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A teen with an absentee single mother attempts to accelerate her transition into adulthood with the help of her best friend, and she learns some important lessons about growing up in the process. Ansiedad (Cierra Ramirez) doesn’t have a father, and her mother Grace (Eva Mendes) is hardly an inspirational role model. Insulting, inconsiderate, and often too busy with work or men to give her daughter any real attention, Grace is in the midst of an affair with a married doctor (Matthew Modine) when her handsome co-worker (Eugenio Derbez) tries to sweep her off her feet. Meanwhile, Ansiedad begins to grasp the concept of the archetypal “coming-of-age” story in English class with the help of her concerned teacher, Ms. Armstrong (Patricia Arquette), and decides that it’s high time she left adolescence behind. Together with her best friend Tavita (Raini Rodriguez), Ansiedad hatches a plan to speed up her development, even if it means willingly sacrificing some of her own innocence along the way. Little does Ansiedad realize that growing up isn’t just about getting older, but getting wiser as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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An Iraq War veteran searches for the woman from a mysterious photo that he credits with saving his life during three tours of duty in this romantic drama adapted from the book by Nicholas Sparks. U.S. Marine sergeant Logan Thibault (Zac Efron) was serving his country overseas when he happened across a discarded photo of a beautiful woman. An inscription on the back read “Keep Safe,” yet the photo revealed no clues about either the subject or her whereabouts. Upon returning home to civilian life, Logan conducts his own research and discovers that the woman’s name is Beth (Taylor Schilling) and that she cares for dogs at a small-town kennel. Before long, Logan manages to get a job at the kennel, and sets his sights on winning Beth’s heart. But it won’t be easy because Beth’s past experiences have made her wary of relationships. Meanwhile, as Logan works to earn Beth’s trust, a dark secret from her past threatens to derail his hope for a happy future together. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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A small group of British retirees learn that the life they want to live might not be the life they need to live after pooling their resources to spend their twilight years in a unique setting located in India. Upon arriving at the once-opulent Marigold Hotel, however, the eager pensioners come to realize that rumors of the building’s restoration have been greatly exaggerated. But just when it starts to seem that the privileged seniors have been swindled out of their life savings, they summon the courage to sever their ties to the past, and embrace their new life with a sense of wonder and adventure. Tom Wilkinson, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, and Dev Patel star in this uplifting comedy-drama from director John Madden (The Debt, Shakespeare in Love). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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Based on the best-selling young-adult novel by author Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games tells the dark tale of a 16-year-old girl named Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), who is selected to compete in a vicious televised tournament in which 24 teenagers from a post-apocalyptic society fight to the death for the entertainment of the masses. In the future, North America is no more. In its place has risen Panem, a divided nation split into 12 districts. Every year, each district selects a teen of each gender (called “Tributes”) to test their worth in a competition known as the Hunger Games, which are broadcast across the nation as entertainment, and to reinforce the government’s total power. When her younger sister is selected as District 12’s latest “Tribute,” Katniss volunteers to take her place, and trains under hard-drinking former Hunger Games champion Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) to sharpen her killer instincts. Now in order to survive the game and emerge the victor, this young combatant must put all of her skills to the ultimate test. Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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Set sail for fun with this family-friendly Aardman Animations adventure following a bumbling, abundantly bearded scallywag who competes against his two biggest rivals for the title Pirate of the Year. Try as he might, the Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) just can’t be taken seriously as a plunderer. But that might change if he could only manage to win the Pirate of the Year competition. As the event gets under way, the Pirate Captain makes it his mission to leave dreaded foes Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) sinking in his wake. Before that can happen, though, the determined Pirate Captain will have to seek out the help of a love-struck scientist (David Tennant) and defeat a malevolent queen (Imelda Staunton), who might just send him down to Davy Jones’ Locker. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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This adaptation of Steve Harvey’s non-fiction relationship advice book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man focuses on six friends who regularly get together to play basketball, and usually are commiserating about women issues. Jeremy (Jerry Ferrara) is a geeky pothead and comic-book obsessive whose career is stuck in neutral and who won’t pop the question to his girlfriend of nine years. Zeke (Romany Malco) is a former musician-turned-businessman who is great at picking up the ladies but can’t commit to a long-term relationship. Michael (Terrence J) is good looking and charming, but his mother still has him wrapped around her finger and doesn’t want to let him go. Dominic (Michael Ealy) keeps changing career goals, and while he’s an excellent chef, he hasn’t found a way to make it pay. And short, motormouthed Cedric (Kevin Hart) is in the midst of a divorce and can’t wait to be free of his wife. Nerdy but well-meaning Bennett (Gary Owen) is the only one in a functioning relationship, and he gets a lot of grief from his buddies for his happy marriage. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
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World Chimpanzee Foundation head Christophe Boesch joins filmmakers Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield for this documentary offering an intimate look into the world of chimpanzees. The chimpanzee is an exceptionally intelligent species of anthropoid ape, and by spending over three years in the tropical jungles of Uganda and the Ivory Coast, filmmakers and experts offer viewers a unique opportunity to better understand their distinct role in our global ecosystem. The story in Chimpanzee centers on Oscar, a young simian born into a large family of 35 others, and eager to learn the ways of life in the jungle. As Oscar’s mother Isha teaches her newborn how to find food and avoid dangerous predators, the leader of their family, Freddy, vigilantly defends their territory from his rival Scar. Scar and his clan covet the nut grove at the center of Freddy’s domain, and it’s only a matter of time before they attempt to take the precious resource by force. When tragedy strikes and Isha perishes, Oscar struggles to survive without a parent to feed and protect him. But just as it begins to appear as if all hope for Oscar is lost, something miraculous happens – Freddy adopts the orphaned youngster, and…
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Entombed for 200 years after betraying vengeful witch Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green), 18th century vampire Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp) returns to Collinwood Manor in 1972, only to find his estate in ruins and his family plagued by macabre secrets in Tim Burton’s reboot of the popular supernatural soap opera. It was the year 1752 when Barnabas Collins’ parents attempted to elude a family curse by fleeing from England to America. Twenty years later, wealthy Barnabas was the master of Collinwood Manor, and one of the most powerful figures in Collinsport, ME. But Barnabas’ playboy lifestyle would soon catch up with him when he casts aside a beautiful yet vengeful witch named Angelique, who subsequently transformed him into a vampire, and then cruelly sealed him in a lonely tomb. Flash forward to the year 1972, when Barnabas is released from his burial chamber. Returning home to Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is horrified to find his ancestral home in a wretched state of decay, and his descendants plagued by macabre secrets. Distressed by the tragedy that has befallen her family, determined matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) employs live-in psychiatrist Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter) to try and solve their many problems. But…
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Marvel Studios delivers the ultimate comic-book film, which ties together such characters as Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) for a big-screen franchise team-up like no other. Taking center stage this time is Nick Fury (played once again by the note-perfect Samuel L. Jackson), leader of the peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Fury, along with former Russian spy Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), recruits a super team to combat Thor’s ever-deceptive brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) after he brainwashes ace archer Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) while stealing a cosmic cube from an underground base. Thus the heroes must learn to work together alongside outlaw scientist Bruce Banner (Ruffalo), who can track down the artifact’s gamma signals when he’s not hulking out into a giant green monster. Show runner Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly) adapted and helmed the script by Zak Penn. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
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A couple named Tom (Jason Segel) and Violet (Emily Blunt) find their wedding plans interrupted by a number of disappointments and surprises over the course of five years, as Violet is forced to move to Michigan for school and Tom becomes frustrated by missed job opportunities in this romantic comedy from producer Judd Apatow. Nicholas Stoller directed from a script co-written by Segel, and the supporting cast includes Alison Brie, Chris Pratt, and Rhys Ifans. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
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Original: Movies.com Top 10 Box Office
