Elizabeth Zox Friedman Movies

There have been plenty of movies about the bond between people and animals, but David Balding's story is different than most. Balding owns and operates a small circus, and he adopted a baby elephant for his show that he named Flora. Balding loved Flora and made her one of the star attractions of his show, but she was also the only elephant in his menagerie, and he discovered too late this posed some serious problems for the animal's socialization. After Flora had spent 17 years with the circus, Balding decided it was time to take her off the road, especially as he was considering leaving the business himself. But what does one do with a giant animal who happens to regard a man like Balding as her best friend? How do you teach an elephant to live around others of its kind when it's 18 years old? And how does Balding say goodbye to his loyal friend, companion, and colleague? Filmmaker Lisa Leeman examines the remarkable story of David Balding and Flora and his effort to find her the right home in the documentary One Lucky Elephant, which was an official selection at the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

America was once the world's leader in scientific and technological research, but at the dawn of the 21st century, the nation's standing had begun to slip, and as cuts in school funding and a lack of emphasis on science under the George W. Bush administration took their toll, an international study revealed that students in 25 major nations consistently scored higher in math and science than their counterparts in the United States. As American schools strive to reprioritize science and math, the nationwide competition the Science Talent Search seeks to find and nurture the most promising science students in America's high schools. Offering a grand prize of 100,000 dollars, the Science Talent Search is the oldest and most prestigious competition of its kind in the United States, and filmmakers Tina DiFeliciantonio and Tom Shepard follow three gifted teens who have made it into the STS finals in the documentary Whiz Kids.

Ana Cisneros attends a school in Long Island, NY, with a primarily Latino and African-American student body, but while people of color have been poorly represented in the STS, ambitious Ana has become one of the top botany students in the state and is determined to prove the stereotypes are wrong. Harmain Khan is the son of a immigrant couple who came to New York City with almost nothing and who were sometimes forced to survive on food stamps and by collecting bottles and cans. Harmain, has shown a striking talent in paleontology, and drives himself to achieve a success that has eluded most of his family. And Kelydra Welcker has won awards for her research into the effects of chemicals dumped into the rivers in her West Virginia community. But while Kelydra is convinced she's doing the right thing for her hometown and the environment, her project threatens to shut down one of the county's largest employer -- the same company that provides her father with a paycheck and pension. Whiz Kids received its premiere as a special preview at the 2009 Cinequest Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Brazilian filmmaker Bruno Barreto directs this comic look at the world of flight attendants starring Gwyneth Paltrow as Donna, a small town Nevada woman who dreams of seeing the world by becoming a first class international stewardess. Lacking the requisite poise and class, Donna finds a mentor in retired trade veteran Sally (Candice Bergen), a wealthy, best-selling author who assists with advice and her considerable influence. Despite Sally's help, Donna finds the process of fulfilling her career ambitions more difficult than she imagined when she's betrayed by a trusted friend (Christina Applegate) during flight training, a daunting course taught by the bitter John Whitney (Mike Myers), a once-aspiring steward whose eye condition kept him forever out of the friendly skies. Donna also faces a romantic crisis when she falls for a handsome law student (Mark Ruffalo) whose education consigns him to Ohio, far away from the major urban hubs Donna dreams of working. A View from the Top (2002) costars Rob Lowe, Josh Malina, Kelly Preston and Jon Polito. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi