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Janice Williams Movies

2013  
 
Naomi Foner (Running on Empty) takes the director's chair for this gentle and sensitive youth drama that follows two New York City teenagers and the events that put a strain on the bond between them, during one of the last summers of their adolescence. Lilly (Dakota Fanning) is quiet, thoughtful and introspective - the product of two conservative parents (Ellen Barkin and Clark Gregg) who keep a tight rein on her. Gerry (Elizabeth Olsen), on the other hand, is free-spirited, uninhibited and slightly caustic - the daughter of a left-of-center mom and dad (Demi Moore and Richard Dreyfuss) who let her do whatever, and go wherever, she pleases. Shortly before they each leave for college in the fall, the girls spend most of their time together, whiling away pleasant afternoons, but soon they both meet and fall for the same boy - artist David (Boyd Holbrook) who sells novelty ice cream bars at Far Rockaway Beach. He decides that he much prefers Lilly to Gerry, and Lilly loses her virginity to him. The affair grows more serious, but Lilly can't bring herself to divulge the news to Gerry for fear of breaking her heart. Not long after, an unexpected tragedy occurs in Gerry's family and forces Lilly to reach out in an attempt to console her best friend. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

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2012  
R  
Add Lola Versus to Queue Add Lola Versus to top of Queue  
Teetering on the edge of 30 and freshly dumped by her fiancé just weeks before their wedding, a depressed woman named Lola (Greta Gerwig) attempts to pick herself up and dive back into the dating scene with the help of her two best friends -- the outspoken Alice (Zoe Lister-Jones) and the sweet-natured Henry (Hamish Linklater). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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2010  
R  
Add All Good Things to Queue Add All Good Things to top of Queue  
The wealthy heir to a prominent real-estate magnate becomes caught up in a high-profile murder investigation in this thriller inspired by the real-life case of Robert Durst, who was suspected of murdering his wife, Kathie, after she vanished without a trace in 1982. Warned by his father (Frank Langella) that the common girl (Kirsten Dunst) he loves will never be accepted into high society, the young scion (Ryan Gosling) throws caution to the wind and marries her regardless. Later, when the girl disappears and politics enter the picture, a suspicious series of deaths leave a haunted cop convinced that the truth is closer than anyone realizes. Philip Baker Hall and Jeffrey Dean Morgan star in this period mystery written by Marc Smerling and Marcus Hinchey, and directed by Andrew Jarecki (Capturing the Friedmans). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Ryan GoslingKirsten Dunst, (more)
 
2008  
R  
Add Milk to Queue Add Milk to top of Queue  
Academy Award winner Sean Penn takes the title role in Gus Van Sant's biopic tracing the last eight years in the life of Harvey Milk, the ill-fated politician and gay activist whose life changed history, and whose courage still inspires people. When Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, he made history for being the first openly gay man in American history to be voted into public office. But the rights of homosexuals weren't Milk's primary concern, as tellingly evidenced by the wide array of political coalitions he formed over the course of his tragically brief career. He fought for everyone from union workers to senior citizens, a true hero of human rights who possessed nothing but compassion for his fellow man. The story begins in New York City, where a 40-year-old Milk ponders what steps he can take to make his life more meaningful.

Eventually, Milk makes the decision to relocate to the West Coast, where he and his lover, Scott Smith (James Franco), found a small business in the heart of a working-class neighborhood. Empowered by his love for the Castro neighborhood and the success of his business, Castro Camera, Milk somewhat unexpectedly begins to emerge as an outspoken agent for change. With a growing support system that includes both Scott and a like-minded young activist named Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch), the charismatic Milk decides to take a fateful leap into politics, eventually developing a reputation as a leader who isn't afraid to follow up his words with actions. In short order, he is elected supervisor for the newly zoned District 5, though this seeming triumph is in fact the catalyst for a tragedy that starts to unfold as Milk does his best to forge a political partnership with Dan White (Josh Brolin), another newly elected supervisor. Over time it becomes apparent that Milk and White's political agendas are directly at odds, a revelation that puts their personal destinies on a catastrophic collision course. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Sean PennEmile Hirsch, (more)
 
2008  
R  
Add Appaloosa to Queue Add Appaloosa to top of Queue  
Upon drifting into a troubled Western outpost and discovering that the helpless locals are being terrorized by a ruthless rancher and his brutish hired hands, two rugged, straight-shooting peacemakers decide to stick around and put things right in this Western adapted from the novel by Robert B. Parker and directed by Ed Harris. Bragg (Jeremy Irons) is a rancher who believes himself to be above the law, a stance that's forever cemented when he guns down the town sheriff and his deputy in cold blood. Horrified, the defenseless townspeople pray for the day a savior will arrive in town to free them from Bragg's suffocating grasp. Soon thereafter, Virgil (Harris) and Everett (Viggo Mortensen) stride into town atop two mighty steeds, their confident presence signaling the beginning of a new era if the locals will only grant Virgil the complete power he needs to bring Bragg to justice. After pinning on his new badge, Virgil appoints Everett his deputy and ushers in an era of uneasy peace. Later, a woman named Allison (Renée Zellweger) arrives in town and catches Virgil's eye, prompting a die-hard renegade to consider a calm life of domestication. As Virgil's feelings for Allison grow, both begin to wonder if a life together is truly in the cards. Meanwhile, a temporarily subdued Bragg begins to display signs that he may not be finished with this town just yet. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Ed HarrisViggo Mortensen, (more)
 
2006  
R  
Add Wedding Daze to Queue Add Wedding Daze to top of Queue  
The romantic comedy Wedding Daze stars Jason Biggs as Anderson, a young man all set to ask his girlfriend to marry him when, during the actual proposal, she dies. After spending a year in a depression, Anderson impulsively asks a waitress named Katie (Ilsa Fisher) to marry him even though they have never met. When she surprisingly agrees, the two must deal with the reactions of their respective friends and families. The supporting cast includes Joe Pantoliano as Katie's convict father. Michael Ian Black, formerly of The State and Ed, made his directorial debut with this film. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

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Starring:
Jason BiggsIsla Fisher, (more)
 
2005  
R  
Add Dave Chappelle's Block Party to Queue Add Dave Chappelle's Block Party to top of Queue  
In September 2004, comedian Dave Chappelle took a break from his immensely successful Comedy Central show to stage a free, unpublicized, all-star hip-hop concert in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. Inviting fans over the Internet, on the street, and even in his family's hometown of Yellow Springs, OH, Chappelle asked filmmaker Michel Gondry to document the event from its inception on through to the performances themselves. The result is Dave Chappelle's Block Party, a concert film that provides not only a sampling of the music on display that September, but also an intimate look at the comedian himself. Gondry's cameras tag along with Chappelle as he visits Ohio, recruits a university marching band to play at the show, and surveys the opinions of Clinton Hill on the show that's about to take place. Along the way, we're introduced to some the comedian's favorite acts, in rehearsals and on-stage: Dead Prez, Jill Scott, Mos Def, the Roots, Erykah Badu, Kanye West, and the surprise reuniting of the Fugees. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi

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Starring:
Dave ChappelleKanye West, (more)
 
2005  
R  
Add Hide and Seek to Queue Add Hide and Seek to top of Queue  
A newly single father discovers his daughter is caught up in a web of evil in this thriller. David Callaway (Robert De Niro) has been left to raise his nine-year-old daughter, Emily (Dakota Fanning), on his own after the unexpected death of his wife. David is at first amused to discover that Emily has created an imaginary friend named "Charlie," but it isn't long before "Charlie" develops a sinister and violent side, and as David struggles with his daughter's growing emotional problems, he comes to the frightening realization that "Charlie" isn't just a figment of Emily's imagination. Hide and Seek also stars Famke Janssen, Dylan Baker, and Amy Irving. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Robert De NiroDakota Fanning, (more)
 
1993  
 
Add Hello Kitty's Paradise: Kitty's Clean Cuisine to Queue Add Hello Kitty's Paradise: Kitty's Clean Cuisine to top of Queue  
Pretty Kitty is the first volume in the series from ADV called Hello Kitty's Paradise. Starring Hello Kitty and her twin sister, Mimmy, this animated adventure teaches kids about sharing, counting, and many other lessons. This volume contains four episodes in English, each broken into two segments. In "A Blooming Good Morning" and "A Storybook Adventure," Kitty plants seeds and has an adventure in Mimmy's book. In "Kitty's Clean Cuisine" and "A Day Out With Dad," Kitty learns table manners and goes downtown. In "Underground Kitty" and "Watch the Birdie," the girls visit their mole friend and help a sick bird. And in "Minding Manners" and "Streetwise," the girls learn about manners and safety. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

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