Pg mpaa in Drama DVDs & Videos

Advertisement

you're in Drama DVDs & Videos, see other matches in:

Advertisement
sort by:
add tax & shipping for
 
 
 

starting at

$7
  • product
When Deepa Mehta first began filming WATER in 2000, angry fundamentalist mobs burned her sets and threatened her life. The Indian government claimed it could not protect her, and the project had to wait four years before finally filming in Sri Lanka. Her film has raised the ire of extremists because it challenges the Hindu customs that dictate that widows, considered half-dead after the loss of their husbands, must be closeted in holy ashrams--a practice that still exists today. Set in the 1930s, the film tells the story of eight-year old Chuyia, whose husband dies before she even meets him. Her parents shave her head and whisk her away to a house of widows where the women sleep on the ground and beg in the streets to earn their puny portion of rice. Chuyia, feisty and resilient, comes into this world like a ray of light, and soon the women are rethinking their mute acceptance of their fate. Her closest friend and ally is the lovely Kalyani, and soon a forbidden romance begins to develop between Kalyani and Narayana, a young Brahmin man who, following the teachings of Gandhi, has denounced injustice. The film is sumptuously beautiful, Chuyia is utterly winsome, and despite the harsh social issues at its heart, it often feels light and lively: Chuyia and Kalyani play games and dance, Chuyia steals sweets for a dying old widow, the women dance and paint each other's faces during a color festival, and the Cinderella-story romance between Kalyani and Narayana shimmers with the promise of salvation and happiness. Mehta, however, knows it would be disingenuous to allow such an easy resolution to such a dire situation, and the final chapter of WATER takes a tragic turn.

starting at

$7
 

starting at

$5
  • product
A celebration of the life of Tejano princess Selena Quintanilla Perez, the rising star who was gunned down by the president of her own fan club in 1995. Amid the racial tensions and economic hardships of 1980's South Texas, the daughter of a Mexican immigrant (himself a failed doo-wop singer) grows up to be a sensation in the blossoming Tejano scene before meeting a tragic end. Light on insight, this biopic revels rather in Selena's on-stage achievements. Selena's father is credited as an executive producer to the film.

starting at

$5
 

starting at

$9
  • product
FIREPROOF, from the same team that made the 2006 hit FACING THE GIANTS, is a Christian relationship drama with a very strong message. The film stars Kirk Cameron of the classic television series GROWING PAINS as Captain Caleb Holt, a fireman whose fearlessness is limited to his work. At home with his wife of seven years, Caleb shows little of the bravery he displays on the job, and has a failing marriage as a result. Fighting over every little thing, Caleb and his wife, Catherine (Erin Bethea), are on the verge of signing divorce papers when Caleb's father and coworkers urge him to approach his marriage in the same way he fights vicious flames. When Caleb's father gives him the "Love Dare," a 40-day guide to religiously motivated marriage help, Caleb begins a difficult journey to reclaim his wife, and in the process, his faith in God. With several action-packed scenes, FIREPROOF uses fire metaphors in its exploration of marriage. The film offers an alternative to the common romantic comedy and, some might argue, a more multidimensional view of romance. The film examines both the ups and inevitable downs of married life, offering faith as a prescription for saving what may at first glance appear to have already failed. Likely to please its target audience, the film offers a fresh perspective on marriage and inspiring relationship tips viewers may want to try regardless of their faith.

starting at

$9
 

starting at

$5
  • product
Set in 1966; Produced and released in 1983. Francis Ford Coppola's stylized teen melodrama is based on the popular novel by S. E. Hinton. In 1960s Tulsa, the "right" and "wrong" sides of the tracks are represented by rival gangs, the upscale Socs and the underprivileged Greasers. Darrel Curtis (Patrick Swayze) is doing his best to raise his two younger brothers, Sodapop (Rob Lowe in his first film role) and Ponyboy (C. Thomas Howell). Sensitive Ponyboy is a budding writer in love with Cherry (Diane Lane), the unobtainable beauty from the enemy gang. When Ponyboy's buddy, troubled Johnny Cade (Ralph Macchio), kills one of the Socs in self-defense, their friend Dallas (Matt Dillon) helps the two youths hide out in an abandoned country church. There they live as exiles from a society that doesn't want them. But not all is lost, when Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dallas save some children caught in a fire they become unlikely heroes. The young cast is the jewel of this sensitive, moving film. Tom Cruise and Emilio Estevez play Greasers, and pop singer Leif Garrett plays rich-kid Bob. Dillon also starred that year in another S. E.Hinton adaptation directed by Coppola--the fascinating and extremely entertaining RUMBLE FISH.

starting at

$5
 

starting at

$6
  • product
Landon Carter (Shane West) and his friends are the coolest kids in Beaufort, North Carolina. They wear the right clothes, drive the right cars, and get into just enough trouble to be rebellious. Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore) is the opposite--there doesn't seem to be anything cool about her. The preacher's daughter, plain Jamie wears big boxy dresses and the same sweater every day. She endures the scorn of Landon and his friends with a smile, always looking for the best in people. When a prank planned by Landon and his friend goes terribly wrong, the principal sentences him to tutoring on the weekends and working on the school play, activities in which Jamie is involved. As the two begin spending time together, Landon finds himself intrigued by this guileless girl who sees beauty in everything and exhibits unwavering faith in people and in the world. When circumstances beyond Landon and Jamie's control threaten their love, he stays by her side and does everything he can to make her dreams come true. Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks, the film also stars Peter Coyote and Daryl Hannah.

starting at

$6
 

starting at

$5
  • product
The weather is getting hotter, and photographer L.B. Jefferies (Jimmy Stewart) is stuck in his apartment with a broken leg and nothing to do--that is, nothing to do but spy on his neighbors through their open windows across the way in the apartment complex. There's an attractive and scantily clad dancer, a songwriter, a lonely woman, and the Thorwalds (Raymond Burr and Irene Winston), a bickering couple, among others. But when Mrs. Thorwald disappears, Jefferies is sure that something's wrong. Soon, despite the warnings of his girlfriend, Lisa (Grace Kelly), and his motherly nurse, Stella (Thelma Ritter), Jefferies has out his binoculars and telephoto lens and is studying his neighbor "like a bug under glass." However, looking in from the outside might not be as safe as Jefferies assumes. REAR WINDOW is not only a gripping story of murder and suspense, it is a celebrated allegory on the nature of film itself, a story in which the audience watches Jefferies watch the story unfold. The different windows represent the various different stories that are often told on film and also can be seen as representing the coming of television, as Jefferies can watch a multitude of "shows" from the comfort of his own apartment.

starting at

$5
 

starting at

$22
  • product
AUGUST RUSH is part romance, part gentle fantasy, but this sweet drama is all heart. When young cellist Lyla (Keri Russell) and rock musician Louis (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) meet at a party in the mid 1990s, it's love at first sight, and they spend the night in each other's arms. But Lyla's father forces them apart, even though she later learns she's pregnant. Later, an accident lands Lyla in the hospital, and though her father tells her that her baby died, the child survives and is given up for adoption. AUGUST RUSH jumps to the present and begins to follow Evan (Freddie Highmore), an 11 year old who has grown up in a boys' home. As Evan embarks on a crusade to find his parents, he imagines he can communicate with them through his gift for music. His journey to New York City brings him into contact with Wizard (Robin Williams), a man eager to capitalize on the child prodigy's talent. Wizard gives Evan the name August Rush as he begins performing all over the city, but the boy's ultimate goal is to find the parents he has never met. From FINDING NEVERLAND to CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, Highmore has displayed an almost prodigious talent himself. He's a gifted young actor, and this emotional story is the perfect venue for his acting. AUGUST RUSH isn't a film for the cynics, but even the hard-hearted in the audience will have difficulty not being touched by this sentimental film. As in Evan's life, music plays a central role in AUGUST RUSH, and it's tough not to let your heart soar along with the melodies. Though it could draw comparisons to OLIVER! and ANNIE, this is a unique and heartwarming film.

starting at

$22
 

starting at

$12
  • product
Fans of Danielle Steel's bestselling brand of romance will enjoy this set of films based on the author's popular novels. This two-volume collection includes PALOMINO, SECRETS, and STAR, plus the bonus film THE PROMISE. These love stories capture the romance of Steel's books and feature all-star casts including Oscar-winner Eva Marie Saint, Christopher Plummer, and Stephen Collins.

starting at

$12
 

starting at

$6
  • product
A celebration of the life of Tejano princess Selena Quintanilla Perez, the rising star who was gunned down by the president of her own fan club in 1995. Amid the racial tensions and economic hardships of 1980's South Texas, the daughter of a Mexican immigrant (himself a failed doo-wop singer) grows up to be a sensation in the blossoming Tejano scene before meeting a tragic end. Light on insight, this biopic revels rather in Selena's on-stage achievements. Selena's father is credited as an executive producer to the film.

starting at

$6
 

starting at

$6
  • product
A heartwarming coming-of-age tale set in 1940s Yazoo, Mississippi. Willie Morris (Frankie Muniz) is an introverted eight-year-old whose best friend is Dink Jenkins (Luke Wilson), a high school football star. Willie's mother convinces his stern father to buy Willie a puppy for his ninth birthday, in light of the fact that Dink has left Yazoo to fight in the war. Immediately, Willie's world brightens. When he stumbles upon a team of evil bootleggers and welcomes home a despondent Dink, he must learn a very valuable lesson about life. Based on Morris' memoir, MY DOG SKIP should have even the most hardened viewer reaching for the tissues.

starting at

$6
 

starting at

$52
  • product
This program contains four classic 1970s films -- all based on Broadway musicals or play. Films include: GALILEO, LOST IN THE STARS, PHILADELPHIA, HERE I COME!, and JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS. Please see individual titles for complete information.

starting at

$52
 

starting at

$6
  • product
Keaton stars as a blues musician and family man who is killed in an auto accident. A chance twist of fate, however, allows his spirit to inhabit a large (computer animated) snowman on the year anniversary of his accident so that he may make amends with the young son he never had enough time for.

starting at

$6
 

starting at

$6
  • product
Following in the fine tradition of inspiring inner-city underdog tales like STAND AND DELIVER, and TAKE THE LEAD, Doug Atchison's AKEELAH AND THE BEE is a story of overcoming odds that never descends into empty formula. The narrative centers around the character of Akeelah (Keke Palmer, in a star-making performance), a charming yet insecure 11 year old girl from Los Angeles' gang-ridden South Central district. Upon flipping channels after school one day, she lands on ESPN's coverage of the National Spelling Bee. Having recently become aware of her innate talent in this area, Akeelah cannot help but fantasize about the prospect of being a star of the bee circuit. The tragic problem -- intelligence of this kind is not valued in her community, where skills of athleticism and rapping are coveted far more than school smarts. Though Akeelah attempts to hide her academic acuity behind a rebellious attitude, she cannot resist the temptation to enter her school's spelling bee, at which her stellar performance attracts the attention of her idealistic principal, who pairs her with a mentor, a former professor named Joshua Larabee (the always riveting Laurence Fishburne, who re-embodies the wise iconoclast character he played so well in the chess movie SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER). Meanwhile, Akeelah's strong, practical mother, (played by Angela Bassett, who worked with Fishburne on the Tina Turner biopic WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?) while always supportive of her talented daughter, does not necessarily see the point of spending such time and energy on what will likely amount to a fleeting hobby. Perhaps taking its cue from the surprising popularity of Jeffrey Blitz's quirky documentary SPELLBOUND (2002), which explored spelling prodigies from diverse classes, races, and geographic locations, this drama makes what could be a narrow niche into a universal tale of triumph over adversity.

starting at

$6
 

starting at

$12
  • product
An unconventional New England prep school teacher inspires his students with poetry and encourages them to embrace life. Academy Award Nominations: 4, including Best Picture, Best Actor--Robin Williams, Best (Original) Screenplay. Academy Awards: Best Original Screenplay.

starting at

$12
 

starting at

$4
  • product
Marty takes in Shiloh, who's been abused by his owner, Judd Travers. Even after Shiloh saves Judd's life, he continues to treat the dog cruelly, threatening to take him away from Marty. A compassionate tale with a strong moral: kindness overpowers hatred. Based on the novel by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.

starting at

$4
 

starting at

$3
  • product
This classic tale of teen rebellion features a delightful combination of dance choreography and realistic, touching performances. When teenager Ren (Kevin Bacon) and his family move from big-city Chicago to a small midwestern town, he's in for a real case of culture shock. Though he tries hard to fit in, the streetwise Ren can't quite believe he's living in a place where rock music and dancing are illegal. There is one small pleasure, however: Ariel (Lori Singer), a troubled but lovely blonde--who also has a jealous boyfriend. In fact, it is Ariel's dad (John Lithgow), a Bible-thumping minister, who is responsible for keeping the town dance-free. Ren and his classmates want to do away with this ordinance--especially since the senior prom is around the corner--but only Ren has the courage to initiate a battle. Ren's pent-up frustrations cause a confrontation with Rev. Shaw Moore and the local town council as he takes on the small-town establishment struggling to abolish the outmoded ban and revitalize the spirit of the repressed townspeople. Herb Ross's fast-paced drama is filled with such hit songs as the title track and "Let's Hear It for the Boy" and is a classic of 1980s Brat Pack cinema.

starting at

$3
 

starting at

$5
  • product
The true story of Homer Hickam, a young boy trapped in a close-minded coal-mining town in the 1950's. When Sputnik is successfully launched, Homer becomes obsessed with the concept of rocket launching. To the dismay and disgust of the townspeople, as well as Homer's father, he and his friends try to launch a rocket themselves. With the inspiration of a school teacher, they persevere and never lose hope in the dreams. An uplifting, hopeful story that the whole family can enjoy.

starting at

$5
 

starting at

$3
  • product
ROCKY BALBOA, the sixth installment of the long-running film franchise, should amount to nothing more than a lame punch line to a TONIGHT SHOW monologue joke. However, just as his longtime corner man Paulie describes the Italian Stallion himself, this movie is all heart. Thirty years after Sylvester Stallone first introduced the underdog backroom brawler from Philadelphia in the Oscar-winning ROCKY, Rocky Balboa returns for one last dance. Speculation as to whether Balboa, in his prime, would have been able to defeat lackluster champ Mason "The Line" Dixon spurs Dixon's management to set up an exhibition fight between the two. That Balboa is in his 50s in the film and wouldn't be sanctioned to fight anyone, let alone a man 30 years his junior and in the prime of life, must be left up to the viewer's ability to suspend disbelief. To its credit, however, the movie addresses at every turn the insanity of a man approaching 60 getting back into a boxing ring, and Balboa's impassioned explanation of his motivations is just believable enough to give all other improbabilities a free pass. Though it may sound like faint praise, this is the best ROCKY movie since the original. It's very much a love letter to Philadelphia, and Stallone, who wrote and directed the movie, shoots everything with an unflinching eye that humanizes the mean streets of the City of Brotherly Love and evokes the gritty dignity of the original film. And while Burt Young's cantankerous Paulie and Tony Burton's Duke both return, Talia Shire, sadly, does not reprise her role as the beloved Adrian. It's revealed early in the film that Adrian has died of cancer, and it's the pain of that tragedy that ultimately fuels Rocky. Boxing as a metaphor for life is certainly nothing new, but Stallone makes a legitimate contribution to the tradition with ROCKY BALBOA. Life hits harder than any man can, and one's ability to keep getting up until the final bell rings is the true measure of self. Corny? Perhaps. But when Bill Conti's legendary score kicks in and Rocky starts pounding the heavy bag, the metaphor feels truly profound.

starting at

$3
 

starting at

$6
  • product
A group of dim-witted Brooklyn thugs have a series of colorful adventures in the 1950's. A gritty, overlooked gem with a lot of heart. The script was co-written by a young Stallone. Co-star Winkler was on the cusp of creating national hysteria in his role at Fonz on TV's "Happy Days."

starting at

$6
 

starting at

$23
  • product
A double feature of films starring Julia Stiles as a small town girl finding love in the unlikeliest of places. In SAVE THE LAST DANCE (2001), Stiles plays an aspiring ballerina who strikes up an interracial romance with a popular black student (Sean Patrick Thomas) through their mutual love of dance. In THE PRINCE AND ME (2004), Stiles plays a hardworking pre-med student who inadvertently falls for a Danish prince (Luke Mably) and must choose between true love and her dreams of becoming a doctor.

starting at

$23
 

starting at

$9
  • product
CITIZEN KANE is Orson Welles's greatest achievement--and a landmark of cinema history. The story charts the rise and fall of a newspaper publisher whose wealth and power ultimately isolates him in his castle-like refuge. The film's protagonist, Charles Foster Kane, was based on a composite of Howard Hughes and William Randolph Hearst--so much so that Hearst tried to have the film suppressed. Every aspect of the production marked an advance in film language: the deep focus and deeply shadowed cinematography (from Gregg Toland); the discontinuous narrative, relying heavily on flashbacks and newsreel footage (propelled by a script largely written by Herman L. Mankiewicz); the innovative use of sound and score (sound by Bailey Fesler and James G. Stewart, music composed and conducted by Bernard Herrmann); and the ensemble acting forged in the fires of Welles's Mercury Theatre (featuring the film debuts of, among others, Joseph Cotten, Everett Sloane, and Agnes Moorehead). Every moment of the film, every shot, has been choreographed to perfection. The film is essential viewing, quite possibly the greatest film ever made and, along with THE BIRTH OF A NATION, certainly the most influential.

starting at

$9
 

starting at

$4
  • product
The bond between a young boy and an amicable blond beagle is tested when the dog is abused and must be rescued from its owner. Based on the Newberry Award-winning children's story by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, this feature also won the prestigious 1997 Genesis Award for Outstanding Feature for spotlighting animal issues with "courage, creativity and integrity."

starting at

$4
 

starting at

$4
  • product
A test pilot loses his true love so he volunteers to become cryogenically frozen for an experiment. Many years later a group of young boys stumble across his frozen capsule and revive him. He befriends the boy's mother and learns that his old sweetheart is still alive. Can they be reunited after so much time has gone by?

starting at

$4
 

starting at

$6
  • product
James Ivory directed this quietly moving film set just prior to World War II. On the large English estate of Lord Darlington (James Fox), a disciplined English butler, Stevens (Anthony Hopkins), devotes himself to his duties with rigorous dedication. Like his father (Peter Vaughan) before him, Stevens lives to serve--to bring order and certainty to the estate's minutiae. Though Stevens has the opportunity to break free of this mold in the form of a romance with the spirited housekeeper, Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson), he chooses to remain within the safe structure of the household, even one that has misguided loyalties to Nazi Germany. Christopher Reeve and Hugh Grant costar as men hoping to show Lord Darlington the danger of his allegiances. THE REMAINS OF THE DAY was Merchant-Ivory's follow-up to HOWARDS END, which also starred Hopkins and Thompson; both actors were nominated for Academy Awards for their roles as dutiful servants in the later film.

starting at

$6
 

starting at

$12
  • product
Before unconventional leading man Johnny Depp brought quirk to the forefront in his monumental Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, he was lining the fringes of Hollywood with performances as memorable as they are diverse. The Way of the Depp is celebrated with this triple feature of Tim Burton's enchanting fable EDWARD SCISSORHANDS; the Hughes Brothers' lurid horror-crime mystery FROM HELL; and BENNY & JOON, a whimsical ode to Buster Keaton and mental illness. See individual titles for complete details.

starting at

$12
 

starting at

$6
  • product
Director Joseph Brooks (THE LORDS OF FLATBUSH) also wrote and produced this story of a young woman's determination to follow her showbiz dreams. Laurie Robinson (Didi Conn, GREASE) doesn't want to follow in her famous comedian father's footsteps. Desiring her own career as an actress and singer, she breaks off an engagement with her hometown sweetheart and hits the road. After auditioning for a film role, she quickly finds herself in an ill-fated relationship with the director. The memorable title song was a million-selling hit for Debby Boone and went on to win an Academy Award for Best Song.

starting at

$6
 

starting at

$13
  • product
A young man seeks to uncover the secret he knows is locked in his subconscious mind that will allow him to locate his parents who mysteriously disappeared during his childhood. A captivating adaptation of the award-winning novel by Robert Cormier.

starting at

$13
 

starting at

$5
  • product
A country singer finds himself straddling two worlds - the down-home place where his musical roots are set and the glittery fast lane where his success has taken him. In his first foray into the world of motion pictures, country star George Strait is affecting and heartwarming. PURE COUNTRY also features ten songs by Straight recorded exclusively for the film.

starting at

$5
 

starting at

$3
  • product
The classic children's novel by Wilson Rawls is given a second film adaptation with WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS. Billy Coleman is a boy who loves dogs, and more than anything else he wants a hunting dog of his own. After working hard, he saves up his money and buys a pair of them, "Little Ann" and "Old Dan." Billy trains the dogs himself, and encounters numerous adventures with the duo while exploring the valley where he and his family lives. WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS has taught stalwart American values like loyalty, bravery, and the value of hard work to generations of children through Rawls's novel. Lyman Dayton, who produced a previous adaptation of Rawls' work, and therefore has had a longtime understanding of the story, is the co-writer and director. The film also features the acting debut of best-selling recording artist Dave Matthews as Billy's father. WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS premiered at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival in New York, and went on to win the Crystal Heart award at the Heartland Film Festival, which is dedicated to recognizing and honoring "filmmakers whose work explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life".

starting at

$3
 

starting at

$8
  • product
Conceived and executed in much the same visual manner as his ultra-popular ROMEO AND JULIET (1968), Franco Zeffirelli's BROTHER SUN SISTER MOON attempts to draw parallels between the work and philosophy of St. Francis and the ideology that underpinned the worldwide hippie movement throughout the 1960s and early '70s. Zeffirelli's signature lush photography and use of real architecture and settings enhances the story of this great historical figure, played by young British newcomer Graham Faulkner. Francesco, the spoiled son of a wealthy merchant, renounces all his worldly possessions to live a simple life as a man of God. Much to the dismay of the local bishop, he gradually gains a large following. The cinematography, editing, and a romantic soundtrack by the Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan, reinforce the healing and influential effect St. Francis had on his followers. The script contrasts Francis's piety and virtue with the bloated pomp of official Church doctrine, which is weighed down by internal politics. The film derives much of its strength from Faulkner as the young, battle-scarred nobleman laid low by his wartime experiences, who emerges from the horrors of conflict with a completely new and spiritual outlook on life. The film features a cast of gifted newcomers and screen veterans, including Judi Bowker (one of the most beautiful actresses of her generation), Leigh Lawson, Kenneth Cranham, Valentina Cortese, and Alec Guinness. With its distinctly counter-cultural feel, this unique film deserves to be treasured for its message of love and its cinematic beauty.

starting at

$8
 

starting at

$12
  • product
At once engagingly naturalistic and exhilaratingly dynamic, Gene Hackman has reached a level of accomplishment that many actors couldn't even dream of. See this master at work in three widely varied films: the classic sports picture HOOSIERS, the true-crime racial drama MISSISSIPPI BURNING, and the transcendent action-thriller THE FRENCH CONNECTION. See individual titles for complete details.

starting at

$12
 

starting at

$7
  • product
Covers the period from 1972-1974; Produced and released in 1976. With ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, director Alan Pakula adapts the best-selling book by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Pakula created a film that takes its place among such important conspiracy dramas as THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR and THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH. The focus is on the 1972 investigation of the break-in to the Democratic Party headquarters, otherwise known as the Watergate burglary. Through a complicated web of intrigue and secrecy that eventually involves the highest levels of government, hungry young journalists Woodward (Robert Redford) and Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) of the Washington Post aggressively examine the incident, uncovering information that ultimately leads to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Exceptional performances by Redford and Hoffman are complemented by Jason Robards as the dubious but supportive executive editor at the Post, and Hal Holbrook's celebrated characterization of mysterious informer Deep Throat. The pacing of the film is quick and exciting, drawing viewers into the action of one of the most intriguing mysteries in all of American political history.

starting at

$7
 

starting at

$4
  • product
For his adaptation of this classic Shakespeare tragedy, director Franco Zeffirelli (TAMING OF THE SHREW) made the inspired choice of casting teenaged actors in the leads (Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting), and their youthful innocence adds an extra dimension of beauty and tragedy to the story. Shot on location in Italy, the film benefits from an earthy sense of realism, a cast of excellent supporting actors, and a memorable soundtrack by Nino Rota. This saga of star-crossed lovers caught in their feuding family's crossfire had strong political resonance at the time of its release, and has lost little of its poignancy.

starting at

$4
 

starting at

$20
  • product
The master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, weaves a knotty yarn of intrigue in this early outing. Young, beautiful, and spoiled Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) is wrapping up a ski vacation before unenthusiastically returning to London to be married. In the hotel, she meets an elderly governess en route to home, Miss Froy (Dame May Witty), as well as an unbearably rude music scholar named Gilbert (Michael Redgrave). Then, just before boarding the train, Iris receives a blow to the head and is taken under the protective wing of Miss Froy. Their conversation is polite and uneventful. Iris finally dozes off and when she comes to, Miss Froy is nowhere to be found, and no one on the train recalls seeing the governess. Thwarted at every turn in her search, Iris finds only one ally, the unbearable but handsome Gilbert. As their search begins to seem futile, Iris starts to suspect she is losing her mind. Then several people on the train--including a shifty physician and a mysterious nun--reveal nefarious motives beneath their innocent facades.

starting at

$20
 

starting at

$4
  • product
A high school football coach (played by actor/director Alex Kendrick) uses some unorthodox methods to motivate his team in FACING THE GIANTS. A devoted Christian, the coach turns to God for inspiration, with amazing results.

starting at

$4
 

starting at

$8
  • product
This story of faith and family follows a young journalist as she's forced to take on five children after the death of her Amish sister. Classic values and the city collide in this heartwarming adaptation of the novel by Beverly Lewis.

starting at

$8
 

starting at

$2
  • product
As the first African American to receive college football's prestigious Heisman trophy, Ernie Davis (Rob Brown) is one of the most inspiring--and tragic--figures in the game (he died of leukemia at 23, before his first NFL game) His rise to athletic stardom coincides with the birth of the civil rights movement, and despite setbacks like a speech impediment, biased referees, and fear of white mob reprisals, Davis grabs the glory for a better America. Dennis Quaid plays Davis's coach and mentor, Ben Schwartzwalder, who lays on the discipline and training, first yielding to racist pressures, then supporting and spurring Davis to his peerless heights for Syracuse University's Orangemen. THE EXPRESS would need to work hard to fumble this ball, and it doesn't, making a smooth cinematic touchdown with heart, intelligence, guts, rapid-fire editing, and a minimum of cliché. The gridiron action is vividly and excitingly rendered as is a superb supporting cast, most notably Omar Benson Miller as Davis's wisecracking teammate. Plus, one can't go wrong with having seasoned sports movie go-to guy Quaid as Schwartzwalder; he's got this stuff so down, he could get an audience to stand up and cheer just by reading a grocery list. What sticks in the mind later though is the joy in watching these characters grow, as athletes and as people. And as they mature, they take all of America with them.

starting at

$2
 

starting at

$5
  • product
Richard Dreyfus stars as an aspiring composer who becomes a terrific music teacher in spite of himself. The story chronicles thirty years in the inspirational life of a man who, through his sheer love of music, leaves an unexpected, indelible mark on the lives of his students. Academy Award Nominations: Best Actor--Richard Dreyfuss.

starting at

$5
 

starting at

$3
  • product
A heartwarming coming-of-age tale set in 1940s Yazoo, Mississippi. Willie Morris (Frankie Muniz) is an introverted eight-year-old whose best friend is Dink Jenkins (Luke Wilson), a high school football star. Willie's mother convinces his stern father to buy Willie a puppy for his ninth birthday, in light of the fact that Dink has left Yazoo to fight in the war. Immediately, Willie's world brightens. When he stumbles upon a team of evil bootleggers and welcomes home a despondent Dink, he must learn a very valuable lesson about life. Based on Morris' memoir, MY DOG SKIP should have even the most hardened viewer reaching for the tissues.

starting at

$3
 

starting at

$12
  • product
Inspiring true story follows the epic life of Father Damien (Wenham), a legendary Belgian priest who dedicated his life (quite literally) to the care and spiritual guidance of a doomed Hawaiian leper colony during the late 1800s. Faced with appallingly daunting conditions--symptoms ignored, food stolen from the sick, the weak forced into slavery, diseased girls forced into prostitution--the priest supported himself through his sense of justice and his unwavering faith. A counterpart of other beneficent luminaries such as Mother Theresa and Gandhi, Damien's story speaks of the triumph of the human and the indomitable force of one man's will to do what is morally and spiritually right in a beautiful, alien world. Spectacular scenery and panoramic Hawaiian vistas add a particularly aesthetic pleasure to the story. Screenplay by John Briley, the scribe responsible for GANDHI.

starting at

$12
 

starting at

$6
  • product
Acclaimed director Franco Zeffirelli teamed with Mel Gibson for this energetic, earthy adaptation of the classic Shakespeare tragedy. From study abroad, the young Prince of Denmark returns home to find his mother has married his uncle, and his father's ghost is urging him to action; but what action? Gibson brings real gusto to Hamlet's anguish, and makes this full-blooded translation roar with life. Glenn Close, as his mother, and Helena Bonham Carter, as Ophelia, both lend excellent support. This is Shakespeare with teeth; it should please both students and casual filmgoers.

starting at

$6
 

starting at

$6
  • product
A visually beautiful film, ONE NIGHT WITH THE KING depicts the biblical tale of a Jewish peasant, Hadassah (Tiffany Dupont), and her journey to become the legendary Queen Esther. Her parents were murdered when she was a young girl and she was taken in by her uncle, Mordecai (John Rhys-Davies); he raised her in Susa, a city of the ancient empire of Persia. Hadassah--beautiful, intelligent and passionate--was summoned among many of the kingdom's virtuous young women to be groomed as a possible new queen for the powerful and handsome King Xerxes (Luke Goss). Hadassah hides her Jewish heritage under advisement from her uncle, and changes her name to Esther. She impresses the King. He falls in love with her and chooses her to be his bride, and she becomes Queen of Persia. Soon after, Hamen the Agagite (James Callis), the King's Prime Minster, proclaims his goal of wiping out all the Jews of Persia, and he convinces the King to approve the plan. It is up to Queen Esther to announce her Jewish heritage and come to the rescue of her people. Peppered with many religious references, ONE NIGHT WITH THE KING conveys the message of divine destiny as it tells the story of a queen who continues to be an inspiring figure. Although the result of Queen Esther's intervention is well known, the filmmakers and actors do a superb job of building up the suspense and the desperation felt by all involved. The film includes a brief cameo by Peter O'Toole as the biblical figure Samuel, and Omar Sharif appears as Prince Memucan.

starting at

$6
 

starting at

$2
  • product
An irresponsible ex-ballplayer returns to his hometown following the suicide of his boyhood babysitter. She has willed him the task of disposing of her ashes. As he struggles with this responsibility, he flashes back to important moments in his childhood.

starting at

$2
 

starting at

$13
  • product
The weather is getting hotter, and photographer L.B. Jefferies (Jimmy Stewart) is stuck in his apartment with a broken leg and nothing to do--that is, nothing to do but spy on his neighbors through their open windows across the way in the apartment complex. There's an attractive and scantily clad dancer, a songwriter, a lonely woman, and the Thorwalds (Raymond Burr and Irene Winston), a bickering couple, among others. But when Mrs. Thorwald disappears, Jefferies is sure that something's wrong. Soon, despite the warnings of his girlfriend, Lisa (Grace Kelly), and his motherly nurse, Stella (Thelma Ritter), Jefferies has out his binoculars and telephoto lens and is studying his neighbor "like a bug under glass." However, looking in from the outside might not be as safe as Jefferies assumes. REAR WINDOW is not only a gripping story of murder and suspense, it is a celebrated allegory on the nature of film itself, a story in which the audience watches Jefferies watch the story unfold. The different windows represent the various different stories that are often told on film and also can be seen as representing the coming of television, as Jefferies can watch a multitude of "shows" from the comfort of his own apartment.

starting at

$13
 

starting at

$3
  • product
An honor student is forced to transfer to a school in a poor black area because his father owes the Mob for gambling debts. Taunted by local thugs, he proves himself in a street brawl and attracts the attention of a shady promoter who forces him to fight in his illegal arenas by buying his father's markers. Descending into the hellish world of illegal boxing may be the only way out of the poverty surrounding him.

starting at

$3
 

starting at

$4
  • product
Halle Berry (MONSTER'S BALL) stars in this inspirational adventure in which a group of low-income, under-achieving Hawaiian students are inspired by their new science teacher to design a solar-powered car for a local competition. Their determination ultimately lands them in Australia in a 2,000 mile race across the Outback.

starting at

$4
 

starting at

$4
  • product
Animation master Gabor Csupo directs his first live-action film in this adaptation of the novel The Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson, whose son David co-wrote the screenplay and serves as a producer. Jess (Josh Hutcherson) is misunderstood. Despite Jess' talents as an artist, the school bullies pick on him, his father (Robert Patrick) belittles his dreams, and his four sisters invade his space in the family's cramped house. Jess' bleak world changes when Leslie (Annasophia Robb) moves into the house next door. Bright, creative and outspoken, Leslie also finds herself an outsider in their school. Soon the two are thick as thieves, spending their after school hours exploring the woods beyond their backyards and on the others side of a creek, which Leslie deems the kingdom of Terabithia. Here, they create their own magical world, complete with a Dark Master and his minions, dragonfly soldiers, giant trolls and a treehouse fortress. In Terabithia, the two friends let their imaginations run wild and control their destiny, far away from school bullies and the pressures of adolescence. Hutcherson and Robb are well cast as Jess and Leslie in this coming-of-age tale. Hutcherson handles both the melancholy intensity and unbridled joy of his character beautifully, and Robb's smile and charisma are infectious. Zooey Deschanel also stars as Miss Edmunds, the music teacher who befriends Jess. Parents should read the book or learn more about the story before taking young children to see this film, as the story includes not only some scary creatures, but also the death of a young person. Terabithia and its creatures are created by WETA Digital LTD, the same company that did the effects for the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy and KING KONG.

starting at

$4
 

starting at

$6
  • product
Director Bruce Beresford's affinity for the subtleties of southern life is apparent in this adaptation of Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Starring Jessica Tandy as Daisy Werthan and Morgan Freeman as Hoke Colburn, the film opens in late-1940s Atlanta. Since Miss Daisy is becoming a menace behind the wheel, her son, Boolie (Dan Aykroyd), ignores her protests and hires Hoke, a black chauffeur. When the feisty matron decides to resist necessity and walk to the store, the equally stubborn chauffeur follows her in her car. As he says to Boolie, "I used to rassle hogs down to the ground...ain't nary a hog got away from me yet." But Hoke's methods are gentleness and patience, and as the years elapse in his ongoing tug-of-war with the temperamental Daisy, she begins to tacitly acknowledge his wisdom. When she expresses annoyance over the demands of the nascent civil rights movement, Hoke points out to the Jewish woman the similarity between the attack on her synagogue and Klan attacks on black churches. But it is only after many years together that they can finally admit to the depth of the friendship they have shared. The two stars give unforgettable performances, and Beresford's direction is a model of restraint.

starting at

$6
 

starting at

$12
  • product
Comic actor Jim Carrey plays it (mostly) straight for this smart satire from director Peter Weir (DEAD POETS SOCIETY). The life of Truman Burbank (Carrey) has been broadcast around the world with tremendous success since the day he was born. A star for the mere fact that he exists, Truman has no idea that there are cameras in every corner of his world. But soon, cracks begin to show in the constructed world, and Truman questions his existence while everyone around him is in on the joke. Weir directs a fine cast, including Laura Linney as Truman's wife and Ed Harris as the show's director. Screenwriter Andrew Niccol also added interesting twists to the scripts for S1M0NE and GATTACA.

starting at

$12
 

starting at

$4
  • product
AUGUST RUSH is part romance, part gentle fantasy, but this sweet drama is all heart. When young cellist Lyla (Keri Russell) and rock musician Louis (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) meet at a party in the mid 1990s, it's love at first sight, and they spend the night in each other's arms. But Lyla's father forces them apart, even though she later learns she's pregnant. Later, an accident lands Lyla in the hospital, and though her father tells her that her baby died, the child survives and is given up for adoption. AUGUST RUSH jumps to the present and begins to follow Evan (Freddie Highmore), an 11 year old who has grown up in a boys' home. As Evan embarks on a crusade to find his parents, he imagines he can communicate with them through his gift for music. His journey to New York City brings him into contact with Wizard (Robin Williams), a man eager to capitalize on the child prodigy's talent. Wizard gives Evan the name August Rush as he begins performing all over the city, but the boy's ultimate goal is to find the parents he has never met. From FINDING NEVERLAND to CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, Highmore has displayed an almost prodigious talent himself. He's a gifted young actor, and this emotional story is the perfect venue for his acting. AUGUST RUSH isn't a film for the cynics, but even the hard-hearted in the audience will have difficulty not being touched by this sentimental film. As in Evan's life, music plays a central role in AUGUST RUSH, and it's tough not to let your heart soar along with the melodies. Though it could draw comparisons to OLIVER! and ANNIE, this is a unique and heartwarming film.

starting at

$4
 

starting at

$7
  • product
The videotaped will of deceased billionaire Red Stevens (James Garner) includes the "ultimate gift" for his spoiled, sullen grandson Jason (Drew Fuller). A series of tasks meant to turn Jason from a hedonistic jerk into a compassionate human being is included in the will, but whether that's the gift or there's a fortune at the end of the rainbow is something Jason will just have to wait to find out. First, he's sent to Texas to work on the ranch of one of Red's old pals (Brian Dennehey). Then his trust fund is cut off and he's thrown into the streets where he battles a bum for a park bench and eventually makes friends with a young girl--dying of leukemia--named Emily (Abigail Breslin). There's some romantic bonding with Emily's struggling mom (Ali Hills) and danger down in Costa Rica, where Jason winds up hostage to some drug-running thugs. Bill Cobbs and Lee Meriwether are the lawyers who monitor Jason's progress. This is a nice little movie, with a straightforward spiritual agenda. But it gets everything right, with minimum sermonizing and maximum heart. The cast is clearly into the spirit of the matter: Abigail Breslin (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE) radiates oddball charm, and the eyes of old pros Garner, Denehey, Meriwether, and Cobbs are alight with compassion and nobility.

starting at

$7
 

starting at

$9
  • product
An updated version of the 1947 classic about a department-store Kris Kringle who brings joy to Christmas, by making Susan, a cynical little girl and her mother believe in Santa Claus. A warm and cozy film with just the right amount of nineties edge. MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET stars Mara Wilson (the unbelievably adorable daughter of MRS. DOUBTFIRE) as Susan.

starting at

$9
 

starting at

$2
  • product
Most people know the story of Peter Pan, the boy who refused to grow up. Director Marc Forster's (MONSTER'S BALL) FINDING NEVERLAND delves deeper, depicting a fictionalized account of the family and events that inspired the classic tale. At the turn of the 20th Century, Scottish playwright J.M. Barrie's (Johnny Depp) latest play in London has flopped almost as badly as his marriage to stature-seeking Mary (Radha Mitchell). During one of his frequent excursions to the park with his dog, Barrie meets four young boys and their recently widowed mother, Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (Kate Winslet). Soon Barrie becomes a frequent playmate to the children, using the boys' imagination to take them on fanciful adventures. He also becomes a friend and confidante to the overwhelmed Sylvia, much to the dismay of her overbearing mother (Julie Christie). Barrie's active imagination and interaction with the family inspires "Peter Pan," a play that celebrates the child in everyone and the importance of believing in fantasies and miracles. A droll and amusing Dustin Hoffman appears as American Charles Frohman, Barrie's producer. The film also features young Freddie Highmore as Peter Llewelyn Davies, the inspiration for Barrie's title character.

starting at

$2
 

starting at

$6
  • product
EDDIE AND THE CRUISERS: Back in the early 1960s, Eddie and the Cruisers, a (fictitious) rock band, was the hottest act around. However, in 1964 the group broke up, following the apparent suicide of the band's charismatic lead singer Eddie Wilson, who drove off a bridge. His body was never found. After 20 years, TV reporter Maggie Foley decides to do an investigative story on the band. At the same time, she searches for the missing tapes of the group's last recording, which could provide clues to Eddie's disappearance. The more Maggie researches her story, however, the more she suspects that Eddie Wilson may still be alive... EDDIE AND THE CRUISERS 2: EDDIE LIVES!: The rock star who disappeared when his car ran off the road years ago is living in Canada with a new identity. As the president of Eddie's old record company plans to make millions from the "Lost Tapes" of Eddie and the Cruisers, Eddie is starting up a new band which is soon discovered...and so is Eddie, who must come to terms with himself and his music.

starting at

$6
 

starting at

$1
  • product
In its heyday, Madison, Indiana was a thriving port on the Ohio River. But by 1971, hard times and unemployment are driving the locals away. The city's one claim to fame is its participation in hydroplane boat racing, a dream kept alive by Jim McCormick (Jim Caviezel) and the team of the Miss Madison, the town's boat. Jim was an up and coming racer in 1961, when he was injured in a race that also took the life of his best friend. The townsfolk were there to support his recovery, and since then, he has been content to work on the team of the Miss Madison and raise a family in his hometown. But when Madison is chosen to sponsor the Gold Cup, the pinnacle race of the hydroplane boat racing circuit, Jim is determined to save his dying town and their old boat from being the laughing stock in a competition where the other teams have bottomless budgets. More important, he wants his young son, Mike (Jake Lloyd) to take pride in Madison and in his roots. Based on a true story, MADISON is about a small town that defies the odds, and a man who overcomes his own fears. Written by Scott Bindley and William Bindley (THE EIGHTEENTH ANGEL), the film is narrated by an adult Mike voiced by John Mellencamp. Mary McCormack stars as Jim's wife, Bonnie, who wants to join the exodus to the big city. Bruce Dern appears as a master mechanic who comes to his old friend's rescue just in the nick of time, and Paul Dooley plays the Madison's mayor.

starting at

$1
 

starting at

$3
  • product
John Travolta returns as a pumped-up Tony Manero in this sequel to the 1977 hit movie, SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER. Tony is now a struggling dancer/instructor, looking for his big break in a Broadway show. When he finally lands a small role, personal problems come to the fore as he finds himself torn between two women: Jackie (Cynthia Rhodes, DIRTY DANCING), his loyal girlfriend, and Laura (Finola Hughes), the musical's attractive and flirtatious star. Sylvester Stallone directed and co-wrote the screenplay.

starting at

$3
 

starting at

$8
  • product
An elderly couple lead empty and separate emotional lives until the approach of death rekindles their deeply rooted love and passion for one another.

starting at

$8
 

starting at

$3
  • product
Back in the early 1960s, Eddie and the Cruisers, a (fictitious) rock band, was the hottest act around. However, in 1964 the group broke up, following the apparent suicide of the band's charismatic lead singer Eddie Wilson, who drove off a bridge. His body was never found. After 20 years, TV reporter Maggie Foley decides to do an investigative story on the band. At the same time, she searches for the missing tapes of the group's last recording, which could provide clues to Eddie's disappearance. The more Maggie researches her story, however, the more she suspects that Eddie Wilson may still be alive...

starting at

$3
 

starting at

$3
  • product
Based on Stephen King's novella THE BODY, director Rob Reiner's STAND BY ME is the disarmingly tender and subtly sublime story of four kids on the precipice of early adulthood who embark upon a quest. There's Gordie (Wil Wheaton), the intelligent, creative one with the obviously bright future. His best buddy, Chris (River Phoenix), hardens his image in order to hide the pain from the physical abuse he endures at home, all the while harboring the hope of escaping that image. Rounding out the foursome are Vern (Jerry O'Connell), the pudgy tagalong, and Teddy (Corey Feldman), a loyal and funny but troubled kid with a death wish. When the four boys hear about a dead body 20 miles down the railroad tracks from their small Oregon town, they clandestinely set upon the unwieldy journey to lay eyes on this rare find. Amid numerous misadventures, Gordie, Chris, Vern, and Teddy savor what may be their last chance to revel in the simple life of children; around the corner is a future that could tear them apart, not to mention a tough teen gang who desires local fame by finding the body first. Enhanced by excellent performances and an engaging plot, STAND BY ME ranks among the best of the myriad coming-of-age films to dot the 1980s cinematic landscape.

starting at

$3
 

starting at

$14
  • product
In a lavish 18th century parlor in Austria, an elderly man is found, by his servant, with his throat slashed. The wound is self-inflicted, and the man is the little-known composer Salieri (F. Murray Abraham), contemporary and adversary of the now-famed, but once reviled, composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce). Later, from his cell in an insane asylum, Salieri tells a priest (Herman Meckler) the story of his association with Mozart, confessing that he actually killed the brilliantly gifted but troubled young man. Based on the award-winning play by Peter Shaffer, Milos Forman's riveting, brilliant, Oscar-winning AMADEUS is a fictionalized account of the real-life mysterious death of Mozart. Abraham, in the role that won him the Best Actor Oscar, is the celebrated court composer to Joseph II (Jeffrey Jones)--his confidence and religious dedication shaken when he meets the boorish 26-year-old Mozart as he chases his future wife (Elizabeth Berridge) around a party while making obscene remarks. Furious that this clownish boy can produce such beautiful music, Salieri determines to keep Mozart's talent from lasting recognition and sets himself on a course for Mozart's destruction that leads to his own as well. Mozart continues to mount beautiful, moving operas (incredibly staged in the film), but becomes obsessed with writing a Requiem as his friends, family, health, and resources waste away, Salieri's manipulating presence always there. It is hard to imagine anyone--whether they are knowledgeable about classical music or not--who would not be held captive by this superb feast for the eyes and ears, a film whose excellence can be felt in every detail.

starting at

$14
 

starting at

$5
  • product
Set in the industrial South and based on a true story, Martin Ritt's NORMA RAE is a moving portrait of a woman's fight to improve both her own life and the deplorable conditions that exist in the mill where she works. Norma Rae (Sally Field) has worked at the textile mill for years, but when a union organizer from New York comes to town, Norma takes on the hostility of the mill's management and the apathy of her coworkers to try to unionize the mill. Field plays Norma Rae as a passionate woman who realizes her own potential and her need to rebel against the status quo. She is also infuriated by the conditions at the mill. When Norma, uneducated and poor, finally expresses her disgust with life at the mill, it is an electrifying moment, and Field radiates this energy for the rest of the film, providing an emotional core and drive that gives the picture its power.

starting at

$5
 

starting at

$7
  • product
A young soldier, returning to California's wine country following WWII, discovers he no longer loves his wife. He befriends a pregnant girl on a bus and fatefully agrees to pose as her husband to help her avoid her vineyard-owner father's wrath. A romantic fantasy from the director of LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE.

starting at

$7
 

starting at

$9
  • product
A young soldier, returning to California's wine country following WWII, discovers he no longer loves his wife. He befriends a pregnant girl on a bus and fatefully agrees to pose as her husband to help her avoid her vineyard-owner father's wrath. A romantic fantasy from the director of LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE.

starting at

$9
 

starting at

$4
  • product
World War II Morocco springs to life in Michael Curtiz's (THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, YANKEE DOODLE DANDY) classic love story. Colorful characters abound in Casablanca, a waiting room for Europeans trying to escape Hitler's war-torn Europe. Humphrey Bogart plays Richard "Rick" Blaine, a cynical but good-hearted American whose café is the gathering place for everyone from the French Police to the black market to the Nazis. When his long-lost love, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), surfaces in Casablanca with her Resistance leader husband, Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), Rick is pulled into both a love triangle and a web of political intrigue. Ilsa and Victor need to escape from Casablanca, and Rick may be the only one who can help them. The question is, will he? Top-notch performances include Claude Rains as the chief of the French police and the major authority figure in Unoccupied France, Peter Lorre as the doomed Senor Ugarte, Sydney Greenstreet as Senor Ferrari, and Dooley Wilson as Rick's loyal friend and the café's pianist, Sam. The mesmerizing musical score, by Max Steiner, along with the well-structured plot, flawless acting, and unforgettable dialogue makes this one of the best films of all time.

starting at

$4
 

starting at

$6
  • product
This version of Jane Austen's fiercely beloved novel has the daunting task of living up not only to the classic book, but also to the excellent 1995 miniseries of the same name. Yet 2005's PRIDE & PREJUDICE is up to the task, thanks to lively pacing, a witty script, an excellent cast, and clever direction from British newcomer Joe Wright. The surprisingly still-relevant story follows the five Bennet sisters as they deal with suitors and love, as their mother desperately schemes to marry them off advantageously. Sweet-tempered beauty Jane (Rosamund Pike) develops feelings for the equally amiable and extremely wealthy Mr. Bingley (Simon Woods), but forces conspire to keep them apart--while Lizzie (Keira Knightley) finds herself first appalled by, but gradually drawn to, Bingley's aloof, intelligent, and socially awkward friend, Mr. Darcy (Matthew MacFayden). The movie, at just over two hours, is forced to cut and condense a number of the book's subplots, and at times it tries to heighten the drama of certain scenes. But, for the most part, it's as faithful to the spirit of the original as time and cinematic convention allow. The tremendous supporting cast includes Brenda Blethyn as Mrs. Bennet and Donald Sutherland as her wry, withdrawn husband; Jena Malone as teenage twit Lydia; Judi Dench, effortlessly haughty and imperious, as Lady Catherine de Bourg; and Tom Hollander, who steals every scene he's in as the ludicrously pompous and awkward Mr. Collins. The movie's script, adapted by Deborah Moggach, manages to be proto-feminist without becoming anachronistic--and, like the novel, it is incisive about the class politics and gender inequalities of the day.

starting at

$6
 

starting at

$7
  • product
In a lavish 18th century parlor in Austria, an elderly man is found, by his servant, with his throat slashed. The wound is self-inflicted, and the man is the little-known composer Salieri (F. Murray Abraham), contemporary and adversary of the now-famed, but once reviled, composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce). Later, from his cell in an insane asylum, Salieri tells a priest (Herman Meckler) the story of his association with Mozart, confessing that he actually killed the brilliantly gifted but troubled young man. Based on the award-winning play by Peter Shaffer, Milos Forman's riveting, brilliant, Oscar-winning AMADEUS is a fictionalized account of the real-life mysterious death of Mozart. Abraham, in the role that won him the Best Actor Oscar, is the celebrated court composer to Joseph II (Jeffrey Jones)--his confidence and religious dedication shaken when he meets the boorish 26-year-old Mozart as he chases his future wife (Elizabeth Berridge) around a party while making obscene remarks. Furious that this clownish boy can produce such beautiful music, Salieri determines to keep Mozart's talent from lasting recognition and sets himself on a course for Mozart's destruction that leads to his own as well. Mozart continues to mount beautiful, moving operas (incredibly staged in the film), but becomes obsessed with writing a Requiem as his friends, family, health, and resources waste away, Salieri's manipulating presence always there. It is hard to imagine anyone--whether they are knowledgeable about classical music or not--who would not be held captive by this superb feast for the eyes and ears, a film whose excellence can be felt in every detail.

starting at

$7
 

starting at

$3
  • product
Michael Apted, whose claim to fame till now has been the respected 7 UP documentary series, directs this lavish costume drama whose heart is as big as its budget. Though a marked departure, Apted's idealistic interests are well served by the story, which is based on the true tale of the 18th-century British politician William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd, who played Horatio Hornblower in the HORNBLOWER series). Though as a young man Wilberforce is torn between politics and the church, he is inspired to action by John Newton (Albert Finney), a penitent monk who is haunted by his past as a slave-ship captain. Wilberforce makes it his mission to end slavery in the British Empire, and, aided by a small band of radical thinkers and unlikely supporters, he annually presents a bill for abolition to Parliament. When the war with France generates a patriotism in the people that makes opposition to slavery seem seditious, Wilberforce becomes disillusioned, and he retires to his cousin's (Nicholas Farrell) house, physically ill and emotionally destroyed by his perceived failure. When he meets the beautiful and righteous Barbara Spooner (Romola Garai, AS YOU LIKE IT), however, he gains new determination to pursue his dream of abolition. The talented cast includes Michael Gambon as Lord Fox, an old gent who turns out to be more lucid than anyone would have guessed, as well as Senegalese musician Youssou N'Dour as Oloudaqh Equiano, a regal former slave turned activist. Terrence Malick (BADLANDS), who produced the film, leaves his mark in the stunning visuals.

starting at

$3
 

starting at

$1
  • product
In November 1970, a plane carrying almost the entire Marshall University football team, its staff and fans crashed, killing 75 people in all and devastating the small town of Huntington, West Virginia. WE ARE MARSHALL, directed by McG (THE O.C., FASTLANE) tells the tragic true story of how the university and the citizens of Huntington rebuilt the football program and dealt with the loss of so many of their own. The university's president, Donald Dedmon, earnestly portrayed by David Strathairn (GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK), hires the only willing coach to take on such a daunting task, Jack Lengyl (Matthew McConaughey). With the help of the lone Marshall football coach Red Dawson (Matthew Fox) and the three remaining players who weren't on the plane, Coach Lengyl sets out to restructure Marshall's team, and spirit. But for some in the community it's still too soon, including Paul Griffen (Ian McShane) who lost his football-star son. They fear that moving on so quickly is disrespectful to those who died and to the loved ones who still mourn. The film emphasizes this issue, illustrating the struggle of that harrowing time at Marshall, and in college football history. Although WE ARE MARSHALL contains a similar theme to other sports movies, rising from adversity, the tragedy of so many lives lost in a small community and the painful recovery sets this film apart. Strong performances by McConaughey (FAILURE TO LAUNCH)?his wit and energy adds much needed doses of comic relief, Fox (LOST), and McShane (DEADWOOD) successfully help bring the historical and inspiring story of Marshall University to the big screen, a must-see for all sports fans.

starting at

$1
 

starting at

$1
  • product
After decades of playing single men in romantic comedies from the classic SAY ANYTHING to the critical favorite HIGH FIDELITY, the year 2007 marks a change for John Cusack. With roles as fathers in 1408, GRACE IS GONE, and MARTIAN CHILD, the beloved actor grows up and deserves some of the highest praise of his career. In MARTIAN CHILD, David Gordon (Cusack) is a successful science fiction author, plagued by both the death of his wife and writer's block. When a group home worker (Sophie Okonedo) tries to pair him with a young boy named Dennis (Bobby Coleman), David initially resists. But once David spends time with Dennis, he realizes how special the boy is. The outsider (and sci-fi fan) in David thinks he might just understand Dennis best since the child believes that he's from Mars and he'll return there soon. David and Dennis struggle to create the most unconventional of families, as Dennis strives to learn more about being human. MARTIAN CHILD is a moving drama that works because of the genuine performances of everyone involved, but it rides on both the experienced shoulders of Cusack and those of his young costar, Coleman. Both excel at communicating their characters' isolation and eventual connection, but it's Coleman's work in his first major role that is such a pleasant surprise. Supporting turns from Cusack's sister Joan (who plays his sister in the film) and Amanda Peet add emotional depth to the sweet story. MARTIAN CHILD is based on the autobiographical novel by David Gerrold, who is most famous for writing the STAR TREK fan favorite "The Trouble with Tribbles."

starting at

$1
 

starting at

$2
  • product
Following her depiction of youthful rebellion in the independent features THIRTEEN and LORDS OF DOGTOWN, Catherine Hardwicke takes an anomalous detour with THE NATIVITY STORY. A simple depiction of the Biblical tale told from Mary's perspective, the film lends realism and humanity to a story that is mythical in its proportions, with 16-year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes (WHALE RIDER) delivering a performance indicative of her star potential. The scene is set in ancient Nazareth, where the people live in poverty, oppressed by the heavy taxes and iron hand of King Herod. Herod himself lives in fear of a prophecy that foretells the coming of a great king, and is constantly tightening his grip on an already terrorized land. Mary is a young, virtuous, fun-loving girl whose family arranges her marriage to Joseph, a man she hardly knows but who promises to provide for her. Mary is unwilling, but her rebellion is soon eclipsed by a greater fear when the angel Gabriel appears to her and informs her of her destiny as the mother of Jesus. Having taken a vow to remain pure for a year, Mary is afraid of what the townspeople will do to her when they hear of her pregnancy. She goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who also carries a child given to her by God, and who offers her support and comfort. When Mary returns to Nazareth heavily pregnant, Joseph is consumed with jealousy and anger, and only when he receives word from God in a dream does he agree to claim the child for his own. Eventually, Herod decides to take a census in order to find the Messiah foretold in the prophecy, and Joseph and Mary set off on the difficult journey to Bethlehem. The way the couple's relationship progresses lends heart to the tale, and comic relief is provided by the three wise men (Nadim Sawalha, Eriq Ebouaney, and Stefan Kalipha), making this an effective, inspiring, and joyful rendition of the well-known tale.

starting at

$2
 

starting at

$2
  • product
In November 1970, a plane carrying almost the entire Marshall University football team, its staff and fans crashed, killing 75 people in all and devastating the small town of Huntington, West Virginia. WE ARE MARSHALL, directed by McG (THE O.C., FASTLANE) tells the tragic true story of how the university and the citizens of Huntington rebuilt the football program and dealt with the loss of so many of their own. The university's president, Donald Dedmon, earnestly portrayed by David Strathairn (GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK), hires the only willing coach to take on such a daunting task, Jack Lengyl (Matthew McConaughey). With the help of the lone Marshall football coach Red Dawson (Matthew Fox) and the three remaining players who weren't on the plane, Coach Lengyl sets out to restructure Marshall's team, and spirit. But for some in the community it's still too soon, including Paul Griffen (Ian McShane) who lost his football-star son. They fear that moving on so quickly is disrespectful to those who died and to the loved ones who still mourn. The film emphasizes this issue, illustrating the struggle of that harrowing time at Marshall, and in college football history. Although WE ARE MARSHALL contains a similar theme to other sports movies, rising from adversity, the tragedy of so many lives lost in a small community and the painful recovery sets this film apart. Strong performances by McConaughey (FAILURE TO LAUNCH)?his wit and energy adds much needed doses of comic relief, Fox (LOST), and McShane (DEADWOOD) successfully help bring the historical and inspiring story of Marshall University to the big screen, a must-see for all sports fans.

starting at

$2
 

starting at

$2
  • product
Sidney Lumet faithfully adapts Ira Levin's witty play of intertwining intentions and duplicitous loyalties in his stinging thriller DEATHTRAP. Set in the glittering milieu of New York's Hamptons, the film stars Michael Caine as Sidney Bruhl, a washed-up writer of Broadway hit thrillers reeling from the unmitigated flop of his most recent play. Upon returning to his wife, Myra--a heart-murmur-afflicted, pill-popping, and incredibly wealthy hysterical played to great effect by Dyan Cannon--Sidney reveals that to add to his chagrin, a former student (Christopher Reeve) has sent him his brilliant first play, entitled DEATHTRAP. Much to his wife's dismay, Sidney concocts a mad scheme to lure the young playwright out to East Hampton and then promptly kill him in order to claim the play as his own. When the wheels of Sidney's plan are set in motion, the three characters launch into a tense, high-pitched game of double entendres, hidden intentions, and unexpected twists. The genre's typical propensity for reversals is magnified tenfold as DEATHTRAP begins to feed upon its own script, taking the characters on a blind ride through sheer suspense and manipulation. Caine, Cannon, and Reeve turn in bravado performances that inject the already taught script with fine-tuned tension and raise the viewer's suspension of disbelief to dizzying and hilarious heights.

starting at

$2
 

starting at

$2
  • product
An animal handler in Hollywood, Eddie (Jonathan Silverman) may work with cats and dogs, but he doesn't want to own any; he holds to his "no pets allowed" policy even when his son, Billy (Moises Arias) brings home the loveable 185-pound Beethoven, a St. Bernard. He'll have to change his mind, however, when the animal lead of a big movie goes missing, and the studio chooses Beethoven as a replacement! The slobbering sweetheart of a dog soon wreaks plenty of havoc on set, but in the end, not even Eddie can deny that the drooling, demolition-friendly dog is one of a kind. This charming entry in the popular Beethoven series also stars Rhea Perlman, Eddie Griffin, Joey Fatone, and the "Dog Whisperer" himself, Cesar Millan.

starting at

$2
 

starting at

$2
  • product
A terminally ill little boy helps an emotionally shuttered man reembrace life in the tender Canadian drama THE BLUE BUTTERFLY. Based on a true story, the film stars William Hurt as curmudgeonly entomologist Alan Osborne, who reluctantly agrees to help a 10-year-old, wheelchair-bound cancer patient, Pete Carlton (Marc Donato), catch a beautiful but elusive species of butterfly known as the Blue Morpho. Accompanied by Pete's mother, Teresa (Pascale Bussieres), the would-be collectors soon find themselves travelling to the lush rainforests of Costa Rica, where the dramatic jungle landscapes transform their near-mythic quest into a transformative journey of hope, magic, and redemption.

starting at

$2
 

starting at

$2
  • product
Julianne Moore returns to FAR FROM HEAVEN territory in THE PRIZE WINNER OF DEFIANCE, OHIO, which springs from the pages of Terry Ryan's memoir of the same name. Playing 1950s housewife Evelyn Ryan, who struggles to raise 10 kids while dealing with an alcoholic husband, Moore brings director Jane Anderson's film to life with another moving performance to add to her résumé. Evelyn's husband, Kelly (Woody Harrelson), works at the local factory but has sunk the family into financial trouble with his dangerously boozy habits. Struggling with her husband's drinking and the stress of raising so many children, Evelyn tries her luck in some jingle-writing contests. Writing rhyming couplets for companies like Dr. Pepper and Maidenform bras, the beleaguered housewife is surprisingly successful, and manages to tip the family's finances back into good health. Anderson peppers the action with short direct-to-camera monologues from Evelyn, which help to explain the idiosyncrasies of the competitions and also highlight her steely determination to pull her family through the hard times. But Kelly can't accept his wife's position as the major breadwinner of the family, and his violent, alcohol-fueled outbursts put an enormous strain on their relationship. Moore shines throughout the movie, giving a convincing performance as a strong woman who always puts her family's happiness before her own. As a first feature film, THE PRIZE WINNER OF DEFIANCE, OHIO, is a strong debut from Jane Anderson, who gained Emmy nominations for her HBO show NORMAL, which she wrote and directed; she also wrote the screenplay for this movie, faithfully molding Terry Ryan's words into a film that tugs heavily at the heart strings.

starting at

$2
 

starting at

$2
  • product
It is rare that a family film is both visually sophisticated and emotionally nuanced. MILLIONS, the fantastical tale of two British brothers and the large sack of cash literally dropped onto them from the sky, is just that--a multi-layered, majestic feast for both the eyes and the mind. Young brothers Anthony and Damian Cunninham, whose initial response to their unexpected fortune is a Robin Hood-esque spree of charity, have only one week to spend their 265,000 British pounds before their nation switches over to the Euro. Though the premise may seem trite or predictable, unexpected details--including Damian's ability to see visions of saints and the recent death of the boys' beloved mother--add complexity to the story. As the 7- and 9-year-old Cunningham brothers, lead actors Alex Etel and Lewis McGibbon prove to be those exceptional child actors who are appealing without being precious and their understated, mature performances add gravity to a largely whimsical film. Danny Boyle, the director best known for stylishly violent films TRAINSPOTTING and 28 DAYS LATER, might seem an odd man to helm this comparatively innocent movie. However, Boyle's visual and narrative gifts turn out to be perfectly suited to this modern day fable, adding much-needed flavor to a genre that is all too often ignored by cinematic talents.

starting at

$2
 

starting at

$2
  • product
Based on the incredible true story of how a small-town high school's basketball team became Indiana State Champs in 1954. This film follows the controversial outsider who came to town to teach high school history and coach basketball and who was not afraid to make big waves in a small pond. Academy Award Nominations: Best Supporting Actor--Dennis Hopper, Best Original Score.

starting at

$2
 

starting at

$2
  • product
Two generations of superstars team up in this ABC telefilm in which Diana Ross stars as a superstar mom, driven to abandon her only child (Brandy) for the sake of her career.

starting at

$2
 

starting at

$2
  • product
Terri Fletcher (Hilary Duff) is your typical sweet-hearted, small-town girl and she always obeys her intensely overprotective dad (David Keith), but when she gets accepted to a summer program at a prestigious Los Angeles music school and he forbids her to go, she realizes it's time to break away. With the help of her cool aunt (Rebecca De Mornay), Terri figures out a ruse to sneak off to LA and seize the chance to actualize her musical dreams. Once there, it's harsh wake-up time however, as she realizes being naive, adorable, blonde, un-pierced, and un-tattooed means being ostracized in this too-cool musical community. Luckily John Corbett, a sympathetic music teacher, is there to help, and there's time for romance to bloom with a British classmate (Oliver James). Before this little star can truly blossom though, she still has to cope with the trauma of losing her brother in a car accident (it's left her terrified of bright lights, a real problem for a stage performer) and then there's the matter of telling the truth to her furious father. Duff's effortless charisma lifts this sturdy, comfortably worn-in vehicle easily over the bumpier clichés, and delivers it safely to its inspiring destination.

starting at

$2
 

starting at

$2
  • product
A spectacular movie which dramatically depicts the epic tale of Moses. Burt Lancaster plays the role of the biblical leader who led the children of Israel out of bondage. Convincing special effects.

starting at

$2
Deals on Pg mpaa in Drama DVDs & Videos. Visit BizRate to find the best deals on Drama DVDs & Videos. See which DVDs & Videos stores have the Pg mpaa that you want. Read reviews on DVDs & Videos merchants and buy with confidence. Find savings on Water [DVD] - Selena [DVD].