Movie Listings (October 13, 2006)
The Departed Release Date: October 6, 2006 Run Time: 2 hr. 29 min. Rating: R - strong brutal violence, pervasive language, some strong sexual content and drug material Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson Director: Martin Scorsese Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Suspense/Thriller Synopsis: In South Boston the state police force is waging war on organized crime. Young undercover cop Billy Costigan is assigned to infiltrate the mob syndicate that is run by gangland chief Costello. While Billy is quickly gaining Costello's confidence, Colin Sullivan, a hardened young criminal who has infiltrated the police department as an informer for the syndicate, is rising to a position of power in the Special Investigation Unit. Each man becomes deeply consumed by his double life, gathering information about the plans and counter-plans of the operations he has penetrated. But when it becomes clear to both the gangsters and the police that there's a mole in their midst, Billy and Colin are suddenly in danger of being caught and exposed to the enemy--and each must race to uncover the identity of the other man in time to save himself. Employee of the Month Release Date: October 6, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 43 min. Rating: PG-13 - crude and sexual humor, and language Cast: Dane Cook, Jessica Simpson, Dax Shepard Director: Greg Coolidge Genre: Comedy Synopsis: For customers of Super Club, the largest high-volume, bulk-discount retailer in the country, membership has its privileges. For workers at the cavernous store, the most coveted honor is the Employee of the Month award, and having one's photo immortalized on the wall of fame in the staff lounge. Enter Zack Bradley and Vince Downey, two ultra competitive Super Club workers whose ten years of employment have resulted in drastically different career paths. While Vince--with the aid of his trusty sidekick Jorge--has advanced to become head cashier and winner of 17 consecutive E of M awards, Zack is the ultimate slacker whose scruffy appearance and laid back attitude has made him popular with his colleagues, but kept him stuck in the lowly ranks of the store's box boys. The duo's longtime rivalry comes to a bitter head when Amy--a beautiful new cashier with a reputation of only dating Employee of the Month winners--transfers to the store, immediately becoming the object of both Zack and Vince's affection and often comical gamesmanship. While Vince instantly impresses Amy with his crowd pleasing, flamboyant style behind his checkstand register, Zack's feeble attempts to charm his beautiful new co-worker quickly backfire against him. With the race to win Amy's affections slipping away, Zack determines his only chance rests in winning the store's next Employee of the Month award. Facing the Giants Release Date: September 29, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 52 min. Rating: PG - some thematic elements Cast: Alex Kendrick, Shannen Fields, Chris Willis Director: Alex Kendrick Genre: Drama, Family Synopsis: A Christian high school football coach uses his undying faith to battle the giants of fear and failure. In six years of coaching, Grant Taylor has never led his Shiloh Eagles to a winning season. After learning that he and his wife Brooke face infertility, Grant discovers that a group of fathers are secretly organizing to have him dismissed as head coach. Devastated by his circumstances, he cries out to God in desperation. When Grant receives a message from an unexpected visitor, he searches for a stronger purpose for his football team. He dares to challenge his players to believe God for the impossible on and off the field. When faced with unbelievable odds, the Eagles must step up to their grea-*test*-('") -*test*-('") of strength and courage. What transpires is a dynamic story of the fight between faith and fear. "Facing the Giants" is a powerful experience for the whole family inspiring viewers to live with faith, hope, and love. Gridiron Gang Release Date: September 15, 2006 Run Time: 2 hr. 0 min. Rating: PG-13 - startling scenes of violence, mature thematic material and language Cast: The Rock, Xzibit, Vanessa Ferlito Director: Phil Joanou Genre: Drama Synopsis: Columbia Pictures' Gridiron Gang tells the gritty and powerfully emotional story of juvenile detention camp probation officer Sean Porter (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), who, along with another officer, Malcolm Moore (Xzibit), turns a group of hard core teenage felons into a high school football team in four weeks. Confronted with gang rivalries and bitter hatred between his teammates, Porter teaches some hard lessons (and learns a few himself) as the kids gain a sense of self-respect and responsibility. In a world where 75% of these juvenile inmates return to prison or meet with violent ends on the streets, Porter and Moore face seemingly insurmountable barriers. No one wants to compete against convicted criminals, but through relentless pursuit and a jolt of inspiration, Porter and his team fight their way to redemption and a second chance. The Grudge 2 Release Date: October 13, 2006 Rating: PG-13 - mature thematic material, disturbing images/terror/violence, and some sensuality Cast: Amber Tamblyn, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jennifer Beals Director: Takashi Shimizu Genre: Horror, Suspense/Thriller Synopsis: Aubrey Davis discovers from her bedridden mother, Mrs. Davis, that her sister Karen is in a hospital in Japan. She also finds out that Karen is under investigation for the death of her boyfriend in a fire she started in a house located in Tokyo. Since Mrs. Davis is too ill to make the trip, she asks Aubrey to go to Tokyo and bring her sister home. Shortly after she arrives in Tokyo, reporter and photographed Eason, seeks out Aubrey to warn her that her sister, Karen, is in the thrall of something unseen and dangerous. Allison attends an international school in Tokyo. Desperately trying to fit in with the school's in crowd, Vanessa and Miyuki, she is willing to do anything they ask to get in good with them--even if it means going into a mysterious burned-down house, which was the site of several unexplained murders and strange disappearances. The young introverted Jake isn't happy that his widowed father Bill is engaged to Trish. Still mourning the death of his mother, he cannot understand why his older sister Lacey gets on so well with their soon-to-be stepmother. He also doesn't understand why one of his next-door neighbors is being so elusive. It seems that everyone in his apartment building is acting stranger and stranger. One by one, they are infected by the malevolent curse known as The Grudge, which is quickly moving out of the burned-down house in Tokyo and spreading to everyone who crosses its path. The Guardian Release Date: September 29, 2006 Run Time: 2 hr. 15 min. Rating: PG-13 - intense sequences of action/peril, brief strong language and some sensuality Cast: Kevin Costner, Ashton Kutcher, Neal McDonough Director: Andrew Davis Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama Synopsis: After losing his crew in a fatal crash, legendary Rescue Swimmer, Ben Randall, is sent to teach at A School, an elite training program for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers. Wrestling with the loss of his crew members, he throws himself into teaching, turning the program upside down with his unorthodox training methods. While there, he encounters a young, cocky swim champ, Jake Fischer, who is driven to be the best. During training, Randall helps mold Jake's character, combining his raw talent with the heart and dedication required of a Rescue Swimmer. Upon graduation, Jake follows Randall to Kodiak, Alaska, where they face the inherent dangers of the Bering Sea. In his initial solo rescue, Jake learns firsthand from Randall, the true meaning of heroism and sacrifice, echoing the Swimmer's motto--So Others May Live! Half Nelson Release Date: August 11, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 46 min. Rating: R Cast: Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps, Anthony Mackie Director: Ryan Fleck Genre: Drama Synopsis: Dan Dunne, an idealistic inner-city junior high school teacher, inspires his 13 and 14-year-olds to examine everything from civil rights to Civil War with a new enthusiasm. Rejecting the standard Civil Rights curriculum in favor of an edgier approach, Dan teaches his students how change works--on both a historical and personal scale. Though Dan can get it together in the classroom, he spends his time outside school on the edge of consciousness. Dealing with a serious drug habit, Dan is a strung-out role model. He juggles his hangovers and his homework, keeping his lives precariously separated, until one of his troubled students, Drey, catches him getting high after school. From this awkward beginning, Dan and Drey stumble into an unexpected friendship that threatens either to undo them or to provide the vital change they both need to move forward in their lives. House of Sand Release Date: August 11, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 55 min. Cast: Fernanda Montenegro, Fernanda Torres, Ruy Guerra Director: Andrucha Waddington Genre: Art House/Foreign, Drama Synopsis: Aurea is brought to the northern Brazilian town of Maranhao by her insane husband Vasco, who suffers from delusions that the barren land may be profitably farmed. A calamitous turn of events leaves Aurea, now pregnant, and her mother Maria alone in the desert in a house full of sand. They eventually find friendship and food through Massu, who lives at a quilombo (a self-sustaining society originally formed by escaped slaves). Aurea wrestles with her unhappy fate but slowly grows accustomed to the new rhythm of life in the dunes. Years pass and we find Aurea at peace in the desert, while her wild and sexually promiscuous daughter Maria lacks social propriety. Maria yearns to see the outside world and her dream is eventually fulfilled. The Illusionist Release Date: August 18, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 50 min. Rating: PG-13 - some sexuality and violence Cast: Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel Director: Neil Burger Genre: Drama, Romance, Suspense/Thriller Synopsis: When mysterious stage magician Eisenheim begins to perform his astounding illusions in Vienna, word quickly spreads of his otherworldly powers--even reaching the ears of one of Europe's most powerful and pragmatic men, Crown Prince Leopold. Certain that the illusionist is nothing more than an accomplished fraud, Leopold attends one of Eisenheim's shows, convinced that he can debunk him during the performance. But when the Prince's beautiful fiancé and companion, Sophie von Teschen, assists the magician onstage, Eisenheim and Sophie recognize each other from their childhoods--and a dormant love affair is rekindled. With Eisenheim and Leopold vying for Sophie's affection, it quickly becomes apparent that both will go to any length to claim and keep her love. As the clandestine romance continues, Vienna's shrewd Chief Inspector Uhl, a man committed to uphold the law, is charged by Leopold to intensify his efforts to expose Eisenheim, even while the magician gains a devoted and vocal public following. With Uhl doggedly searching for the reasons and the man behind the trickery, Eisenheim prepares to execute his grea-*test*-('") illusion yet. Jackass: Number Two Release Date: September 22, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 35 min. Rating: R - extremely crude and dangerous stunts throughout, sexual content, nudity and language Cast: Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O Director: Jeff Tremaine Genre: Comedy Synopsis: After smearing the world with all sorts of ridiculous crap, the original creators and cast of the MTV series are back at it again: significantly raising the stakes and lowering the bar, this installment in the jackass and jackass the movie series unleashes a spirited mess of absurdity as the cast and crew gets even more ugly around the globe. Jet Li’s Fearless Release Date: September 22, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 44 min. Rating: PG-13 - violence and martial arts action throughout Cast: Jet Li, Betty Sun, Dong Yong Director: Ronny Yu Genre: Action/Adventure Synopsis: The son of a great fighter who did not wish for his child to follow in his footsteps, the bullied Huo Yuanjia resolves to teach himself how to fight--and win. Years of training enable him to ace match after match in his home region of Tianjin. But as his fame as a martial arts master grows, so does his pride. After an ill-advised fight leads to another master's death, members of Huo's family are slain in revenge. Grieving and ashamed, Huo wanders the country in shock. Near death, he is rescued by women from an idyllic village, and is offered simple kindness and generosity that help him heal and regain his equilibrium over a period of several years. Huo realizes that the future of martial arts lies in sportsmanship and not brutality, and he rejoins society to apply what he has learned. Returning to Tianjin, Huo takes steps to come to terms with his past and restore his family's name. His evolving, graceful Mizong (Missing) Fist method of fighting brings Huo renewed success, and he forms the progressive Jingwu Sports Federation. Taking note, duplicitous members of the Foreign Chamber of Commerce engineer a Shanghai tournament pitting Huo against four fighters, each representing the major foreign powers in China. Huo commits to the bout and faces off against, respectively, a British boxer, a Spanish swordsman, a Belgian soldier and a Japanese martial artist. What happened that day in 1910 has never been, and will never be, forgotten in China. Little Miss Sunshine Release Date: July 26, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 42 min. Rating: R - language, some sex and drug content Cast: Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette Director: Jonathan Dayton,Valerie Faris Genre: Comedy Synopsis: No one among the Hoovers quite has it together, but it's not for lack of trying. Father Richard, a hopelessly optimistic motivational speaker, is desperately attempting to sell his 9-step program for success--without much success. Meanwhile, the Hoovers' pro-honesty mother Sheryl is constantly harried by her family's eccentric secrets, especially those of her brother, a suicidal Proust scholar fresh out of the hospital after being jilted by his gay lover. Then there are young Hoovers with their unlikely dreams--the four-eyed, slightly pump, seven year-old would-be beauty queen Olive and Dwayne, an anger-fueled, Nietzche-reading teen who has taken a staunch vow of silence until he gets into the Air Force Academy. Topping off the family is the grandfather, a foul-mouthed pleasure-seeker recently kicked out of his retirement home for snorting heroin. They might not be the picture of the perfect mental health, but when a fluke gets Olive invited to compete in the fiercely competitive Little Miss Sunshine competition in California, the whole Hoover family rallies behind her. They pile into their rusted-out VW bus and head West on a three-day tragicomic journey filled with madcap surprises and leading up to Olive's big debut--which will change the entire misfit family in ways they could never imagine. Man of the Year Release Date: October 13, 2006 Rating: PG-13 - language including some crude sexual references, drug related material, and brief violence Cast: Robin Williams, Laura Linney, Christopher Walken Director: Barry Levinson Genre: Comedy Synopsis: Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams), the satirical host of a political talk show, decides to shake things up by running for U.S. president. A bizarre set of circumstances causes the stunt to backfire, and he unexpectedly finds himself as America's commander in chief. The Marine Release Date: October 13, 2006 Rating: PG-13 - intense sequences of violent action, sensuality and language Cast: John Cena, Robert Patrick, Kelly Carlson Director: John Bonito Genre: Action/Adventure Synopsis: WWE wrestling champion John Cena makes his motion picture debut in this rugged action thriller. Cena is John Triton, a heroic Marine who returns home after being discharged – against his will -- from the Iraq War. Stateside, he finds himself back in action, when his wife (Kelly Carlson) is kidnapped by a murderous gang led by the merciless Rome (Robert Patrick). With everything on the line, the Marine will stop at nothing to carry out his toughest and most important mission. One Night With the King Release Date: October 13, 2006 Run Time: 2 hr. 2 min. Rating: PG - violence, some sensuality and thematic elements Cast: Tiffany Dupont, Luke Goss, Peter O'Toole Director: Michael Sajbel Genre: Drama, Romance Synopsis: Born of slaves, a young Jewish woman named Hadassah becomes part of the harem of powerful King Xerxes. Simultaneously, a close adviser to the king hatches a plan to exterminate the Jews. Hadassah, now called Queen Esther, must find the courage to step forward and save her people from annihilation. Open Season Release Date: September 29, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 40 min. Rating: PG - some rude humor, mild action and brief language Cast: Martin Lawrence, Ashton Kutcher, Gary Sinise Director: Jill Culton,Anthony Stacchi,Roger Allers Genre: Animated, Comedy, Family Synopsis: A 900-pound domesticated grizzly bear named Boog, with no survival skills, has his perfect world turned upside-down when he meets Elliot, a scrawny, fast-talking wild mule deer. When Elliot convinces Boog to desert his idyllic existence living in a garage decked out with all the comforts of home, and try the wild life, things quickly spiral out of control. With open season upon them, and the hunters arriving in force, Elliot must help Boog get in touch with his inner grizzly to unite the woodland creatures and take the forest back! School for Scoundrels Release Date: September 29, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 40 min. Rating: PG-13 - language, crude and sexual content, and some violence Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Heder, Jacinda Barrett Director: Todd Phillips Genre: Comedy Synopsis: Roger is a beleaguered New York City meter maid who is plagued by anxiety and low self-esteem. In order to overcome his feelings of inadequacy, Roger enrolls in a top-secret confidence-building class taught by the suavely underhanded Dr. P. Aided by his assistant, Lesher, Dr. P uses unorthodox, often dangerous methods, but he guarantees results: Employ his techniques and you will unleash your inner lion.Surrounded by a band of misfit classmates-- Walsh, who's dying to move out of mother's basement; Diego, a punching bag for his hen-pecker of a wife; and Eli, a shy guy just looking for female companionship--Roger's confidence grows and he makes his way to the head of the class, even finding the courage to ask out his longtime crush, Amanda. But Roger quickly discovers that star students have a way of catapulting Dr. P's competitive side into high gear. Soon enough, the teacher sets out to infiltrate and destroy Roger's personal and professional life. Nothing is off limits for Dr. P, not even the object of Roger's affection. In order to show Amanda Dr. P's true colors, Roger must rally his new friends and find a way to beat the master at his own game. A remake of the 1960 British film. The Science of Sleep Release Date: September 22, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 45 min. Rating: R - language, some sexual content and nudity Cast: Gael García Bernal, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alain Chabat Director: Michel Gondry Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy Synopsis: The Science of Sleep is a playful fantasy set inside the topsy-turvy brain of Stephane Miroux (Gael Garcia Bernal), an eccentric young man whose dreams constantly invade his waking life. While slumbering, he is the charismatic host of "Stephane TV," expounding on The Science of Sleep in front of cardboard cameras. In "real life," he has a boring job at a Parisian calendar publisher and pines for Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg), the girl in the apartment across the hall. While Stephanie is initially charmed by Stephane, she is confused by his childishness and shaky connection to reality. Stephane's co-worker, Guy (Alain Chabat) a vulgar but practical man, offers advice on the opposite sex, but Stephane is too far in the clouds to listen. Unable to find the secret to Stephanie's heart while awake, Stephane searches for the answer in his dreams. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning Release Date: October 6, 2006 Run Time: 1 hr. 24 min. Rating: R - strong horror violence/gore, language and some sexual content Cast: Jordana Brewster, Andrew Bryniarski, R. Lee Ermey Director: Jonathan Liebesman Genre: Horror Synopsis: It's 1969. The conflict in Viet Nam has exploded to immeasurable proportions, and 18-year-old Dean Hill's number is up. Dean's brother Eric, who has already seen his share of combat, plans to take Dean to enlist in his beloved Marine Corps in hopes of keeping an eye on him rather than letting him take his chances at the local induction center. But Dean plans to confront Eric about dodging the draft after the boys and their respective girlfriends, Bailey and Chrissie, head across Texas for a final fling of serious fun. Soon after their journey begins, the foursome are spooked by a menacing pair of bikers, Holden and his girlfriend, Alex. When Alex chases the group's jeep, propelling them into a serious accident, Chrissie is thrown from the vehicle. As Alex attempts to rob the injured trio, Sherriff Hoyt arrives and turns the tables on their would-be assassin. While Chrissie hides in the nearby brush, she watches as the sheriff kills Alex and then taunts her friends before ordering them into the back of the patrol car. Unbeknownst to Chrissie, Hoyt is headed to the Hewitt family home where Thomas, who is being groomed to become the terrifying monster known as Leatherface, and the rest of the Hewitt clan await. Chrissie attempts to convince Holden to help her, but he is on a one man rampage to avenge his girlfriend's death. As Chrissie witnesses the horrors inflicted by the Hewitt family upon the people she loves, she realizes she is their only hope of survival.