Adam Schlesinger Movies

Filmmaker Alison Klayman presents an intimate portrait of outspoken Chinese artist/political activist Ai Weiwei, who was taken into police custody after criticizing the Chinese government over the deaths of 5000 students during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, and who defied his country's censorship laws to help organize and inform his fellow citizens. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

In an era when newspapers are becoming increasingly obsolete, director Andrew Rossi offers a glimpse behind the scenes of the newsroom that has kept America informed for generations yet now struggles to remain relevant as more readers turn to the Internet to stay informed on current events. With their reputations on the line and the Internet Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, the editors and writers at The New York Times battle accusations of inaccuracy, and embrace blogging as a means of retaining readers who might otherwise allow their longtime subscriptions to expire. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Satirist and comedy news host Stephen Colbert hosts this explosively patriotic Christmas special featuring guest appearances by such famous, important, close personal friends of Colbert as Elvis Costello and Willie Nelson. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi

Three young men leave behind a land in chaos to find new lives in a thoroughly different culture in this documentary. As the African nation of Sudan fell into political disarray near the dawn of the 21st century, with unspeakable violence following in its wake, thousands of refugees attempted to flee the country, making their way into Kenya in hopes of earning passage elsewhere. Jon Bul Dau, Daniel Abu Pach, and Panther Bior were three such people who eventually came to the United States, and filmmaker Christopher Quinn spent four years following them on their journey in a new and unfamiliar land. In God Grew Tired of Us, Quinn documents the young men as they struggle to build new lives for themselves, acquaint themselves with the "American" way of doing things, the difficulties of being black in a primarily white culture, and try to track down the friends and family they were forced to leave behind. God Grew Tired of Us received its North American premier at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival; actor Brad Pitt served as the film's executive producer. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Tom Hanks made his directorial debut in this bright comedy set in the mid-1960's about a rock group and their brief fling with fame. Guy Patterson (Tom Everett Scott) works as a salesman at his father's appliance store and plays the drums in his spare time, fancying himself a jazz musician. One day, a buddy of Guy's tells him a local rock band, The One-Ders (it's pronounced "wonders"), are in need of a drummer -- they have Battle of the Bands coming up and their usual timekeeper has broken his arm. Guy agrees to sit in, but when it's time to play their best original, a love ballad called "That Thing You Do," Guy lays in a sharp, driving beat that turns the tune into an uptempo pop-rocker. Lead singer Jimmy (Johnathon Schaech) isn't happy at first, but guitarist Lenny (Steve Zahn) and the nameless Bass Player (Ethan Embry) think the song sounds better that way -- and they notice the girls like it just fine. Soon people are actually requesting the song at their shows, and the One-Ders scrape together some money to press a single of "That Thing You Do" to sell between sets. A DJ puts the song on the radio, and opportunity knocks in the form of Mr. White (Tom Hanks), who works for the very major Play-Tone Records label. Play-Tone buys the rights to "That Thing You Do" and puts the band on the road as their song makes it way to the top of the national charts. But what can The Wonders (as Play-Tone have re-named them) do for an encore? And what should Guy do about his infatuation with Jimmy's girlfriend, Faye (Liv Tyler)? Real-life 60's obsessed rocker Chris Isaak has a small part as a recording engineer, and fans of real 60's garage bands will appreciate the wealth of small, accurately observed details (for example, halfway through the film, when a few "That Thing You Do" royalty checks have presumably kicked in, the band's inexpensive Danelectro guitars disappear and the Wonders are suddenly playing on brand new Fender gear -- the height of rock style in 1965). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi