DVD releases
Big movies coming to the small screen
By Marni Weisz
September 2
Married Life
Stars: Chris Cooper, Rachel McAdams
Director: Ira Sachs (Forty Shades of Blue)
Story: It’s the 1940s and middle-aged Harry (Cooper) has fallen in love with a young woman (McAdams) who is not his wife (Patricia Clarkson). He does care for his wife, though. And he worries that telling her he wants a divorce will destroy her. So, out of kindness, he decides to kill her instead.
DVD Extras: director commentary, three alternate endings
Then She Found Me
Stars: Helen Hunt, Colin Firth
Director: Helen Hunt (debut)
Story: Hunt makes her directorial debut with this critically acclaimed dramedy in which she stars as April, a New York teacher who finds herself falling for a single dad (Firth) after being dumped by her brand-new husband (Matthew Broderick). Bette Midler steps in as April’s newly found birth mother, a brash local talk show host who wants to squeeze back into her daughter’s life.
September 9
The Forbidden Kingdom
Stars: Jet Li, Jackie Chan
Director: Rob Minkoff (The Haunted Mansion)
Story: Awkward teen Jason (Michael Angarano) loves kung fu, which comes in handy when he finds a magical staff that transports him back to ancient China. It turns out that the staff belongs to the Monkey King (Li), who needs it to defeat the Jade Warlord. Of course, that’s the last thing the Jade Warlord wants. Chan plays a fighter named Lu Yan who helps Jason on his journey.
September 16
Made of Honor
Stars: Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan
Director: Paul Weiland (Sixty Six)
Story: Playboy bachelor Tom (Dempsey) has no idea he’s in love with his best friend Hannah (Monaghan) until she goes to Scotland for an extended business trip. Tom plans to share his epiphany with Hannah upon her return, but alas she does not come back alone. She has a new fiancé in tow, and asks Tom to be the Maid of Honour at their wedding.
Young@Heart
Stars: Jim Armenti, Helen Boston
Director: Stephen Walker (Waiting for Harvey: A Beginner’s Guide to Cannes)
Story: If you dream of seeing blue-haired grannies singing tunes by Sonic Youth and Coldplay, well, this is probably the easiest way to make your dream come true. This touching doc about a chorus of senior singers (all in their 70s and 80s) had audiences in art houses across the continent reaching for their hankies.
DVD Extras: deleted scenes, “Young@ Heart Goes to Hollywood,” “Eileen’s Philiosophy of Life,” “Dora’s Shoe Collection,” “Fred’s Eulogy,” “‘Road to Nowhere’ music video”
September 23
Sex and the City (pictured above)
Stars: Chris Noth, Sarah Jessica Parker
Director: Michael Patrick King (debut)
Story: Big asks Carrie to marry him. Carrie plans a huge wedding. Big gets scared. Carrie cries. A lot. Meanwhile, Miranda pushes Steve away; Samantha tries to be faithful; and Charlotte gets what she’s always wanted. If none of that makes sense, you weren’t a fan of the show and you should skip the movie. But if it does, grab the Kleenex and enjoy.
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Reneé Zellweger and George Clooney in Leatherheads
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Leatherheads
Stars: George Clooney, Renée Zellweger
Director: George Clooney (Good Night, and Good Luck.)
Story: Clooney plays the coach of a 1920s football team that’s
having trouble getting bums in the seats. So, he decides to get a
little publicity by signing college football star and WWI hero Carter
Rutherford (John Krasinski) — and it works. But Rutherford may be
harbouring a secret about his service, and reporter Lexie Littleton
(Zellweger) is on the story.
Run, Fat Boy, Run
Stars: Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton
Director: David Schwimmer (debut)
Story: Former Friends star Schwimmer makes his big-screen
directing debut with a film co-written by another TV actor, Michael Ian
Black from TV’s Ed. Black and British comic Simon Pegg co-wrote this
comedy about an out-of-shape underachiever (Pegg) who tries to get his
ex (Newton) back by running a marathon.
DVD Extras: deleted scenes, outtakes, goofs, commentary track |
Release dates are subject to change.