Jim Whitaker Movies
Director Ridley Scott spins this yarn concerning a Harlem drug kingpin (Denzel Washington) who smuggles heroin into the country by hiding it in the bodies of U.S. soldiers killed during battle in Vietnam. There was a time when no one noticed reserved driver Frank Lucas (Washington), but when the criminal kingpin he was charged with transporting through the city streets suddenly dies, Lucas seizes the opportunity to build his own criminal empire. In the following months, Lucas solidifies his status as Harlem's most innovative drug dealer by delivering a product that is purer than the competitors' and cheaper, as well. When innovative businessman Lukas attempts to go semi-legit by becoming one of the Manhattan borough's biggest civil supporters, however, street-savvy outcast cop Ritchie Roberts (Russell Crowe) begins to sense a sizable shift in the hierarchy of the drug underworld. But Roberts is one of the few honest detectives operating within a corrupt system, and as he sets out to investigate the case, crooked detective Trupo (Josh Brolin) does everything in his power to compromise the integrity of his idealistic counterpart. Upon clearing all of the usual Mafia-connected suspects, Roberts begins to believe that a previously unknown black power player has come out of the woodwork to dominate the local drug trade. While Roberts and Lucas may be operating on opposite sides of the law, the one thing that both men have in common is a strict code of ethics that separates them from their opportunistic colleagues. Now, as a confrontation between the two men becomes inevitable and the fate of each becomes inexorably tied to the other, it gradually becomes apparent that only one of them will emerge from the conflict victorious. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, (more)
Inspired by actual events that occurred in 1920s-era Los Angeles, Clint Eastwood's The Changeling tells the story of a woman driven to confront a corrupted LAPD after her abducted son is retrieved and she begins to suspect that the boy returned to her is not the same boy she gave birth to. The year was 1928, and the setting a working-class suburb of Los Angeles. As Christine (Angelina Jolie) said goodbye to her son, Walter, and departed for work, she never anticipated that this was the day her life would be forever changed. Upon returning home, Christine was distressed to discover that Walter was nowhere to be found. Over the course of the following months, the desperate mother would launch a search that would ultimately prove fruitless. Yet just when it seemed that all hope was lost, a nine-year-old boy claiming to be Christine's son seemed to appear out of thin air. Overcome with emotions and uncertain how to face the authorities or the press, Christine invites the child to stay in her home despite knowing without a doubt that he is not her son. As much as Christine would like to accept the fact that her son has been returned to her, she cannot accept the injustice being pushed upon her and continues to challenge the Prohibition-era Los Angeles police force at every turn. As a result, Christine is slandered by the powers that be, and painted as an unfit mother. In this town, a woman who challenges the system is putting her life on the line, and as the situation grows desperate, the only person willing to aid her in her search is benevolent local activist Reverend Briegleb (John Malkovich). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, (more)
Director Ridley Scott and actor Russell Crowe reunite for their fifth big-screen outing, a retelling of the Robin Hood legend featuring the Gladiator star in the titular role. A bowman in the army of Richard Coeur de Lion, virtuous rogue Robin Hood rises from an unlikely background to become a hero to the impoverished people of Nottingham and lover to the beautiful Lady Marion (Cate Blanchett). Cyrus Voris, Ethan Reiff, and Brian Helgeland collaborate on the screenplay for a costume adventure produced by Brian Grazer (Frost/Nixon, American Gangster). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, (more)
Filmmaker Jim Whitaker profiles five people whose lives were irreversibly changed by the 9/11 terrorist attacks while using time-lapse cameras to document the reconstruction of 7 World Trade Center over several years. A student mourns the mother he lost in the World Trade Center that fateful day; a woman who was on a level above the impact zone struggles with vivid memories that will never fade; a first responder's widow contends with the loss of her spouse and best friend; a firefighter recalls his friends who perished in the chaos; and a key figure in the Ground Zero reconstruction reveals what it's like to witness progress in a place where so much tragedy occurred. As these survivors share their incredible stories, the reconstruction of 7 World Trade Center is captured on 17 time-lapse cameras. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A floundering MIT graduate sends out the '80s with a bang after being invited to an end-of-summer bash by his former high school crush in this nostalgia-flavored comedy starring Topher Grace, Anna Faris, and Dan Fogler. Matt Franklin (Grace) has just graduated from MIT, but he's content to spend his days stacking the shelves of his local Suncoast Video instead of going to work for a Fortune 500 company. Meanwhile, his sarcastic twin sister, Wendy (Faris), knows he can do better, and his best friend, Barry (Fogler), has a wild streak the size of the Mississippi River. When Tori Frederking (Teresa Palmer) happens into the video store one day and strikes up a conversation with Matt, he compulsively lies about having a job at Goldman Sachs. Incredibly, Matt and Tori hit it off, and she invites him to join her for a massive summer blowout. The opportunity of a lifetime finally within reach, Matt arrives at the party in style, intent on sweeping Tori off her feet. Later, somewhere between the stolen car and the epic dance-off, Matt, Tori, Wendy, and Barry realize that this is the night they will still be thinking about when they're old and gray, and the neon-drenched '80s are just a distant memory. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Topher Grace, Anna Faris, (more)
- 2012
- PG
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An infertile plants their hopes for a child in the garden, and receive an unexpected gift when a young boy emerges from the soil claiming to be their son in this enchanting comedy drama from Academy Award-nominated writer/director Peter Hedges (What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Dan in Real Life). Jim (Joel Edgerton) and Cindy Green (Jennifer Garner) are struggling to accept the fact that they will never conceive a child of their own when, one night during a thunderous storm, a young boy named Timothy (CJ Adams) comes knocking at their door. In time, the prospective new parents and their curious neighbors discover that the most amazing things can happen just when you least expect it.
~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton, (more)
Recently divorced and desperate for a job following a string of misfortunes, 30-year-old Stephanie Plum (Katherine Heigl) goes to work at her cousin's bail-bond business, and begins investigating her first case. On the plus side, Stephanie proves to be a resourceful employee with a skill for ferreting out the truth; on the minus side, her first case is that of a Trenton, N.J., cop who broke her heart in high school and now stands accused of murder. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Katherine Heigl, Jason O'Mara, (more)
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