1 hr. 26 min. Rating: PG-13 - crude and sexual humor, language and some comic violence Cast: Kal Penn, Adam Campbell, Faune Chambers Director: Jason Friedberg,Aaron Seltzer Genre: Action/Adventure, Comedy Synopsis: Centers on four not-so-young orphans: one raised by a curator at the Louvre (where an albino assassin lurks), another a refugee from Mexican libre wrestling, the third a recent victim of snakes on her plane, and the fourth a normal resident of a mutant X community. The hapless quartet visits a chocolate factory, where they stumble into an enchanted wardrobe that transports them to the land of Gnarnia (with a G). There they meet a flamboyant pirate captain and earnest students of wizardry--and join forces with, among others, a wise-but-horny lion to defeat the evil White Bitch of Gnarnia. Freedom Writers Release Date: January 5, 2007 Run Time: 2 hr. 3 min. Rating: PG-13 - violent content, some thematic material and language Cast: Hilary Swank, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Glenn Director: Richard LaGravenese Genre: Drama Synopsis: A dedicated teacher (Hilary Swank) in a racially divided Los Angeles school receives a class of at-risk teenagers the system deems incapable of learning. Instead of giving up, she inspires her students to take an interest in their education and planning their futures. She assigns reading material that the youths can relate to and encourages them to keep journals of their daily lives. Based on the true story of Erin Gruwell. Hannibal Rising Release Date: February 9, 2007 Run Time: 1 hr. 57 min. Rating: R - strong grisly violent content and some language/sexual references Cast: Gaspard Ulliel, Gong Li, Helena Lia Tachovska Director: Peter Webber Genre: Suspense/Thriller Synopsis: In Eastern Europe at the end of World War II, a young Hannibal watches as his parents violently die, leaving his cherished young sister in his care. This horrific moment will soon pale in comparison to the atrocities he is forced to witness and perhaps survive as a result of. Alone and without any means of support, he is forced to live in a Soviet orphanage that once served as his family’s beloved home. He flees to Paris to find his uncle has died but his beautiful and mysterious Japanese widow, Lady Murasaki (Gong Li) welcomes him. Showing a cunning aptitude for science, he is accepted into medical school, which serves to hone his skills and provide the tools to exact justice on the war criminals that haunt him day and night. This quest will ignite an insatiable lust within a serial killer who was not born, but made. The Hitcher Release Date: January 19, 2007 Run Time: 1 hr. 30 min. Rating: R - strong bloody violence, terror and language Cast: Sean Bean, Sophia Bush, Zachary Knighton Director: Dave Meyers Genre: Horror, Suspense/Thriller Synopsis: Dave Meyers makes his feature directorial debut on this new thriller, an update of the 1986 film of the same name. The film tracks the terrifying trajectory of Grace Andrews (Sophia Bush) and Jim Halsey (Zachary Knighton), a collegiate couple who are tormented by the mysterious hitchhiker John Ryder, a.k.a. The Hitcher (Sean Bean). The young couple hit the road in a 1970 Oldsmobile 442, en route to spring break. But their pleasure trip soon turns into a waking nightmare. The initial encounters with Ryder are increasingly off-putting for Grace and Jim, and they bravely fight back when he ambushes them. But they are blindsided when he implicates them in a horrific slaying and continues to shadow them. The open road becomes a suspenseful battleground of blood and metal as, in trying to elude not only Ryder but also New Mexico State Police Lieutenant Esteridge's (Neal McDonough) officers, Grace and Jim must fight for their lives and face their fears head-on. The Last King of Scotland Release Date: September 27, 2006 Run Time: 2 hr. 3 min. Rating: R - some strong violence and guesome images, sexual content and language Cast: Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy, Kerry Washington Director: Kevin Macdonald Genre: Drama Synopsis: While in Uganda on a medical mission, Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) becomes the personal physician and close confidante of dictator Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker). Although at first Dr. Garrigan feels flattered by his new position of power, he soon comes to realize that Amin's rule is soaked in blood, and that he is complicit in the atrocities. Garrigan faces the fight of his life as he tries to escape Amin's grasp. Based on the novel by Giles Foden. The Last Sin Eater Release Date: February 9, 2007 Rating: PG-13 - thematic elements, and some intense sequences of violence Cast: Louise Fletcher, Henry Thomas, Liana Liberato Director: Michael Landon Jr. Genre: Drama Synopsis: Cadi, a 10-year-old girl in 1850s Appalachia, feels tremendous guilt over the death of her sister, and apparently, her family blames her too. While visiting the grave of her beloved grandmother, Cadi sees a ''sin eater,'' a person who can absolve sins. Though Cadi yearns for forgiveness, she realizes that the ''sin eater'' is false; instead she finds what she is looking for through Christianity. Based on the novel by Francine Rivers. Letters From Iwo Jima Release Date: December 20, 2006 Run Time: 2 hr. 21 min. Rating: R - graphic war violence Cast: Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Shido Nakamura Director: Clint Eastwood Genre: Drama Synopsis: Long-buried missives from the island reveal the stories of the Japanese troops who fought and died there during the World War II battle. Among them are Saigo, a baker; Baron Nishi, an Olympic champion; and idealistic soldier Shimizu. Though Lt. Gen. Tadamichi Kuribayashi knows he and his men have virtually no chance of survival, he uses his extraordinary military skills to hold off the Americans as long as possible. Clint Eastwood's companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers. The Messengers Release Date: February 2, 2007 Run Time: 1 hr. 30 min. Rating: PG-13 - mature thematic material, disturbing violence and terror Cast: John Corbett, Dylan McDermott, Penelope Ann Miller Director: Danny Pang,Oxide Pang Chun Genre: Drama, Horror, Suspense/Thriller Synopsis: The Solomon family moves into a run-down sunflower farm. As the farm begins to revive after years of disrepair, the family begins to notice uncomfortable and alarming changes in their father's behavior. They are torn apart by suspicion, mayhem and murder. Night at the Museum Release Date: December 22, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 49 min. Rating: PG - mild action, language and brief rude humor Cast: Ben Stiller, Carla Gugino, Dick Van Dyke Director: Shawn Levy Genre: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi/Fantasy Synopsis: A night watchman (Ben Stiller) at a museum of natural history makes a startling discovery. Thanks to the unleashing of an ancient Egyptian curse, the museum's animals, birds, bugs and other exhibits spring to life after the building closes. Former President Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams) is among those the hapless guard encounters. Based on the book by Milan Trenc. Norbit Release Date: February 9, 2007 Run Time: 1 hr. 42 min. Rating: PG-13 - crude and sexual humor, some nudity and language Cast: Eddie Murphy, Thandie Newton, Cuba Gooding Jr. Director: Brian Robbins Genre: Comedy Synopsis: Mild-mannered Norbit (Eddie Murphy) has always had it rough, since the day he was left abandoned at a combination Chinese restaurant and orphanage. Recently forced to marry the shrewish glutton Rasputia (also played by Murphy), he is at wit's end. Then his childhood sweetheart, Kate (Thandie Newton), moves back to town, and he tries to figure out a way back to his true love. Notes on a Scandal Release Date: December 27, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 32 min. Rating: R - language and some aberrant sexual content Cast: Cate Blanchett, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy Director: Richard Eyre Genre: Drama Synopsis: Barbara Covett (Judi Dench), a veteran teacher at St. George's, senses a kindred spirit in Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett), the school's new art teacher. The charismatic younger woman draws Barbara, and the two become friends. Then she learns of Sheba's illicit affair with a teenage student and becomes the keeper of the explosive secret. Based on the novel ''What Was She Thinking?'' by Zoë Heller. The Painted Veil Release Date: December 20, 2006 Run Time: 2 hr. 4 min. Rating: PG-13 - some mature sexual situations, partial nudity, disturbing images and brief drug content Cast: Naomi Watts, Edward Norton, Liev Schreiber Director: John Curran Genre: Drama, Romance Synopsis: Caught in an affair with another man (Liev Schreiber), a scientist's callow wife (Naomi Watts) accompanies her husband (Edward Norton) to mainland China in the 1920s to fight a cholera epidemic. There, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery that leads to an unexpected chance at redemption. Pan’s Labyrinth Release Date: December 29, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 50 min. Rating: R - graphic violence and some language Cast: Sergi Lopez, Maribel Verdu, Ivana Baquero Director: Guillermo del Toro Genre: Art House/Foreign, Sci-Fi/Fantasy Synopsis: In 1944 Spain, young Ofelia and her ailing mother arrive at the post of her mother's new husband, a sadistic army officer who is trying to quell a guerrilla uprising. While exploring an ancient maze, Ofelia encounters the faun Pan, who tells her that she is a legendary lost princess and must complete three dangerous tasks in order to claim immortality. Written and directed by Guillermo del Toro. The Pursuit of Happyness Release Date: December 15, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 56 min. Rating: PG-13 - some language Cast: Will Smith, Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, Thandie Newton Director: Gabriele Muccino Genre: Drama Synopsis: Chris Gardner (Will Smith) is a bright and talented, but marginally employed salesman. Struggling to make ends meet, Gardner finds himself and his five-year-old son evicted from their San Francisco apartment with nowhere to go. When Gardner lands an internship at a prestigious stock brokerage firm, he and his son endure many hardships, including living in shelters, in pursuit of his dream of a better life for the two of them. The Queen Release Date: September 30, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 43 min. Rating: PG-13 - brief strong language Cast: Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen, James Cromwell Director: Stephen Frears Genre: Drama Synopsis: A revealing, witty portrait of the British royal family in crisis immediately following the death of Princess Diana. The setting for this fictional account of real events is no less than the private chambers of the Royal Family and the British government in the wake of the sudden death of Princess Diana in August of 1997. In the immediate aftermath of the Princess's passing, the tightly contained, tradition-bound world of the Queen of England clashes with the slick modernity of the country's brand new, image-conscious Prime Minister, Tony Blair. The result is an intimate, yet thematically epic, battle between private and public, responsibility and emotion, custom and action - as a grieving nation waits to see what its leaders will do. In the balance is the family's need for privacy and the public's demand for an outward show of mourning. Smokin’ Aces Release Date: January 26, 2007 Run Time: 1 hr. 48 min. Rating: R - strong bloody violence, pervasive language, some nudity and drug use Cast: Jeremy Piven, Ben Affleck, Ryan Reynolds Director: Joe Carnahan Genre: Action/Adventure, Comedy Synopsis: Sleazy entertainer Buddy ''Aces'' Israel (Jeremy Piven) incurs the wrath of crime boss Primo Sparazza when he agrees to -*test*-('")ify against the Las Vegas mob. Two FBI agents (Ryan Reynolds, Ray Liotta) have the difficult task of protecting him from a motley assortment of bounty hunters, hit men and nefarious vixens who are converging on his Lake Tahoe encampment to rub him out and collect a hefty reward. Stomp the Yard Release Date: January 12, 2007 Run Time: 1 hr. 55 min. Rating: PG-13 - a scene of violence, some sexual material and language Cast: Columbus Short, Meagan Good, Laz Alonso Director: Sylvain White Genre: Drama, Music/Performing Arts Synopsis: After his brother's tragic death, a troubled but gifted street dancer enrolls in Atlanta's Truth University. As he tries to concentrate on his studies and woo a pretty classmate, he finds himself in the midst of a tug-of-war between fraternities, who want to utilize his talents in an upcoming dance competition. Volver Release Date: November 3, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 51 min. Rating: R - some sexual content and language Cast: Penelope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Chus Lampreave Director: Pedro Almodóvar Genre: Art House/Foreign, Drama Synopsis: Three generations of women survive the east wind, fire, insanity, superstition and even death by means of goodness, lies and boundless vitality. They are Raimunda, who is married to an unemployed labourer and has a teenage daughter; Sole, her sister, who makes a living as a hairdresser; and the mother of both, who died in a fire along with her husband. This character appears first to her sister and then to Sole, although the people with whom she has some unresolved matters are Raimunda and her neighbor in the village, Agustina.