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Holiday Movie Guide - Now in Theaters
Anna Karenina
Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Johnson
(Now in theaters) Based on Leo Tolstoy’s novel, this is a story of a woman who jeopardizes her family for an illicit love affair. Set in 19th century Russian aristocracy, audiences will embrace the fine tuned choreography, lavish set design and smoldering performances.
Summit Entertainment, LLC
Director: Bill Condon
Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
(Now in theaters) Arguably the strongest installment in the film series, In this last installment of the Twilight films, Bella and Edward struggle to prove their daughter is not an immortal child, while facing an attack from the Volturi. Fans of the series won’t be disappointed with this action packed film that brings together a culmination of all the things Twihard fans have loved in previous films.
Director: Ang Lee
Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Ayush Tandon
(Now in theaters) Both poetic and brutally life affirming, Ang Lee’s metaphysical masterpiece is a vision. Life of Pi is about the extraordinary journey of an Indian boy’s adventure to America. Director Ang Lee does an amazing job with special effects, making this story about far more than just a boy sharing a boat with a Bengal Tiger.
Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck, Josh Hutcherson
(Now in theaters) Some remakes, no matter how misguided have a unique life all their own. A remake of the 1984 film starring Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen, 2012’s Red Dawn is a more modern take featuring two of the hottest up-and-coming young actors in Hollywood. When North Korea invades, a group of teens must defend their hometown by helping the U.S. military in a covert operation.
Director: Peter Ramsey
Hugh Jackman, Alec Baldwin, Chris Pine
(Now in theaters) This 3D animated film tells the story of Pitch, an evil spirit trying to take over the world. The Guardians, a group of four legendary characters consisting of Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and the Sandman, join forces to protect the imagination and hopes of the children of earth. Adults and children alike will love this untold story of our favorite childhood personalities.
Director: David O. Russell
Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro
(Now in theaters) For those who think director David O. Russell couldn’t top The Fighter, you are quite mistaken. Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival to amazing reviews, this romantic comedy/drama takes audiences on a roller coaster plotline through gambling debts, mental disorders and even a dance competition worthy of a Mirror Ball Trophy.
Director: Andrew Dominik
Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta, Richard Jenkins
(Now in theaters) Although reviews have been mixed, Pitt is I top form. To see Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) and Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) together in a mobster movie of a card game holdup is well worth the price of admission. This action-packed movie has a non-stop storyline with a long list of heavy hitting actors.
Director: Roger Michell
Bill Murray, Laura Linney, Olivia Williams
Bill Murray gives his most complex screen performance to date. When the King and Queen of the UK come to America in 1939 seeking FDR’s help in dealing with Germany’s war threats, the U.S. president is faced with a dilemma involving national affairs as well as personal ones. The mistress–first lady–White House quandary isn’t new, but when FDR finds himself in love with his cousin, it brings a whole new meaning to the phrase political scandal.
Director: Peter Jackson
Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage
Arguably the best book from The Lord of the Rings series, this is the story of Bilbo Baggins 60 years before the first The Lord of the Rings film. Young Bilbo sets off on an adventure to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom. Fans of previous films will enjoy familiar characters like Gollum, Gandalf the Grey and Orcs, and newcomers will get to see the series at its beginnings in the highly anticipated prequel.
Holiday Movie Guide - Coming Soon
Sony Pictures Classics
Director: Michael Haneke
Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert
(Opens Dec. 19th) Amour is a foreign drama film, spoken in French, telling the story of two retired music teachers. When the wife suffers from a debilitating stroke, the family’s love is put to the test.
The Guilt Trip
Paramount Pictures
Director: Anne Fletcher
Seth Rogen, Barbra Streisand, Yvonne Strahovski
(Opens Dec. 19th) Mother and son embark on a road trip, and while he is looking to sell a new invention, Babs is reuniting with a long lost love. The comedy that ensues is worthy of the first starring role Barbra Streisand has taken on since 1996, and younger audiences will be drawn to Seth Rogen’s comedic role as her son.
Zero Dark Thirty
Sony Pictures
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Joel Edgerton, Jason Clarke, Jessica Chastain
(Opens Dec. 19th) This may very well top Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker. (Oscar buzz is deafening) This is a dramatization of one of the most important events in United States history, the manhunt for Osama Bin Laden. It follows the collaboration of intelligence and military operations that work together for a common goal.
Jack Reacher
Paramount Pictures
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall, Rosamund Pike
(Opens Dec. 21st) Do you miss seeing Tom Cruise run from explosions bursting close behind him? The wait is over. When a homicide investigation of a trained military sniper shooting five random victims leads to Jack Reacher, a highly decorated military man, the skills and secrets of the armed forces come out in an action packed film of vigilante justice.
The Impossible
Summit Entertainment
Director: Juan Antonio Bayona
Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor
(Opens Dec. 21st) Based on a true story, The Impossible takes you through one family’s experience during the 2004 tsunami that devastated Southeast Asia. Audiences will be moved and overwhelmed with the tale of one woman’s heroism, strength and desire to help others.
Director: Judd Apatow
Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Megan Fox
(Opens Dec. 21st) Finally, Judd Apatow’s better half gets to shine – because she wasn’t given the chance to in Knocked Up. Expanding on the lives of Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) from Knocked Up, this romantic comedy is about how relationships can change during the course of a marriage. Combine the director of The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up with the producers of Bridesmaids and you have the makings of a fun-loving film that brings laughter to real life issues.
On the Road
IFC Films
Director: Walter Salles
Dean Moriarty, Sal Paradise, Kristen Stewart
(Opens Dec. 21st) This film adaptation stays somewhat true to the source material. Based on Jack Kerouac’s critically acclaimed novel about his own travel experiences in the late 1940s, On the Road features some morally ambiguous moments between two friends and one wife. Arguably one of Kristen Stewarts racier roles, this is quite a step away from her character as Bella on Twilight.
Django Unchained
The Weinstein Company
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Jamie Foxx, Samuel L. Jackson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz
(Opens Christmas Day) Leo’s villainous performance here outshines Waltz’s in Inglourious Basterds. A bounty hunter searches for the elusive Brittle brothers and turns to the one man who has seen their faces––a freed slave named Django. In return for his services, the bounty hunter agrees to help Django find his wife, who has been sold into slavery. Filled with action, western themes, the injustices of slavery and the prices of sacrifice, this Quentin Tarantino film won’t disappoint.
Director: Amy Berg
(Opens Christmas Day) It’s a grizzly yet compelling story begging to be retold. West of Memphis is a documentary film investigating the wrongful persecution of three men, dubbed the West Memphis Three, who were convicted of sexually mutilating and killing three small boys in 1993. Witnesses recanting their testimony, DNA evidence pointing to a different individual and coercion tactics used on a borderline mentally disabled suspect still won’t allow for a new trial for the West Memphis Three. Audiences might be surprised at how politics and pride keep three likely innocent men in jail while the real killer walks free.
Les Miserables
Universal Pictures
Director: Tom Hooper
Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe
(Opens Christmas Day) Can Tom Hooper (director of The Kings’ Speech) make magic onscreen again? Based on the immensely popular play, this remake film tells the story of one man’s transformation that changes the lives of numerous people, even the inspector hunting him down. Anne Hathaway’s captivating performance as a prostitute trying to support a daughter she never sees combined with acting by Hugh Jackman that is already gaining Oscar buzz will be a sure hit at the theaters.
20th Century Fox Distribution
Director: Andy Fickman
Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei
(Opens Christmas Day) With Bette Midler and Billy Crystal playing grandparents in charge of watching three of their daughter’s children, this comedy focuses on the differing methods of childrearing from one generation to the next. This family comedy bridges the generation gap for all families taking in a movie together over the holidays.
