Movie listings (July 6, 2007)
1408 Release Date: June 22, 2007 Run Time: 1 hr. 34 min. Rating: PG-13 - thematic material, disturbing sequences of violence and terror, frightening images and language Cast: John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McCormack, Tony Shalhoub Director: Mikael Håfström Genre: Supernatural Horror, Horror Renowned horror novelist Mike Enslin (John Cusack) only believes what he can see with his own two eyes. After a string of bestsellers discrediting paranormal events in the most infamous haunted houses and graveyards around the world, he scoffs at the concept of an afterlife. He checks into suite 1408 of the notorious Dolphin Hotel for his latest project, Ten Nights in Haunted Hotel Rooms. Defying the warnings of the hotel manager (Jackson), the author is the first person in years to stay in the reputedly haunted room. Another bestseller may be imminent, but like all Stephen King heroes, Enslin must go from skeptic to true believer – and ultimately survive the night. A Mighty Heart Release Date: June 22, 2007 Run Time: 1 hr. 48 min. Rating: R - language Cast: Angelina Jolie, Dan Futterman, Irfan Khan, Denis O'Hare, Archie Panjabi, Will Patton, Gary Wilmes Director: Michael Winterbottom Genre: Docudrama, Drama Based on Mariane Pearl's memoir detailing the tragic story of her husband, Wall Street Journal reporter Danny Pearl's life and death. The story covers Danny's reasons for being in Karachi, Pakistan, the complete story of his abduction, the intense effort of his wife, Mariane Pearl to find him during the weeks following his disappearance and his eventual murder. Evan Almighty Release Date: June 22, 2007 Run Time: 1 hr. 30 min. Rating: PG - mild rude humor and some peril Cast: Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman, Lauren Graham, John Goodman Director: Tom Shadyac Genre: Fantasy Comedy, Heavenly Comedy, Comedy, Fantasy Newscaster Evan Baxter (Steve Carell) leaves Buffalo behind when he wins a seat in Congress. Moving his wife (Lauren Graham) and family to northern Virginia, he seems to have it made. Then God (Morgan Freeman) throws a crisis of biblical proportions at his feet: The Lord wants him to build an ark and line up all the animals two-by-two in preparation for a flood. Evening Release Date: June 29, 2007 Rating: PG-13 - some thematic elements, sexual material, a brief accident scene and language Cast: Claire Danes, Toni Collette, Vanessa Redgrave, Patrick Wilson, Hugh Dancy Director: Lajos Koltai Genre: Romantic Drama, Melodrama, Drama Two pairs of real-life mothers and daughters – Vanessa Redgrave and Natasha Richardson, and Meryl Streep and Mamie Gummer – portray, respectively, a mother and her daughter and the mother’s best friend at different stages in life. Overcome by the power of memory, Ann Lord (Ms. Redgrave) reveals a long-held secret to her concerned daughters; Constance (Ms. Richardson), a content wife and mother, and Nina (Toni Collette), a restless single woman. Both are bedside when Ann calls out for the man she loved more than any other. But who is this "Harris," wonder her daughters, and what is he to our mother? While Constance and Nina try to take stock of Ann’s life and their own lives, their mother is tended to by a night nurse (Eileen Atkins) as she journeys in her mind back to a summer weekend some fifty years ago, when she was Ann Grant (Claire Danes) Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Release Date: June 15, 2007 Run Time: 1 hr. 29 min. Rating: PG - sequences of action violence, some mild language and innuendo Cast: Jessica Alba, Ioan Gruffudd, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Julian McMahon, Laurence Fishburne, Doug Jones Director: Tim Story Genre: Comic-Book Superhero Film, Action, Science Fiction The enigmatic, intergalactic herald, the Silver Surfer, comes to Earth to prepare it for destruction. As he races around the globe wreaking havoc, Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben must unravel the mystery of the Silver Surfer and confront the surprising return of their mortal enemy, Dr. Doom, before all hope is lost. Into Great Silence Release Date: September 4, 2005 Director: Philip Gröning Genre: Documentary Sixteen years after making his initial request, filmmaker Philip Gröning travels to the Grande Chartreuse, a monastery nestled deep in the French Alps. For approximately six months, Gröning immerses himself in the daily rituals, prayers and tasks performed by the Carthusian monks, considered to be among the most ascetic of all orders. Knocked Up Release Date: June 1, 2007 Run Time: 2 hr. 12 min. Rating: R - sexual content, drug use and language Cast: Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jay Baruchel Director: Judd Apatow Genre: Romantic Comedy, Sex Comedy, Comedy Rising journalist Allison Scott (Katherine Heigl) hits a serious bump in the road after a one-night stand with irresponsible slacker Ben Stone (Seth Rogen) results in pregnancy. Rather than raise the baby on her own, she decides to give him a chance to prove he is father material. However, he is unsure if he is ready to be a parent, and both wonder if they would be compatible lifetime partners. La Vie en Rose Release Date: June 8, 2007 Run Time: 2 hr. 20 min. Rating: PG-13 - substance abuse, sexual content, brief nudity, language and thematic elements Cast: Marion Cotillard, Sylvie Testud, Pascal Greggory, Emmanuelle Seigner, Jean-Paul Rouve, Gérard Depardieu, Clotilde Courau, Jean-Pierre Martins, Catherine Allegret, Marc Barbé Director: Olivier Dahan Genre: Period Film, Musical Drama, Biography , Drama From the slums of Paris to the limelight of New York, Edith Piaf's life was a battle to sing and survive, live and love. Raised in poverty, Edith's magical voice and her passionate romances and friendships with the greatest names of the period--Yves Montand, Jean Cocteau, Charles Aznavour, Marlene Dietrich, Marcel Cerdan and others--made her a star all around the world. But in her audacious attempt to tame her tragic destiny, the Little Sparrow--her nickname--flew so high she could not fail to burn her wings. License to Wed Release Date: July 3, 2007 Run Time: 1 hr. 40 min. Rating: PG-13 - sexual humor and language Cast: Robin Williams, Mandy Moore, John Krasinski, Eric Christian Olsen, Christine Taylor, Josh Flitter Director: Ken Kwapis Genre: Romantic Comedy, Comedy Ben Murphy (John Krasinski) and his fiancée, Sadie Jones (Mandy Moore), have always dreamed of getting married in a traditional wedding at the family church. The problem is St. Augustine’s only has one wedding slot available in the next two years, and its charismatic pastor, Reverend Frank (Robin Williams), won’t bless Ben and Sadie’s union until they pass his patented, foolproof marriage-prep course. Through outrageous classes, outlandish homework assignments and some pious manipulation, Ben and Sadie are about to find out if they really have what it takes to make it to the altar...and live happily ever after. Live Free or Die Hard Release Date: June 27, 2007 Run Time: 2 hr. 10 min. Rating: PG-13 - intense sequences of violence and action, language and a brief sexual situation Cast: Bruce Willis, Justin Long, Timothy Olyphant, Cliff Curtis, Maggie Q, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kevin Smith Director: Len Wiseman Genre: Action Thriller, Action An attack on the vulnerable United States computer infrastructure begins to shut down the entire nation. The mysterious figure behind the shattering scheme has figured out every digital angle--but he never figured on an old-fashioned, ''analog'' fly in the ointment: John McClane. Nancy Drew Release Date: June 15, 2007 Run Time: 1 hr. 39 min. Rating: PG - mild violence, thematic elements and brief language Cast: Emma Roberts, Josh Flitter, Max Thieriot, Rachael Leigh Cook, Tate Donovan Director: Andrew Fleming Genre: Detective Film, Mystery, Children's/Family Accompanying her father on a business trip to Hollywood, Nancy Drew investigates the long-unsolved death of a beautiful movie star. Nancy’s resourcefulness and personal responsibility are put to the test when she finds herself in the middle of the fast-living, self-indulgent world of Hollywood. Based on characters created by Carolyn Keene. Ocean's Thirteen Release Date: June 8, 2007 Run Time: 1 hr. 53 min. Rating: PG-13 - brief sensuality Cast: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Ellen Barkin, Al Pacino, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac Director: Steven Soderbergh Genre: Caper, Master Criminal Films, Comedy, Crime, Ensemble Film Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and the gang would have only one reason to pull off their most ambitious and riskiest casino heist—to defend one of their own. Ruthless casino owner Willy Bank (Al Pacino) never imagined that the odds were against him when he double-crossed Danny Ocean’s friend and mentor Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould). He may have taken down one of the original Ocean’s eleven, but he left the others standing and, worse for him, gave them a shared purpose: to take Bank down on the night of what should be his greatest triumph—the grand opening of his new casino, appropriately named The Bank. Their strategy is twofold. First they will ruin him financially by turning the tables on the precept that the house always wins. The knockout punch will be to Bank’s personal pride and joy: his reputation as the only hotelier who has earned the Royal Review Board’s Five Diamond Award on every single one of his hotels. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End Release Date: May 24, 2007 Run Time: 2 hr. 45 min. Rating: PG-13 - intense sequences of action/adventure violence and some frightening images Cast: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Stellan Skarsgård, Bill Nighy, Chow Yun-Fat, Geoffrey Rush Director: Gore Verbinski Genre: Swashbuckler, Adventure Comedy, Sea Adventure, Fantasy Adventure, Adventure, Fantasy Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) join forces with Capt. Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) to free Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) from Davy Jones' locker. Meanwhile, the crew of The Flying Dutchman ghost ship wreak havoc on the Seven Seas. The friends must navigate through dangerous waters to confront infamous Chinese pirate Sao Feng (Chow Yun-Fat) and, ultimately, they must choose sides in a battle wherein the pirate life hangs in the balance. Ratatouille Release Date: June 29, 2007 Run Time: 1 hr. 50 min. Rating: G Cast: Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Lou Romano, Brian Dennehy, Peter Sohn, Peter O'Toole, Brad Garrett, Janeane Garofalo Director: Brad Bird Genre: Comedy, Family-Oriented Comedy A rat named Remy dreams of becoming a great French chef despite his family's wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent-phobic profession. When fate places Remy in the sewers of Paris, he finds himself ideally situated beneath a restaurant made famous by his culinary hero, Auguste Gusteau. Despite the apparent dangers of being an unlikely -- and certainly unwanted -- visitor in the kitchen of a fine French restaurant, Remy's passion for cooking soon sets into motion a hilarious and exciting rat race that turns the culinary world of Paris upside down. Remy finds himself torn between his calling and passion in life or returning forever to his previous existence as a rat. He learns the truth about friendship, family and having no choice but to be who he really is, a rat who wants to be a chef. Shrek the Third Release Date: May 18, 2007 Run Time: 1 hr. 33 min. Rating: PG - some crude humor, suggestive content and swashbuckling action Cast: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews Director: Chris Miller Genre: Fairy Tales & Legends, Children's/Family When Shrek married Fiona, the last thing he had in mind was becoming the next King. But when Shrek’s father-in-law, King Harold, suddenly croaks, that is exactly what he faces. Unless Shrek (with the help of his trusted companions Donkey and Puss In Boots) can find a suitable King for Far Far Away, the ogre could be stuck with the job. The most promising candidate, Fiona’s cousin Artie, an underachieving Medieval high school slacker, proves to be more of a challenge than they bargained for. Sicko Release Date: June 22, 2007 Run Time: 2 hr. 0 min. Rating: PG-13 - brief strong language Cast: Michael Moore Director: Michael Moore Genre: Culture & Society, Medicine, Politics & Government, Social Issues Filmmaker Michael Moore diagnoses the malady afflicting America's health-care system and talks about why millions of Americans are still without adequate health coverage and treatment. Surf's Up Release Date: June 8, 2007 Run Time: 1 hr. 25 min. Rating: PG - mild language and some rude humor Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Jeff Bridges, Zooey Deschanel, Jon Heder, James Woods, Diedrich Bader, Mario Cantone Director: Ash Brannon Genre: Children's/Family, Family-Oriented Comedy Teenage Rockhopper penguin Cody Maverick (voiced by Shia LaBeouf), an up-and-coming surfer, enters his first pro competition. Followed by a camera crew to document his experiences, Cody leaves his family and home in Shiverpool, Antarctica to travel to Pen Gu Island for the Big Z Memorial Surf Off. Along the way, Cody meets Sheboygan surfer Chicken Joe (Jon Heder), famous surf promoter Reggie Belafonte, surf talent scout Mikey Abromowitz, and spirited lifeguard Lani Aliikai (Zooey Deschanel), all of whom recognize Cody's passion for surfing, even if it's a bit misguided at times. Cody believes that winning will bring him the admiration and respect he desires, but when he unexpectedly comes face-to-face with a washed-up old surfer, Cody begins to find his own way, and discovers that a true winner isn't always the one who comes in first. Transformers Release Date: July 3, 2007 Run Time: 2 hr. 23 min. Rating: PG-13 - for intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, brief sexual humor, and language Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Rachael Taylor, Anthony Anderson, Jon Voight, John Turturro Director: Michael Bay Genre: Sci-Fi Action, Alien Invasion Films, Action, Science Fiction Director Michael Bay (Armageddon, Pearl Harbor) helms this live-action version of the popular cartoon series, which finds the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons landing on planet Earth and fighting for Energon, their most valued power source. Waitress Release Date: May 2, 2007 Run Time: 1 hr. 44 min. Rating: PG-13 - sexual content, language and thematic elements Cast: Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Cheryl Hines, Adrienne Shelly, Lew Temple Director: Adrienne Shelly Genre: Romantic Comedy, Comedy Drama Jenna's (Keri Russell) secret ambition is to save enough money from her waitressing job to leave her overbearing and controlling husband (Jeremy Sisto). A sharp, sassy woman with a gift for making unusual pies, Jenna's recipes are inspired by the trials, tribulations and circumstances of her life. An unwanted pregnancy changes the course of events, giving her an unexpected confidence via letters to her unborn baby.