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Inspired by the incredible true story of Winter, a dolphin who was rescued off the Florida coast after her tail became caught in a crab trap, this uplifting family-oriented adventure from director/co-screenwriter Charles Martin Smith details the unique bond between an injured dolphin and a young boy. When Winter loses her tail in a tragic accident, her young friend convinces the locals to build her a prosthetic replacement, inspiring hope and courage in handicapped people across the globe. Nathan Gamble, Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, and Kris Kristofferson star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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Four police officers attempt to put their faith in God after a sudden and unexpected tragedy transforms their lives forever. Produced by Sherwood Pictures, the Christian production company behind such popular films as Fireproof and Facing the Giants, Courageous follows dedicated cops Adam Mitchell and Nathan Hayes as they work with their partners to keep the streets safe. But when these devoted peacekeepers face the challenge of fatherhood, both their faith and devotion to family are put to the ultimate test. In the aftermath of a devastating calamity, they are faced with a difficult choice that will ultimately come to define their lives. Fortunately, a wise mentor appears to help them understand that man’s ambition and God’s will aren’t always in perfect harmony. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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George Clooney goes behind the camera for the fourth time to direct The Ides of March, an adaptation of Beau Willimon’s play Farragut North. The movie stars Ryan Gosling as Stephen Myers, an idealistic deputy campaign manager for Governor Mike Morris (Clooney) who is in a major political battle in Ohio that could be the key to winning the Democratic nomination for the Presidency. When the opposing candidate’s campaign manager (Paul Giamatti) offers Stephen a job on his staff, Stephen neglects to inform his boss (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Just as that omission is revealed, Stephen uncovers a dirty personal secret that could sink Morris’ political career. The Ides of March screened at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
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Bennett Miller’s adaptation of Michael Lewis’ non-fiction best seller Moneyball stars Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, a one-time phenom who flamed out in the big leagues and now works as the GM for the Oakland Athletics, a franchise that’s about to lose their three best players to free agency. Because the team isn’t in a financial position to spend as much as perennial favorites like the Yankees and the Red Sox, Beane realizes he needs to radically change how he evaluates what players can bring to the squad. After he meets Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), an Ivy League economics major working as an executive assistant for scouting on another team, Beane realizes he’s found the man who understands how to subvert the system of assessing players that’s been in place for nearly a century. However, as the duo begin to acquire players that seem too old, injured, or inept to play major-league baseball, they face stiff resistance from both the A’s longtime scouts and the team’s manager Art Howe (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who outright refuses to allow Beane’s more-nontraditional acquisitions to play. Moneyball screened at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
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An American paleontologist and a team of Norwegian scientists fight for their lives against a shape-shifting extraterrestrial that can perfectly mimic any living creature in this prequel to John Carpenter’s 1982 horror classic. Upon receiving word that the Antarctic research team has unearthed an alien craft, paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) joins the group to explore what secrets the ship might hold. Though by Kate’s estimation the creature inside the spaceship has been dead for centuries, it has actually just been lying dormant in the ice. Perfectly preserved, it has awaited the day when it would finally be freed from its frigid prison; now, after eons of lying in wait, that day has finally come. Suddenly revived during a crucial experiment, the malevolent alien begins methodically mimicking each member of the crew undetected. By the time Kate realizes the frightening implications of the creature’s unique ability, it may already be too late. As paranoia among the crew begins to intensify, it’s up to Kate and the crew’s helicopter pilot, Carter (Joel Edgerton), to make sure the extraterrestrial menace is exterminated before it has the opportunity to escape — for, should it manage to make its way to a heavily populated…
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Three fanatical bird watchers (Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, Jack Black) spend an entire year competing to spot the highest number of species as El Nino sends an extraordinary variety of rare breeds flying up into the U.S., but they quickly discover that there are more important things than coming out on top of the competition. Director David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada, Marley and Me) teams with screenwriter Howard Franklin) to adapt author Mark Obmascik 1998 book of the same name. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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Hustle & Flow director Craig Brewer takes the helm for this remake of the popular 1984 musical romance about a big-city teen who moves to a town that has outlawed dancing. Uprooted from Boston and reluctantly transplanted to the small Bible Belt town of Bomont, Ren MacCormack (Kenny Wormald) finds himself in a repressed community still reeling from a devastating loss. Shortly before he arrived in Bomont, five local teens perished in a tragic car accident following a local dance. As a result, the upstanding Reverend Shaw Moore (Dennis Quaid) and the local councilmen passed a strict ordinance outlawing both dancing and excessively loud music. Convinced that the new law is hopelessly misguided, rebellious Ren puts on his dancing shoes and wins the heart of Reverend Moore’s distraught daughter, Ariel (Julianne Hough), while showing his fellow classmates that it’s perfectly normal to blow off a little steam with some loud music and good friends. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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A retired pugilist transitions to the business side of the ropes after human boxers are replaced by robotic ones in director Shawn Levy’s feature-length adaptation of the Twilight Zone episode “Steel.” Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) was a true contender when the sport of boxing was changed forever. Now, instead of humans duking it out for the masses, huge, powerful steel robots trade blows in the ring. As a result, former gladiator Charlie has been forced into the role of two-bit promoter, piecing together cut-rate fighting bots from scrap metal as he makes the rounds on the underground boxing circuit. Just when it seems that Charlie has sunken to the nadir of his career, his estranged 11 year old son, Max (Dakota Goyo), offers him the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at a comeback by constructing and training a true champion. Now the stakes are higher than ever before, and Charlie is about to get a second chance at leaving an indelible mark on the sport he once dedicated his life to. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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Written by Will Reiser who based the film on his own experiences fighting cancer, Jonathan Levine’s poignant comedy 50/50 stars Joseph Gordonn-Levitt as Adam, a 27-year old public radio employee who discovers he has cancer. As his best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen) tries to help out, his girlfriend Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard) proves to be a less than ideal life partner for this particular crisis. All the while, Adam’s overprotective mother Diane (Anjelica Huston) tries to overcome her son’s continued attempts to keep her out of his life. As Adam begins to discover how hard it is to deal with his situation, and to maintain various relationships in his life, he begins seeing a young counselor (Anna Kendrick) who might prove to be just as helpful personally as she is professionally. Matt Frewer and Philip Baker Hall co-star as Adam’s fellow chemotherapy patients. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
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Original: Movies.com Top 10 Box Office
