Drama Movies

Writer/director Travis Fine partners with screenwriter George Arthur Bloom to tell the affecting true life story of a loving gay couple from Los Angeles who in the 1970s waged a valiant fight to adopt a Down syndrome teen abandoned by his drug addicted mother. When struggling singer Rudy (Alan Cumming) went to complain about the loud music blasting from his neighbor's house, the scene he found left him deeply saddened. Marco, an adolescent with Down syndrome, had been left to fend for himself by his absentee mother. Though Family Services quickly takes Marco in, a few days later Rudy finds him wandering aimlessly on the streets. Concerned, he brings Marco home and before long Rudy and his partner Paul (Garret Dillahunt) -- a closeted district attorney -- have become the boy's surrogate parents. For a while everyone is happy, though when Rudy and Paul's sexual orientation is brought into question by the court system, the two men find themselves locked in a protracted legal battle to become the legal guardians of the remarkable boy who showed them both the true joy of what it means to be a parent. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Decadent banking heir Third Master (Aaron Kwok) prepares to inherit his father's vast financial empire just as China is about to make the transition from silver to paper money. Meanwhile, when the young heir selects an honest man to serve as bank manager, he is quickly overruled by his conniving father, who instead awards the job to a less ethical applicant. In time, simmering tensions between father and son swell to a boil as Third Master grows embittered over the fact that his father married his one true love. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A ten-year-old girl from Barcelona encounters a young bushman who inspires her to learn more about Africa in this educational -- and visually dazzling -- fantasy adventure. With a young Himba boy named Mel as her guide and a winged horse to carry her across the land, young Jana discovers the beauty of the Namib Desert while learning about the remarkable creatures that inhabit it. Later, Mel introduces Jana to the Guardian of the Stories and the Spirit of the Fire, and teaches her about such timeless African traditions as the Tree of Ancestors. In the wake of an illuminating encounter with a young girl named Galla, who helps to heal plants, Jana befriends a fairy who teaches her the true power of imagination. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A whirlwind romance gives in to bitter reality when a clinically depressed woman realizes that she will have to face her intense personal struggle alone. Mel (Jules Bruff) and Don (Bjørn Johnson) were on vacation when they met and fell instantly in love. Two weeks later, they've moved in together, but the situation turns sour when Don realizes Mel suffers from untreated depression. In time her illness takes its toll on their relationship, and Don leaves. Meanwhile, determined to finally confront her illness head on, Mel begins production on a documentary detailing her ongoing struggle with depression, and the steps she is taking to get well. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A small-town teacher stands up to a pair of drilling representatives who are determined to exploit the local resources, and receives some unexpected support as the community rallies to drive away the persistent interlopers in this drama from director Gus Van Sant. Steve Butler (Matt Damon) is a corporate salesman with a reputation for getting results. When the company he works for draws up plans to drill for natural gas in an economically depressed farming community, Steve and his partner (Frances McDormand) attempt to convince the locals that they have an opportunity to profit from the project. At first the locals are welcoming, but when venerable teacher Frank Yates (Hal Holbrook) voices objection, concerned locals Dustin (John Krasinski) and Alice (Rosemarie DeWitt) help to launch an effective grassroots campaign against the drilling. In addition to co-producing and co-starring in Promised Land, Damon and Krasinski also collaborated on the screenplay for the film, adapted from a story by Dave Eggers (Where the Wild Things Are, Away We Go). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Emily Bronte's classic romance is given an austere, naturalistic interpretation in this adaptation from filmmaker Andrea Arnold, which strips the story of much of its dialogue and adds a racial component to the tale of forbidden love. Yorkshire landowner Mr. Earnshaw (Paul Hilton) brings a West Indian boy (Solomon Glave) to live on his property and earn his keep working on Earnshaw's farm, naming the youth Heathcliff. While Heathcliff is regarded with deep suspicion by Earnshaw's son Hindley (Lee Shaw), he strikes up a friendship with Earnshaw's daughter Catherine (Shannon Beer) that grows stronger with time. After the death of Mr. Earnshaw, Hindley takes control of the farm, and Heathcliff chafes under Hindley's vicious treatment, running off to make his own way. In time, Catherine (now played by Kaya Scodelario) grows into a beautiful woman, and Edgar Linton (James Northcote), the son of a wealthy man, asks for her hand in marriage. Hindley approves of the match, but Catherine is torn when Heathcliff returns (now played by James Howson) as a self-made man. The affection Catherine and Heathcliff knew in their youth has grown into something deeper, but she isn't sure if she can defy her family in the name of love. Wuthering Heights received its world premiere at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A Boston crime boss unleashes hell when a club owner and a crooked cop move in on his territory in this gritty urban crime thriller. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A papermaker living during the later days of the Qing Dynasty finds his village under threat following an intense investigation. Liu (Donnie Yen) is a family man from a small secluded village. He lives a quiet life with his wife Ayu (Tang Wei) and their two young children. But Liu's simple existence begins to unravel following the arrival of Detective Xu (Takeshi Kaneshiro). Dispatched to gather details about a botched robbery in which two bandits were killed, Detective Xu quickly discovers that Liu has been harboring some troubling secrets about his background. Later, as the ghosts of Liu's past begin to manifest, a dark cloud is cast over the entire village. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A journalism major who has lost her faith investigates reports of a new messiah who has been conducting miracles all across campus. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Five lifelong friends look forward to spreading God's word following graduation, but struggle to deal with a devastating loss that leaves them searching for the kind of answers that only an outside source can provide in this faith-based drama featuring Eric Roberts, Erik Estrada, and Dawn Wells. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The proud owner of an aging Jersey Shore amusement park (James Gandolfini) finds his life thrown into disarray when a French stranger appears on his doorstep claiming to be his late sister's widowed husband, staking his claim on half of his house and dragging long-buried family secrets to the surface as he searches for work. Famke Janssen and Edoardo Costa co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

In the third entry of this film series, Judge John Goodnight helps a beautiful woman escape vengeful men who are chasing her, but he soon realizes that she may not be as innocent as she seems. ~ Brie Hearn, Rovi