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August 2004
Fall Preview

FALL PREVIEW

By Wilson Morales

Now that the Fall is over; get ready for an avalanche of films that have the potential to be blockbusters, flops, and Oscar Contenders. All of the heavyweight actors that we come to love are out with films that will bring in their legion of fans. Oscar potentials include "Aviator", directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and "Alexander", directed by Oliver Stone and starring Colin Farrell. Jamie Foxx will certainly bring in a crowd as he's set to play Ray Charles in "Ray", another Oscar contender. Sequels are in order as Wesley Snipes reprises his role as Blade in "Blade: Trinity" and Milla Jovovich returns as Alice in "Resident Evil: Apocalypse". Besides those two action films, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Julia Roberts return with the other "Ocean's Eleven" cast members for "Ocean's Twelve" and after starring in 3 blockbusters this year, Ben Stiller returns to the screen once again in the sequel to "Meet the Parents", "Meet the Fockers" with Barbra Streisand playing his mom. Not only that, but Renee Zellweger gained some pounds to please her fans as she comes back in "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason". As for Animation films, there's "Shark Tale" with Will Smith and Angelina Jolie, "The Incredibles" with Samuel L. Jackson, and "The Spongebob Squarepants Movie". Original stories must be thin these days as remakes of foreign films come our way beginning with "Taxi", starring Queen Latifah; "Shall We Dance?", starring Jennifer Lopez and Richard Gere; "Alfie" with Jude Law, and "The Grudge" starring Sarah Michelle Geller. The race for a Best Actor may include two of last year's contenders with Johnny Depp playing J.M Barrie in "Finding Neverland" and Bill Murray starring in "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou". Other Fall films include Jude Law and Gweneth Paltrow taking you on a joyride in "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" and Monique bringing her version of a "beauty shop" in "Hair Show".

 


VANITY FAIR

Release Date: September 1, 2004
Distributor: Focus Features
Director: Mira Nair
Cast: Bob Hoskins, Reese Witherspoon, Rhys Ifans, Jim Broadbent, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Gabriel Byrne, James Purefoy

Synopsis: One of America's most popular stars unites with one of the world's most acclaimed directors to bring to the screen one of the greatest female characters ever created. The new film version of the classic novel by William Makepeace Thackeray centers on Rebecca (Becky) Sharp. Born into the lower class, Becky can rely only on her wit, guile, and sexuality as she makes her way up through London society circa 1820

 

 

 


THE COOKOUT

Release Date: September 3, 2004
Distributor: Lion's Gate Films
Director: Lance Rivera
Cast: Queen Latifah, Quran Pender, Ja Rule, Eve, Jonathan Silverman, Jenifer Lewis, Meagan Good, Tim Meadows, Farrah Fawcett, Danny Glover, Storm P

Synopsis: TODD ANDERSON is chosen as the #1 NBA draft pick by the New Jersey Nets and signs a contract for thirty million dollars that instantly changes his life. Whether he likes it or not his mom, LADY EM played by Jenifer Lewis, is not going to let her son forget his roots. Todd is at a crossroads and with his new found wealth becomes vulnerable to the influence of other people. Todd buys a new house and mistakenly invites family from the old neighborhood for a cookout on the same day he scheduled an endorsement interview. The cookout is a family tradition more extravagant than the typical American dinner gathering because it's like a giant reunion and all havoc breaks loose for the feast of Southern home cooking. As the new black man living in a stuffy white neighborhood, Todd attracts a lot of attention. Queen Latifah is the eccentric security guard that makes matters worse for Todd. She's poised to bust him if any of the neighborhood association's myriad of rules gets broken. Unfortunately for Todd as the family arrives, the rules get broken. Peeping neighbors are drawn to and gawk at the group of Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and wild unidentified babies in diapers. One particular neighbor - a conservative Republican JUDGE CROWLEY, played by Danny Glover, fears the worst with Todd's arrival. Todd becomes so focused on his image that he is embarrassed about his family. Meanwhile, BLING BLING and WHEEZER two good-for-nothing tough crash the party and hold Todd's girlfriend at gunpoint in order to get him to autograph his sneakers. Little do they know this family is so determined to eat that they are fearless of the criminals that invade the cookout. The chaos caused by the hoodlums helps Todd realize how much he needs his family support and it's clear that the Cookout is a family tradition that always brings the right people together

 

 

 


WICKER PARK

Release Date: September 3, 2004 Directed by: Paul McGuigan
Cast: Josh Hartnett, Matthew Lillard, Rose Byrne, and Diane Kruger

Synopsis: Intricately moving back and forth in time and revealing the story from each character's perspective, Wicker Park is an intense psychological drama about a man [Josh Hartnett] caught in an obsessive search for a woman he fell deeply in love with - a woman who then vanished without a trace. Two years after her disappearance, he catches a fleeting glimpse of her in a local bar and begins a twisting search to find her and discover what really happened

 

 

 


CELLULAR

Release Date: September 10, 2004
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Director: David Ellis
Cast: Kim Basinger, Chris Evans, Jason Statham, William H. Macy

Synopsis: A random wrong number on his cell phone sends a young man into a high-stakes race against time to save a woman's life. With no knowledge of Jessica Martin (Kim Basinger) other than her hushed, panicked voice on the other end of the tenuous cell phone connection, Ryan (Chris Evans) is quickly thrown into a world of deception and murder on his frantic search to find and save her. Jessica's life is in his hands, but what is waiting for him on the other side of the line, and what will cost him to find out?

 

 

 


CRIMINAL

Release Date: September 10, 2004
Distributor: Warner Independent Pictures
Director:Gregory Jacobs
Cast: John C. Reilly, Diego Luna, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jonathan Tucker, Peter Mullan, Malik Yoba

Synopsis: John C. Reilly ("Chicago"), Diego Luna ("Y Tu Mama Tambien") and Maggie Gyllenhaal ("Secretary") star in a contemporary caper movie set in Los Angeles. It's the story of an extremely odd couple: a young Latino man who will do anything for his family (Luna) and a 30-something scheming white guy who will do anything to his family (Reilly). One wants to save his father. The other wants to get rich, in any way possible. So when they come across one of the most valuable pieces of currency in U.S. history, they're suddenly stuck together, and that's just . . . criminal. All they have to do is sell it, which is where the real problems begin. And of course the only way out is family: the one person who can help them, hates them: the schemer's sister (Gyllenhaal).

 

 

 


RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE

Release Date: September 10, 2004
Distributor: Screen Gems (Sony)
Director: Alexander Witt
Cast: Milla Jovovich, Sienna Guillory, Oded Fehr, Thomas Kretschmann, Jared Harris, Mike Epps

Synopsis: A deadly virus has been unleashed on the population of Raccoon City. RESIDENT EVIL: Apocalypse is a terrifying adventure in survival horror. Milla Jovovich (5th Element, Dummy) returns as ALICE, one of only two survivors of the contained biochemical disaster in the first RESIDENT EVIL, the $100 million hit that serves as a prologue to the all-out action and horror of RESIDENT EVIL: Apocalypse. The film begins where the first film left off, with ALICE in the heart of the ravaged and deadly Raccoon City. She has been subjected to biogenetic experimentation by the vast Umbrella Corporation and become genetically altered, with super-human strengths, senses and dexterity. These skills, and more, will be needed if anyone is to remain alive. ALICE is joined by JILL VALENTINE (Sienna Guillory - Time Machine, Helen of Troy), a recently demoted member of Umbrella Corp's elite Special Tactics and Rescue Services (S.T.A.R.S.), TERRI MORALES (Sandrine Holt - Once A Thief, Happy Hour), CARLOS OLIVIERA (Oded Fehr - The Mummy, Presidio Med), L.J. (Mike Epps - Next Friday, All About the Benjamins), and NICHOLAI (Zack Ward - Titus, Almost Famous) who must survive and escape what is quickly becoming a City of the Dead. To reach their goal, they will need to battle their way through the relentless onslaught of the ravenous undead, as well as Umbrella forces and terrifying bioengineered weapons, the most deadly of which is the colossal, heavily armed assassin, NEMESIS.

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MR.3000

Release Date: September 17, 2004
Distributor: Touchstone Pictures
Director: Charles Stone III
Cast: Bernie Mac, Angela Bassett, Evan Jones, Amaury Nolasco, Michael Rispoli

Synopsis: Funnyman Bernie Mac brings his irreverent comedy to the big screen to star in this hysterical movie about an over-the-hill ballplayer who gets his comeuppance after assuming that his Hall of Fame plaque is in the bag. Stan Ross (Mac) once loved the game of baseball, playing with passion, energy, and every ounce of his natural talent. But somewhere along the way, the fame went to his head. The self-centered star ended his career prematurely, shocking his teammates by selfishly quitting the game in the middle of a season, right after getting his 3,000th hit -- the unofficial key to baseball's Hall of Fame. Now, ten years later, three of Mr. 3000's hits have been disqualified, and the 47-year-old out-of-shape former slugger attempts a comeback -- hitting the gym and facing down pitchers half his age -- only to find that three hits are a lot harder to come by than they used to be! The media love to hate the bigheaded basher and they're going to delight in ripping him for every strikeout. With only his ex-flame (Bassett) believing in him, for once in his life, Stan must either rediscover his passion for the national pastime -- or settle for living as "Mr. 2997."

 

 

 


SAW

Release Date: September 17, 2004
Distributor: Lion's Gate Films Directors: James Wan
Cast: Tobin Bell, Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Ken Leung, Dina Meyer, Monica Potter, Shawnee Smith, Leigh Whannell

Synopsis: Two strangers awaken, chained side-by-side to the wall of a filthy bathroom. Neither knows how they came to this awful predicament, nor what might await them. But the man lying on the floor and missing part of his head might be a clue. Soon, they'll discover they are the latest victims of a maniac who makes his own amusement by pitting two strangers in gory, life-and-death situations.

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SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW

Release Date: September 17, 2004
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Director: Kerry Conran
Cast: Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Casey Affleck, Bai Ling, Giovanni Ribisi

Synopsis: Famous scientists around the world have mysteriously disappeared and Chronicle reporter Polly Perkins (Paltrow) along with ace aviator Sky Captain (Law) are on the investigation. Risking their lives as they travel to exotic places around world, can the fearless duo stop Dr. Totenkopf, the evil mastermind behind a plot to destroy the earth? Aided by Franky Cook (Jolie), commander of an all-female amphibious squadron, and technical genius Dex (Ribisi), Polly and Sky Captain may be our planet's only hope

 

 

 


WIMBLEDON

Release Date: September 17, 2004
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Director: Richard Loncraine
Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Paul Bettany, Sam Neill, Jon Favreau

Synopsis: In the tradition of their hit romantic comedies Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones's Diary, Working Title Film's Wimbledon is a sweet and funny tale of romance across the net. Peter Colt (Bettany) is an unlucky guy, scoring "love" both professionally and personally. Seeded near the bottom of the world tennis ranks, he manages to score a wild card, allowing him to play in the prestigious Wimbledon tournament. There, he meets and falls in love with American tennis star Lizzie Bradbury (Dunst). Fueled by a mixture of his newfound luck, love and on-court prowess, Peter works his way up the ranks of the tournament players and actually stands a chance of fulfilling his lifelong dream of winning the men's singles title--if his luck can just hold out. With Australian Wimbledon champion Pat Cash serving as tennis advisor on the film, Wimbledon was granted unprecedented access by The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (AELTCC) to film during this year's championships, one of the sports world's most prestigious and watched events

 

 

 


A DIRTY SHAME

Release Date: September 24, 2004
Director: John Waters
Starring: Tracy Ullman, Johnny Knoxville, Selma Blair, Chris Isaak

Synopsis: From the wondrously fertile mind of writer/director John Waters comes A
DIRTY SHAME, America's first carnal concussion comedy. Set in the Harford
Road area of Waters' native Baltimore, A DIRTY SHAME tells what happens when
a horny horde of "sex addicts" invade a blue-collar neighborhood, to the
shock and dismay of the "neuter" neighbors. Rude, joyous and full of sexual
anarchy, A DIRTY SHAME is a movie with a generous heart and a dirty mind: in
other words, a classic John Waters comedy.

 

 

 


FIRST DAUGHTER

Release Date: September 24, 2004
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Director: Forest Whitaker
Cast: Katie Holmes, Marc Blucas, Michael Keaton, Amerie Rogers, Margaret Colin, Lela Rochon Fuque

Synopsis: Samantha Mackenzie (Holmes) wants what every college freshman desires: to experience life away from home and parents. But it's not going to be easy, because home for Sam is The White House and her dad (Keaton), is the President of the United States. Despite her fishbowl existence, Sam meets and falls for James (Blucas), the Resident Advisor in her dorm. As romance blossoms, Sam discovers her new beau is a secret service agent assigned to protect her

 

 

 


THE FORGOTTEN

Release Date: September 24, 2004
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Director: Joseph Ruben
Cast: Julianne Moore, Dominic West, Gary Sinise, Alfre Woodard, Linus Roache, Anthony Edwards

Synopsis: Julianne Moore stars as Telly Paretta, a grieving mother struggling to cope with the loss of her eight-year old son. She is stunned when her psychiatrist (Gary Sinise) reveals that she has created eight years of memories about a son she never had. But when she meets a man (Dominic West) who has had a similar experience, Telly embarks on a search to prove her son's existence, and her sanity.

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LADDER 49

Release Date: October 1, 2004
Distributor: Touchstone Pictures
Director: Jay Russell
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, John Travolta, Jacinda Barrett, Billy Burke, Kevin Chapman, Morris Chestnut, Scott Cooper, Kevin Daniels, Balthazar Getty, Tim Guinee, Brooke Hamlin, Jay Hernandez, Robert Patrick

Synopsis: Jack Morrison (Phoenix) is a fireman -- he saves lives for a living. But as rewarding as the work is, the physical toll, high risk, and low pay often make Jack wonder if he has done the right thing for his wife and children. Even the support and encouragement he receives from his mentor and chief (Travolta) and the fellow firemen in his firehouse, Ladder 49, can't help Jack shake the feeling. But when Jack becomes trapped in the worst blaze of his career, it is now he who needs to be rescued. With the fire raging in every direction and his brothers-in-arms struggling to set him free, the question of whether Jack will live or die hangs in the balance.

 

 

 


I HEART HUCKABEES

Release Date: October 1, 2004
Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Director: David O. Russell
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Isabelle Huppert, Jude Law, Jason Schwartzman, Lily Tomlin, Mark Wahlberg, Naomi Watts

Synopsis: Albert Markovski (Jason Schwartzman), head of the Open Spaces Coalition, has been experiencing an alarming series of coincidences the meaning of which escapes him. With the help of two Existential Detectives, Bernard and Vivian Jaffe (Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin), Albert examines his life, his relationships, and his conflict with Brad Stand (Jude Law), an executive climbing the corporate ladder at Huckabees, a popular chain of retail superstores. When Brad also hires the detectives, they dig deep into his seemingly perfect life and his relationship with his spokesmodel girlfriend, the voice of Huckabees, Dawn Campbell (Naomi Watts). Albert pairs up with rebel firefighter Tommy Corn (Mark Wahlberg) to take matters into their own hands under the guidance of the Jaffes' nemesis, the French radical Caterine Vauban (Isabelle Huppert).

 

 

 


SHARK TALE

Release Date: October 1, 2004
Distributor: DreamWorks Pictures Directors: Vicky Jenson, Bibo Bergeron
Cast: Will Smith, Robert De Niro, Renee Zellweger, Angelina Jolie, Jack Black, Martin Scorsese, Peter Falk, Michael Imperioli, Vincent Pastore, Doug E. Doug, Ziggy Marley.

Synopsis: Oscar (Will Smith) is a fast-talking little fish who dreams big. But his big dreams land him in hot water when a great white lie turns him into an unlikely hero. At first, his fellow fish swallow Oscar's story hook, line and sinker and he is showered with fame and fortune. It's all going along swimmingly, until it starts to become clear that Oscar's tale about being the defender of the Reef is all wet. Oscar is finding out that being a hero comes at a Market Price when his lie threatens to make him the Catch of the Day. Now he has to tread water until he can get the scales to tip back in his favor again

 

 

 


WOMAN THOU ART LOOSED

Release Date: October 1, 2004
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Director: Michael Schultz
Cast: Kimberly Elise, Clifton Powell, Loretta Devine, Debbie Morgan, Michael Boatman, Idalis DeLeon, Sean Blakemore

Synopsis: From the best selling novel and stage play, WOMAN THOU ART LOOSED (WTAL), comes the film adaptation of Bishop T.D. Jakes' tale of dysfunction, isolation and finally, inspiration. WTAL tells the story of Michelle Jordan (Kimberly Elise), a young woman who grows up in an environment of abuse and molestation by the hands of her mother's boyfriend Reggie (Clifton Powell); while her mother Cassie (Loretta Devine) looks the other way. These circumstances lead young Michelle into the dark abyss of drugs, prostitution and prison.

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FRIDAY NIGHTS LIGHTS

Release Date: October 8, 2004
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Director: Peter Berg
Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Jay Hernandez, Tim McGraw, Lucas Black, Derek Luke, Lee Thompson Young, Connie Britton

Synopsis: From Oscar®-winning producer Brian Grazer and Imagine Entertainment and based on the best-selling book about high school football by H.G. Bissinger, Friday Night Lights chronicles the entire 1988 season of the Permian High Panthers of Odessa, Texas, with football players, coaches, mothers, fathers, pastors, boosters, fans and families struggling with ongoing personal conflicts while the team fights for a state championship. A town for sale, Odessa, Texas has seen better days--the financial bust evident in its boarded-up shops and broken lives. Yet one hope sustains the community where, once a week during the fall, the town and its dreams come alive beneath the dazzling and disorienting Friday night lights...when the Permian High Panthers take to the field. In a city where economic uncertainty has eroded the spirit of its inhabitants, nearly everyone seeks comfort in the religion of the Friday night ritual, where the unfulfilled dreams of an entire community are shifted onto the shoulder pads of a team of high-school athletes. Friday Night Lights captures the frenzy of a small town that reveres its school team and their weekly games. With Odessa standing in for places just like it all across America, the film provides an illuminating look at the hoped-for successes and the built-in failures of trying to live the American Dream through the efforts of a group of talented young men.

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HAIR SHOW

Release Date: October 15, 2004
Distributor: Urbanworks Entertainment
Cast: Mo'Nique, Kellita Smith, Serena Williams, Joe Torry, Gina Torres, Taraji Henson and Vivica A. Fox Dirctor: Leslie Small

Synopsis: In Magic Johnson's HAIR SHOW, the Queen of Urban Comedy - Mo'Nique -portrays Peaches, a spirited hair stylist from Baltimore. When Peaches arrives in Beverly Hills to get reacquainted with her estranged sister, upscale salon owner Angela (Kellita Smith of "The Bernie Mac Show"), sparks fly. Peaches confesses that she's on the run from the IRS and has a month to pay $50,000 in back taxes. After some hilarious moments and passionate exchanges, the two sisters join forces to fight off pesky rival salon owner, Marcella (Gina Torres of "The Matrix Reloaded"), in a show-stopping competition to win a cash prize for Peaches and bragging rights for Angela at the city's annual hair show. Let the hair begin!

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STAGE BEAUTY

Release Date: October 8, 2004
Distributor: Lions Gate Films
Director: Richard Eyre
Cast: Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Rupert Everett, Tom Wilkinson, Ben Chaplin, Hugh Bonneville, Richard Griffiths, Edward Fox, Tom Hollander, Clare Higgins

Synopsis:  Actor Edward "Ned" Kynaston (Crudup) may well be the most desired man in all of London. The Restoration is in full swing, and enthusiastic audiences of aristocrats and commoners pack the theatres that were shuttered during the Puritans' joyless rule. With only men permitted to tread the boards, the greatest ardor is reserved for the actor who is the complete "female stage beauty" - and indisputably, Ned Kynaston is that actor. Lusted after by women and men alike, Ned commands all the perks of a star; at the same time, he is a dedicated actor who runs lines with his stage dresser Maria (Danes), who quietly adores him. Every night, Ned's death scene as Desdemona in "Othello" stops the show. But the winds of change are blowing - and they sound like the rustling of women's skirts. Ironically, it is Maria who ushers in a new era with her pseudonymous portrayal of Desdemona in an after-hours pub production of "Othello." After years of men-as-women, Maria is a sensation, a novelty whose time has come. King Charles II (Everett), prodded by his saucy, stage-struck mistress Nell Gwynn (Zoe Tapper), not only overturns the ban on actresses but also prohibits men from playing female roles. Overnight, Ned's career is ruined as a host of fledgling actresses take on the parts that he once owned body and soul. Ned is headed for a has-been's twilight in tawdry attractions - that is, until Maria takes it upon herself to make an actor of him again. Finally, the masks fall away to reveal Ned and Maria's true feelings, but not before Ned undergoes a profound inner journey to discover his complete identity.

 

 

 

 


TAXI

Release Date: October 8, 2004
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Director: Tim Story
Cast: Queen Latifah, Jimmy Fallon, Ann-Margret, Gisele Bundchen, Henry Simmons, Jennifer Esposito

Synopsis: "Chicago's" Queen Latifah and "Saturday Night Live's" Jimmy Fallon team up in this non-stop action-comedy. Latifah is New York's fastest cabbie whose skills behind the wheel and souped-up car help an overeager undercover cop (Jimmy Fallon) pursue a gang of female bank robbers.

Click here for photos

 

 

 


SHALL WE DANCE?

Release Date: October 15, 2004
Distributor: Miramax Films
Director: Peter Chelsom
Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, Bobby Canavale, Nick Cannon, Richard Jenkins, Mya, Lisa Ann Walter, Deborah Yates

Synopsis: Based on the original 1996 Japanese feature film, the film follows a businessman (Gere) who takes ballroom dancing lessons to impress a beautiful young dance teacher (Lopez)

 

 

 


P.S.

Release Date: October 15, 2004
Distributor: Newmarket Films
Director: Dylan Kidd
Screenwriter: Dylan Kidd
Cast: Laura Linney, Topher Grace, Gabriel Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden, & Paul Rudd


Synopsis: Confirming the extraordinary promise of his debut, Dylan Kidd’s P.S. is a film as disarmingly lovely and romantic as Roger Dodger was acerbic and cutting.

Louise Harrington (Laura Linney), a divorced, thirty-something admission’s office at Columbia University’s School of Fine Arts is intelligent, pretty, successful, and.unfulfilled. That is, until a graduate school application crosses her desk and she arranges to interview the young painter. When Scott Feinstadt (Topher Grace) appears, he bears an uncanny resemblance to Louise’s high school boyfriend and one true love, an artist who died in a car accident twenty years earlier. Within hours of the interview, Louise and Scott have embarked on a passionately uninhibited older woman/younger man affair. But is Scott just a reminder of Louise’s lost love? And is Scott just trying to wheedle his way into the Ivy League?

Adding to the romantic complications is competition from Louise’s best friend from high school, Missy (Marcia Gay Harden), who shows up to claim the affections of the boy; Louise's co-dependent ex-husband Peter (Gabriel Byrne); her cynical mother (Lois Smith) and fresh-out-of-rehab brother (Paul Rudd).

Torrid and tender, serious and sexy, P.S. features a career performance from Laura Linney (Mystic River, You Can Count On Me) and a breakthrough leading man turn for Topher Grace (Traffic, That 70’s Show).

P.S., based on Helen Schulman's novel of the same name, shot entirely in New York City, is a romantic fable about getting a second chance at first love.

 

 

 


ALFIE

Release Date: October 22, 2004
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Director: Charles Shyer
Cast: Jude Law, Marisa Tomei, Omar Epps, Nia Long, Jane Krakowski, Sienna Miller, Susan Sarandon

Synopsis: A stylish reinvention of the 1960's classic "Alfie," this film is a humorous, sexy and often touching tale of a philosophical womanizer (Law) who is forced to question his seemingly carefree existence

 

 

 


THE GRUDGE

Release Date: October 29, 2004
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Director: Takashi Shimizu
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jason Behr, Clea DuVall, William Mapother, Kadee Strickland, Bill Pullman, Rosa Blasi, Grace Zabriskie, Takako Fuji, Yuya Ozeki, Ted Raimi

Synopsis: The Grudge is the cures of one who dies in the grip of a powerful rage. Those who encounter this murderous supernatural curse die and a new grudge is born - passed like a virus from victim in an endless, growing chain of horror

 

 

 


BROTHER TO BROTHER

Release Date: October 29, 2004
Distributor: Wolfe Releasing
Director: Rodney Evans
Cast: Anthony Mackie, Roger Robinson, Larry Gilliard Jr., Aunjanue Ellis, Duane Boutte, Daniel Sunjata, Ray Ford, Alex Burns and Billoah Greene.

Synopsis: The feature-film debut of filmmaker Rodney Evans, who wrote and produced in addition to taking on directing duties, "Brother to Brother" is the first feature-length narrative drama that deals with the rich cultural time period known as the Harlem Renaissance. It presents the lives and experiences of well known writers such as Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston who are read throughout the world and brings wider recognition to lesser known but equally important figures such as Bruce Nugent and Wallace Thurman. The film strives to make links between these historical figures and the lives of young, contemporary African-American artists as they begin to emerge and fulfill their full potential. Anthony Mackie stars as Perry Williams, a young man dealing with the strife involved with being both African-American and a homosexual in contemporary New York. He is shunned by his father for his sexual identity and wary of being viewed as a sell-out by black peers when his work gains a white audience. When Williams meets an aging poet who was involved in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1930s, he suddenly finds himself transported back in time and cavorting with the likes of Langston Hughes (Daniel Sunjata) and Zora Neale Hurston (Aunjanue Ellis). Among such legends, Williams is able to gain perspective about his own life.

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RAY

Release Date: October 29, 2004
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Director: Taylor Hackford
Cast: Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Clifton Powell, Harry Lennix, Terrence Dashon Howard, Larenz Tate, Richard Schiff, Aunjanue Ellis, Sharon Warren and Regina King

Synopsis: Ray is the never-before-told, musical biographical drama of American legend Ray Charles. Featuring a remarkable performance from Jamie Foxx in the central role, Ray follows the inspiring story of a one-of-a-kind genius. Born in a poor town in Georgia, Ray Charles went blind at the age of seven shortly after witnessing his younger brother's accidental death. Inspired by a fiercely independent mother who insisted he make his own way in the world, Charles found his calling and his gift behind a piano keyboard. Touring across the Southern musical circuit, the soulful singer gained a reputation and then exploded with worldwide fame when he pioneered incorporating gospel, country, jazz and orchestral influences into his inimitable style. As he revolutionized the way people appreciated music, he simultaneously fought segregation in the very clubs that launched him and championed artists' rights within the corporate music business. Ray provides an unflinching portrait of Charles' musical genius as he overcomes drug addiction while transforming into one of this country's most beloved performers.

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ALEXANDER

Release Date: November 5, 2004
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Director: Oliver Stone
Cast: Colin Farrell, Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, Val Kilmer, Jared Leto, Rosario Dawson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Synopsis: ALEXANDER, Oliver Stone's sweeping historical saga that charts the life and legend of one of the greatest figures in world history. The story is an epic that is as daring and ambitious as its subject, a relentless conqueror who by the age of 32 had amassed the greatest empire the world had ever seen. Past and present collide to form the puzzle of the protagonist, a tapestry of triumphs and tragedies in which childhood memories and Alexander's rise to power unfold side by side with the later day expansion of his empire, and its ultimate downfall. From his youth, fueled by dreams of glory and adventure, to his lonely and mysterious death as a ruler of a vast state, from the tumultuous relationship with his parents-a powerful king and a queen determined to put her child on the throne at any cost-to the rousing brotherly bonds with his closest companions and vast army, as they fought from the sun-scorched battlefields of the Persian Empire across the snow-peaked mountains of India, the film chronicles Alexander's journey to become a living legend, a man who embraced the ideal that power has a destiny.

 

 

 


THE INCREDIBLES

Release Date: November 5, 2004
Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Brad Bird Screenwriter: Brad Bird
Cast: Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, Holly Hunter, Jason Lee, Wallace Shawn

Synopsis: Bob Paar used to be one of the world's greatest superheroes (known to all as "Mr. Incredible"), saving lives and fighting evil on a daily basis. But now, fifteen years later, Bob and his wife (a famous former superhero in her own right) have adopted civilian identities and retreated to the suburbs to live normal lives with their three kids. Now he's a clock-punching insurance claims adjuster fighting boredom and a bulging waistline. Itching to get back into action, Bob gets his chance when a mysterious communication summons him to a remote island for a top-secret assignment

 

 

 


THE POLAR EXPRESS

Release Date: November 10, 2004
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Cast: Tom Hanks, Peter Scolari

Synopsis: The Academy Award-winning team of Tom Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Cast Away) reunite for The Polar Express, an inspiring adventure based on the beloved children's book by Chris Van Allsburg. When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe. Sony Pictures Imageworks and visual effects supervisor Ken Ralston, Oscar winners for their innovative work, help bring this enchanting holiday story vividly to life in full CG animation through Imageworks' next-generation motion capture process, which allows live-action performances to drive the emotions and movements of the digital characters

 

 

 


SEED OF CHUCKY
Distributor: Rogue Pictures
Director: Don Mancini
Cast: Billy Boyd, Jennifer Tilly, Brad Dourif, Redman, Hannah Spearitt, Tony Gardner, Debbie Carrington, Stephanie Chambers, John Waters

Release Date: November 10th, 2004

Synopsis: The killer doll is back! The all-new film is the fifth in the popular series of Chucky ("Child's Play") horror comedies. Making his directorial debut is the franchise creator and writer of all five films, Don Mancini. The film introduces Glen (voiced by "The Lord of the Rings" star Billy Boyd), the orphan doll offspring of the irrepressible devilish-doll-come-to-life Chucky (again voiced by series star Brad Dourif) and his equally twisted bride Tiffany (again voiced by Jennifer Tilly). When production starts on a movie detailing the urban legend of his parents' lethal exploits, Glen heads for Hollywood where he brings his bloodthirsty parents back from the dead. The family dynamics are far from perfect as Chucky and Tiffany go Hollywood and get rolling on a new spree of murderous mayhem - much to gentle Glen's horror. Chucky can't believe that his child doesn't want to walk in his murdering footsteps, and star-struck Tiffany can't believe that the movie will star her favorite actress, Jennifer Tilly (playing herself), who soon becomes an unwitting hostess to this new family in more ways than one.

Click here for photos

 

 

 


SURVIVING CHRISTMAS

Release Date: November 10, 2004
Distributor: DreamWorks Pictures
Director: Mike Mitchell
Cast: Ben Affleck, Christina Applegate, Catherine O'Hara, James Gandolfini, Jennifer Morrison, Josh Zuckerman, Bill Macy, Danielle Panabaker, Bryan Fisher

Synopsis: Facing another Christmas alone, Drew Latham (Ben Affleck) decides to go back to his idyllic childhood home to spend the holidays with family. There is, however, one problem: the people living there now are not Drew's family. Nevertheless, Drew has his mind set on an old-fashioned family Christmas, and the fact that the "family" in question, the Valcos, are complete strangers, isn't about to put a crimp in his plans. Offering them a small fortune, Drew bribes his newfound "parents" (James Gandolfini and Catherine O'Hara) to let him spend Christmas in their home, pretending to be part of the family. Just when the Valcos begin to question if any amount of money is worth being dragged all over town on such traditional family holiday excursions as Christmas shopping and the requisite choosing of the Christmas tree, their eldest daughter Alicia (Christina Applegate) comes home for the holidays, with no intention of adopting a new "brother."

 

 

 


KINSEY

Release Date
: November 12, 2004
Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Director: Bill Condon
Cast: Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Chris O'Donnell, Peter Sarsgaard, Timothy Hutton, John Lithgow, Tim Curry, Oliver Platt, Dylan Baker


Synopsis:  Academy Award®-winning writer-director Bill Condon (GODS AND MONSTERS) turns the microscope on Alfred Kinsey in a drama that is at once a portrait of a man driven to uncover the most private secrets of the nation, and a journey into the mystery of human behavior. Liam Neeson stars as Kinsey, who in 1948 irrevocably changed American culture and created a media sensation with his book Sexual Behavior in the Human Male. Asking thousands of people about the most intimate aspects of their lives, Kinsey lifted the weight of doubt and shame from a society in which sex was hidden, and knowledge was dangerous. His work sparked one of the most intense cultural debates of the past century - a debate that rages on today.

 

 


AFTER THE SUNSET

Release Date
: November 12, 2004
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Director: Brett Ratner
Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Woody Harrelson, Salma Hayek

Synopsis:  After The Sunset begins where most action capers end - with master thieves Max and Lola (Pierce Brosnan and Salma Hayek) escaping to a tropical paradise to enjoy the spoils of their labor. The thieves are content to settle into their new life after crime, until their nemesis from the FBI (Woody Harrelson) tracks them down, convinced that their "retirement" is actually a cover for their true intentions of pulling off a million-dollar heist on a nearby "diamond cruise." The allure of the alleged scheme captures Max and Lola's attention and sets off a cat and mouse game of friendship, suspicion and thievery.

 

 


FINDING NEVERLAND

Release Date: November 12, 2004
Distributor: Miramax Films
Director: Marc Forster
Cast: Johnny Depp, Dustin Hoffman, Julie Christie, Kate Winslet, Radha Mitchell, Freddie Highmore

Synopsis: Director Marc Forster's follow-up to "Monster's Ball" is J.M. BARRIE'S NEVERLAND, a tale of magic and fantasy inspired by the life of James Barrie, the real-life author of the children's classic Peter Pan. Set in London in 1904, the film follows Barrie's creative journey to bring Peter Pan to life, from his first inspiration for the story up until the play's premiere at the Duke of York's Theatre - a night that will change not only Barrie's own life, but the lives of everyone close to him. David Magee's screenplay is based on the play The Man Who Was Peter Pan written by Allen Knee

 

 

 


BAD EDUCATION

Release Date: November 19, 2004
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Director: Pedro Almodovar
Cast: Gael Garcia Bernal, Fele Martinez, Daniel Gimenez Cacho, Luis Homar, Francisco Boira, & Javier Camara

Synopsis: Celebrated Spanish auteur Pedro Almodovar's latest is a classic film noir set in Madrid, 1960 - 1980. Two kids, Ignacio and Enrique, discover love, cinema and fear in a religious school. Father Manolo, the school principal and their literature teacher, is witness to and part of these discoveries. The three characters meet twice again, at the end of the 70s and in the 80s. The re-encounter will mark the life and death of some of them

 

 

 


BRIDGET JONES: THE EDGE OF REASON

Release Date: November 19, 2004
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Director: Beeban Kidron
Cast: Renee Zellweger, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones, Jacinda Barrett

Synopsis: Working Title Films' Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason stars Oscar® winner Renee Zellweger, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth all reprising the roles they originated in Bridget Jones's Diary. In this follow-up to the worldwide hit, we find Bridget where we left her--blissful and besotted in the arms of gorgeous lawyer Mark Darcy (Firth). Mark is accomplished, supportive and tolerant of (nearly) all of Bridget's tiny jealousies--why wouldn't every woman in London, including Mark's new long-legged, drop-dead, "I-always-say-the-right-thing-at-all-times" intern, want to lure him away from the plumpish, opinionated, sometimes inappropriate Bridget? With the entry of the leggy threat, Bridget's pink clouds begin to turn gray as her attacks of self-doubt sorely test her relationship with Darcy. And just when it seems that the waters couldn't get any more choppy, Bridget's former boss, womanizing heartthrob Daniel Cleaver (Grant), sails into view. Ms. Jones careens from embarrassing situation to romantic misunderstanding, still managing to muddle through in this continuation of the trials and tribulations of the working woman who has become the symbolic heroine of 'singletons' everywhere

 

 

 


NATIONAL TREASURE

Release Date: November 19, 2004
Distributor: Touchstone Pictures
Director: Jon Turtletaub
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Sean Bean, Justin Bartha, Diane Kruger

Synopsis: The eighth descendant in a family of archaeologists (Nicolas Cage) goes in search of a secret chest of treasures hidden by America's founding fathers who hid the map in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution

 

 

 


THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE

Release Date: November 19, 2004
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Director: Stephen Hillenburg
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Alec Baldwin, Jeffrey Tambor, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Tom Kenny, Carolyn Lawrence, Douglas Lawrence, Jill Talley

Synopsis: Everyone will want to dive in and soak up every second of this full-length animated feature when SpongeBob, one of Nickelodeon's most absorbing characters, makes a huge splash in his first venture onto the big screen. Starring the squarepants-clad sponge himself along with all his trusty friends from Bikini Bottom, this action-packed undersea adventure is based on the ever-popular Emmy-winning TV series.

 

 

 


CHRISTMAS WITH THE KRANKS

Release Date: November 24, 2004
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Director: Joe Roth
Cast: Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dan Aykroyd, Erik Per Sullivan, Cheech Marin, Jake Busey

Synopsis: Formerly known as John Grisham's Skipping Christmas and Skipping the Holidays, this is based on the Grisham's bestseller. In "Christmas with the Kranks," based on the John Grisham best seller "Skipping Christmas," Tim Allen plays Luther Krank, a man who decides to skip Christmas and all the surrounding trappings and go on a vacation with his wife Nora (Curtis) instead. But when his daughter decides at the last minute to come home for the holiday, he is forced to put Christmas back together

 

 

 


FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX

Release Date: November 24, 2004
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Director: John Moore
Cast: Dennis Quaid, Giovanni Ribisi, Tyrese Gibson, Miranda Otto, Hugh Laurie

Synopsis: An action-adventure in which a group of air crash survivors - cast-offs from society who will never be missed - are stranded in the Mongolian desert with no hope of rescue. As they attempt to build a new plane from the wreckage of the old one, in hopes of flying back to civilization, they experience a rebirth of their own

 

 

 


CLOSER

Release Date: December 3, 2004
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Director: Mike Nichols
Cast: Jude Law, Julia Roberts, Natalie Portman, Clive Owen.

Synopsis: This is an adaptation of Patrick Marber's acclaimed play and revolves around two couples. When the guy from the first couple links up with the girl from the other couple, the group dynamic turns ugly. Snap Judgment: With Nichols on board, Roberts should be splendid, but rumor has it that Portman steals the film and could be an Oscar contenter

 

 

 


BLADE: TRINITY

Release Date: December 10, 2004
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Director: David Goyer
Cast: Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Ryan Reynolds, Jessica Biel, Parker Posey

Synopsis: Wesley Snipes returns as the day-walking vampire hunter in the explosive third and final film in the Blade franchise, Blade: Trinity. When the Vampire Nation hatches a plan to frame Blade in a series of brutal killings, he must join forces with the Nightstalkers, a clan of human vampire hunters, in an extreme battle in which the trail of blood leads directly to the notorious vampire legend, Dracula

 

 

 


OCEAN'S TWELVE

Release Date: December 10, 2004
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bernie Mac, Don Cheadle, Julia Roberts, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan,

Synopsis: In this sequel to the blockbuster hit Ocean's Eleven, rival cat burglars who are masters of their craft team up to outfox the beautiful FBI agent one of them is in love with

 

 

 


THE AVIATOR

Release Date: December 17, 2004
Distributor: Miramax Films
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, John C. Reilly, Kate Beckinsale, Jude Law, Adam Scott, Kelli Garner, Gwen Stefani, Nellie Sciutto, Alec Baldwin, Danny Huston, Matt Ross, Ian Holm, Alan Alda, Frances Conroy, Vincent Laresca, Justin Shilton, Brent Spiner, Josie Maran, Sam Hennings, Willem Dafoe, Stanley DeSantis

Synopsis: The Aviator tells the story of aviation pioneer Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio), the eccentric billionaire industrialist and Hollywood film mogul famous for romancing some of the world's most beautiful women. The drama recounts the years of his life from the late 1920s through the 1940s, an epoch when Hughes was directing movies and test flying innovative aircraft he designed and created. It also chronicles Hughes' struggle with his physical disabilities and phobias, and his increasingly erratic, obsessive-compulsive behavior that led him ultimately to isolate himself from his associates and withdraw from the world

 

 

 


LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS

Release Date: December 17, 2004
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Director: Brad Silberling
Cast: Jim Carrey, Luis Guzmán, Billy Connolly, Timothy Spall, Liam Aiken, Meryl Streep, Craig Ferguson, Jude Law, Jennifer Coolidge

Synopsis: Jim Carrey stars as Count Olaf, a wily villain with clever disguises and outrageous schemes, who is bent on swindling the Baudelaire orphans out of their family fortune. Featuring the unique blend of intelligence, irony and irreverence that readers of all ages have discovered in Lemony Snicket's best-selling books

 

 

 


SPANGLISH

Release Date: December 17, 2004
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Director: James L. Brooks
Cast: Adam Sandler, Tea Leoni, Cloris Leachman, Paz Vega, Allen Covert, Ian Hyland, Sarah Steele

Synopsis: From acclaimed multiple Oscar-winning writer/director/producer James L. Brooks comes the comedy/drama "Spanglish" - a look at cultures colliding as a beautiful native Mexican woman Flor (Vega), the mother of an equally stunning twelve-year old girl, a golden child, becomes the housekeeper for an affluent Los Angeles family (Sandler, Leoni and Bancroft). Of all the horrifying pitfalls she worried about in this new culture, Flor had never fathomed the peril of being truly embraced by an upscale American family

 

 

 


MEET THE FOCKERS

Release Date: December 22, 2004
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Director: Jay Roach
Cast: Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, Blythe Danner, Teri Polo and Barbra Streisand

Synopsis: Now that Greg Focker (Stiller) is "in" with his soon-to-be in-laws, Jack (De Niro) and Dina Byrnes, it looks like smooth sailing for him and his fiancee, Pam (Polo). But that's before Pam's parents meet Greg's parents, the Fockers. The hyper-relaxed Fockers and the tightly-wound Byrneses are woefully mismatched from the start, and no matter how hard Greg and Pam try, there is just no bringing their families together--which all adds up to a disastrously funny time of "getting to know you."

 

 

 


THE WOODSMAN

Release Date: December 24, 2004
Distributor: Newmarket Films
Director: Nicole Kassell
Producers: Lee Daniels,
Screenwriter: Steven Fechter & Nicole Kassell, based on the play by Steven Fechther
Cast: Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Mos Def, Eve, David Alan Grier, Benjamin Bratt, & Carlos Leon

Synopsis: Kevin Bacon, an indispensable fixture of American cinema over the past 20 years, delivers his finest performance in THE WOODSMAN, a harrowing and moving tale of one man’s attempt to re-enter society.

After twelve years in prison, Walter moves into a small apartment across the street from an elementary school, gets a job at a lumberyard, and mostly keeps to himself. He finds unexpected solace from Vicki (Kyra Sedgwick), a tough-talking woman who promises not to judge him for his history. But Walter cannot escape his past. A convicted sex offender, Walter is shunned by his sister, lives in fear of being discovered at work, and is hounded by a suspicious police detective (Mos Def). After befriending a young girl in a neighborhood park, Walter must also grapple with the terrible prospect of his own reawakened demons.

THE WOODSMAN, based on a play of the same name, is an unnerving, ultimately hopeful portrait of compulsion and hard-won redemption.

 

 

 


FAT ALBERT

Release Date: December 24, 2004
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Director: Joel Zwick
Cast: Kenan Thompson, Omarion, Raven Symone, Jermaine Williams, Jeremy Suarez, Aaron Frazier, Kyla Pratt, Keith Robinson, Alphonso McAuley, Marques Houston, Aaron Carter, Dania Ramirez, Nick Zano, Derek Watkins, Alice Greczyn

Synopsis: "Hey, Hey, Hey." Bill Cosby's hugely popular character, "Fat Albert," comes to the big screen as a live action / animated, big-event feature film. The 'Fat Albert' movie will be based on Cosby's stand-up comedy monologues about his childhood, centered around a group of urban adolescents growing up in a Philadelphia neighborhood

 

 

 


HOTEL RWANDA

Release Date: Dec 25, 2004 Limited Release NY/LA
Distributor: United Artists (MGM)
Director: Terry George
Cast: Don Cheadle, Nick Nolte, Joaquin Phoenix, Sophie Okonedo

Synopsis: Ten years ago, some of the worst atrocities in the history of mankind took place in the country of Rwanda - and in an era of high-speed communication and round-the-clock news, the events went almost unnoticed by the rest of the world. In only three months, almost 1 million people were brutally murdered. In the face of these unspeakable actions, inspired by his love for his family, an ordinary man summons extraordinary courage to save the lives of over a thousand helpless refugees by granting them shelter in the hotel he manages. Harrowing and deeply moving, Hotel Rwanda is his story

 

 

 


THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU

Release Date: December 24, 2004
Distributor: Touchstone Pictures
Director: Wes Anderson
Cast: Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Owen Wilson, Anjelica Huston, Willem Dafoe, Robyn Cohen, Bud Cort, Michael Gambon, Jeff Goldblum, Peter Stormare, Noah Taylor, Wallace Wolodarsky

Synopsis: THE LIFE AQUATIC follows the relationship of a famous oceanographer (Murray) and his estranged son (Wilson), while they and the father's motley crew embark on a series of wild adventures.

 

 

 


PROOF

Release Date: December 24, 2004
Distributor: Miramax Films Directors: John Madden
Cast: Gwyneth Paltrow, Jake Gyllenhall, Anthony Hopkins, Hope Davis

Synopsis: Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by David Auburn, PROOF follows a devoted daughter (GWYNETH PALTROW) who comes to terms with the death of her father (ANTHONY HOPKINS) a brilliant mathematician whose genius was crippled by mental insanity -- and is forced to face her own long-harbored fears and emotions. She adjusts to his death with the help of one of her father's former mathematical students (JAKE GYLLENHAAL) who searches through her father's notebooks in the hope of discovering a bit of his old brilliance. While coming to terms with the possibility that his genius, which she has inherited, may come at a painful price, her estranged sister (HOPE DAVIS) arrives to help settle their father's affairs.

 

 

 


AN UNFINISHED LIFE

Release Date: December 24, 2004
Distributor: Miramax Films
Director: Lasse Hallstrom
Cast: Robert Redford, Jennifer Lopez, Morgan Freeman, Josh Lucas, Camryn Manheim, Damian Lewis and Becca Gardner.

Synopsis: Set against the rugged ranchlands of Wyoming, AN UNFINISHED LIFE is the story of a modern-day Western family, as stoic as they are divided, learning the true meaning of forgiveness. Robert Redford stars as Einar Gilkyson, a tough-skinned, retired rancher who long ago turned his back on memories. Still in shock from his only son's death a decade ago, Einar has let his ranch fall into ruin along with his marriage. Now, Einar spends his days caring only for his hired hand, and last trusted friend, Mitch (Morgan Freeman), who was gravely injured in an encounter with a grizzly bear. Einar intends to live out his days in this heartbroken solitude . . . until the very per-son he blames for his son's accident comes to town: his daughter-in-law Jean (Jennifer Lopez). Jean shows up broke, on the run and with a girl named Griff (newcomer Becca Gardner), who she swears is the granddaughter Einar never knew he had. Suddenly, Einar's quiet life is turned upside down as anger and accusations resurface. But slowly, miraculously, 11 year-old Griff's curiosity about Western life, and her longing for family and a father figure, begin to chip away at the stone that has become Einar's heart - opening up the way for unexpected connection, adventure, mercy and true reunion

 

 

 


THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

Release Date: December 25, 2004 (limited)
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Director: Joel Schumacher
Cast: Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson, Miranda Richardson, Simon Callow, Ciaran Hind, Minnie Driver

Synopsis: Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a disfigured musical genius (Gerard Butler) who haunts the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera, waging a reign of terror over its occupants. When he falls fatally in love with the lovely Christine (Emmy Rossum), the Phantom devotes himself to creating a new star for the Opera, exerting a strange sense of control over the young soprano as he nurtures her extraordinary talents

 

 

 


SYNERGY

Release Date: December 29, 2004
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Director: Paul Weitz
Cast: Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace, Scarlett Johansson, Marg Helgenberger, David Paymer, Clark Gregg, Philip Baker Hall, Selma Blair

Synopsis: Dan Foreman (played by Dennis Quaid) is headed for a shakeup. He is demoted from head of ad sales for a major magazine when the company he works for is acquired in a corporate takeover. His new boss, Tom (played by Topher Grace) is half his age--a business school prodigy who preaches corporate Synergy. While Dan develops clients through handshake deals and relationships, Tom cross-promotes the magazine with the cell phone division and "Krispity Krunch," an indeterminate snack food under the same corporate umbrella. Both men are going through turmoil at home. Dan has two daughters--Alex, age 18, and Jana, age 16--and is shocked when his wife tells him she's pregnant with a new child. Between college tuition, the mortgage and a new baby, Dan can't afford to lose his job in the wave of corporate layoffs. Tom, in the meanwhile, is dumped by his wife of seven months just as he gets his promotion. Dan and Tom's uneasy friendship is thrown into jeopardy when Tom falls for, and begins an affair with, Dan's daughter Alex (Scarlett Johansson). Weitz's examination of life's surprises, ironies and coincidences combine to form Synergy.

 


 

 

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