Akeelah and the Bee (PG for mild epithets). Keke Palmer stars in the title role in this inspirational tale about the efforts of a precocious 11 year-old from L.A.'s South Central ghetto to make it to the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. with the help of a mysterious mentor (Laurence Fishburne) and over the objections of her mother (Angela Bassett).
American Dreamz (PG-13 for sexual references and profanity). Dennis Quaid is at the center of this social satire as a second term President of the United States who is booked by his chief of staff (Willem Dafoe) as a celebrity judge on an American Idol-type, reality-TV series in order to boost his approval rating. With Hugh Grant as the host, Mandy Moore appears as a game show contestant, Jennifer Coolidge as her pushy stage mom, and Marcia Gay Harden as the First Lady.
ATL (PG-13 for sex, expletives, violence, and drug use). Coming-of-age, ghetto-based melodrama examines the diverging prospects of four African-American teenagers (Tip Harris, Jackie Long, Lauren London and Evan Ross Naess) trying to survive on the streets of latter-day Atlanta. Cast includes Mykelti Williamson, Lonette McKee, Keith David, Jazze Pha, Big Boi and Bone Crusher.
The Benchwarmers (PG-13 for profanity and for crude and suggestive humor). Rob Schneider, David Spade, and John Heder star as buddies out to makeup for their un-athletic backgrounds as children by forming a three-man baseball team and taking on the best Little Leaguers in the state.
Brick (R for violence and drug use). Missing person mystery about a high school loner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) intent on solving the case of the disappearance of the ex-girlfriend (Emilie de Ravin) who called him the day before she suddenly vanished. Cast includes Lukas Haas, Meagan Good, Matt O'Leary and Richard Roundtree.
Failure to Launch (PG-13 for sex, expletives, and partial nudity). Matthew McConaughey stars in this romantic comedy as a live-at-home bachelor who has no idea that his impatient parents (Kathy Bates and Terry Bradshaw) have hired the girl of his dreams (Sarah Jessica Parker) to coax him out of the nest.
Friends with Money (R for sex, expletives and drug use). Female empowerment film about the relationship of a struggling ne'er-do-well (Jennifer Aniston) with three, life-long friends (Joan Cusack, Catherine Keener and Frances McDormand) whose once comfortable marriages are suddenly in crisis.
Ice Age: The Meltdown (PG for coarse language and sexual innuendo). Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, and Denny Dillon again lend their voices to a variety of prehistoric creatures in this family-oriented, animated sequel set just before the Earth starts to thaw. Replacing Kristen Johnson, Cedric the Entertainer, and Jack Black are Queen Latifah, Jay Leno, and Seann William Scott.
Inside Man (R for profanity and violence). Two-time Oscar-winners Denzel Washington and Jodie Foster co-star in this cat-and-mouse crime caper about a bungled bank robbery which turns into a hostage situation. Top flight cast includes Oscar-nominees Willem Dafoe and Clive Owen, plus Christopher Plummer and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
L'Enfant (R for brief profanity). Coming-of-age drama about an 18 year-old unwed mother (Deborah Francois) whose gangster boyfriend (Jeremie Renier) has second thoughts about selling their newborn baby on the black market rather than facing-up to his parental responsibilities. In French with subtitles.
Lucky Number Slevin (R for sex, expletives and graphic violence). Josh Hartnett handles the title role in this gritty, New York City crime thriller as an unlucky lad who lands in the middle of a mob war being waged between gangs being led by a ruthless rabbi (Ben Kingsley) and a brutal brother (Morgan Freeman). Cast includes Bruce Willis as a renegade assassin, Stanley Tucci as the detective keeping score and Lucy Liu as the girl next door.
The Notorious Bettie Page (R for sex, expletives, and nudity). Gretchen Mol handles the title role in the bio-pic about the famous, fifties pin-up girl who ended up the subject of a Senate investigation because of her kinky bondage photos.
On a Clear Day (PG-13 for profanity). Sentimental, mid-life crisis melodrama about a suddenly unemployed 55 year-old, Glasgow dockworker's (Peter Mullan) effort to restore his self-esteem and to cement his relationship with his non-communicative wife (Brenda Blethyn) and estranged son (Jamie Sives) by swimming across the English Channel to France.
R.V. (PG for crude humor, sexual innuendo, and off-color language). Robin Williams and Cheryl Hines star in this road comedy about a dysfunctional family whose cross-country trip to Colorado in a camper turns out to be the summer vacation from Hell.
Scary Movie 4 (PG-13 for sex and expletives, crude humor, and violence). Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Anthony Anderson, Leslie Nielsen, Charlie Sheen, Simon Rex and Carmen Electra return for another round of the horror genre, including spoofs of War of the Worlds, The Village, Saw, and more.
The Sentinel (PG-13 for intense violence and sensuality). Political potboiler featuring Michael Douglas in the title role as the First Lady's (Kim Basinger) disgraced bodyguard who ends up trying to clear his name while on the run from a couple of fellow Secret Service Agents (Kiefer Sutherland and Eva Longoria) after being framed as the mastermind of a still unfolding plot to assassinate the President (David Rasche) of the United States.
Silent Hill (R for gore, profanity, disturbing images, and violence). Radha Mitchell stars in this horror film about a woman whose seriously-ill daughter (Jodelle Ferland) disappears in a haunted, deserted town they encounter on their way to a faith healer.
Stick It (PG-13 for crude language). Missy Peregrym stars in this sports film as a 17-year-old reformed rebel who returns to gymnastics with the help of a mentor (Jeff Bridges) after a run in with the law.
Take the Lead (PG-13 for profanity, violence, and mature themes). Antonio Banderas stars in this uplifting drama based on the real-life story of a former, professional dancer who volunteered his time to teach ballroom steps to students more interested in hip-hop.
Thank You for Smoking (R for sex and expletives). Satirical comedy chronicles the efforts of a tobacco lobbyist (Aaron Eckhart) who tries to remain a role model to his 12 year-old son (Cameron Bright) knowing full well that the cigarettes he's promoting are lethal.
Tsotsi (R for profanity and gruesome violence). Adapted from the Athol Fugard novel of the same name, this tale of redemption focuses on the spiritual transformation of a young gang leader (Presley Chweneyagae) during the half-dozen days he cares for an infant he accidentally kidnapped during a carjacking.
United 93 (R for profanity, violence, and intense terror). Dramatic, real-time recreation of the 90-minute flight of the plane hijacked by terrorists on 9/11 which crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to retake the airliner before it could be flown into a target in Washington, D.C. With David Alan Basche as Todd "Let's Roll!" Beamer.
V for Vendetta (R for profanity and graphic violence). Futuristic thriller adapted by the Wachowski Brothers (The Matrix Trilogy) from the DC Comics illustrated novel of the same name. Set in a Great Britain defeated in World War III, this sci-fi adventure revolves around the efforts of a masked vigilante (Hugo Weaving) to fight a new form of Fascism via guerilla warfare by teaming up with a young woman (Natalie Portman) whom he rescues from the clutches of the totalitarian government.
The Wild (G). Disney computer-animated feature about the misadventures of a young lion (Greg Cipes) accidentally shipped back to Africa from a New York zoo. Luckily for him, his father assembles a menagerie of pals (including an anaconda, a giraffe, a squirrel, a koala and a wildebeest) who put aside their differences to mount a daring rescue. Voiceovers include William Shatner, Jim Belushi, Janeane Garofalo, and Keifer Sutherland.