The title character (Jeff Daniels) is a famous writer known as an expert on spirituality. But when it comes to his own life, he doesn't have a clue. Grouchy and lonely, he is forced out of his isolation when a bookstore owner contacts him. An overprotective single mother (Lauren Graham) discovers where he lives and comes begging for advice. As he is forced into contact with others, his view of the world changes. Directed by John Hindman. With Max Antisell and Lou Taylor Pucci. Categories: Comedy, Romance. Year: 2009.
2009 in Arlen Faber
Matt Dillon, Laurence Fishburne, Amaury Nolasco, Skeet Ulrich and Jean Reno star as a group of drivers of armored trucks that carry cash. When one of them falls into dire financial straits and might lose his house, the others give in to the temptation to steal some of the money they carry every day. No one will get hurt, and they stage a robbery to fool their bosses. The plan is brilliant, but a few unexpected events that take place pit the men against each other. Directed by Nimród Antal. With, Fred Ward and Columbus Short. Categories: Drama, Thriller. Year: 2009.
2009 in Armored
After his son dies, Dr. Tenma (Nicolas Cage) builds a powerful robot in his image to help him deal with his grief. Unable to live up to Dr. Temna's high expectations, Astro Boy (Freddie Highmore) leaves his home in Metro City and sets out into the world to become a super hero. But, when Metro City is threatened, Astro Boy returns to save the day and attempts to reconcile with the father who rejected him. Directed by David Bowers. With Kristen Bell, Bill Nighy, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane and Eugene Levy. Categories: Action, Animation, Sci-Fi, Based on a Comic. Year: 2009.
2009 in Astro Boy
When two misfits, Burt and Verona (John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph), learn they are about to become parents, they set off on a cross-country trip to help them decide where they should settle down. But things don't go as they hope: Burt's mother (Catherine O'Hara) casually tells them she and his father are moving to Europe and won't see much of their baby. Maggie Gyllenhaal and Allison Janney play friends of Verona's who have very different parenting styles. Burt and Verona can't quite figure out how they'll make it work, but vow to keep trying. Directed by Sam Mendes. With Josh Hamilton and Jeff Daniels. Categories: Comedy. Year: 2009.
2009 in Away We Go
Nicolas Cage stars as a tough New Orleans cop who develops a painkiller addiction. While investigating the brutal murder of the entire family of a suspected drug dealer, he gets involved with a drug kingpin played by rapper Xzibit.. Eva Mendes, the cop's prostitute girlfriend, stands by him, but he's not exactly ready to settle down. His colleague (Val Kilmer) tries to protect him, but there's not much he can do to help. Directed by Werner Herzog. With Lance E. Nichols, J.D. Evermore, and Shea Whigham. Categories: Crime, Drama. Year: 2009.
2009 in Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Will (Gaelan Connell) is a nerdy guy in a new high school. He becomes friends with a brainy girl, Sam (Vanessa Hudgens), who tells him about the upcoming Bandslam competition. The winner will actually get a recording contract. Will decides to go for it, but should he join forces with Sam, or a popular blond (Alyson Michalka)? His mother (Lisa Kudrow) isn't much help. Directed by Todd Graff. Categories: Comedy, Drama, Music. Year: 2009.
2009 in Bandslam
District attorney Mark Hunter (Michael Douglas) has been putting the toughest criminals behind bars for years and is much admired. But when a young journalist (Jesse Metcalfe) decides to investigate him, he discovers Hunter is corrupt. To expose this trusted figure, the journalist comes up with a risky scheme in which he poses as a murder suspect. Directed by Peter Hyams. Categories: Drama, Mystery. Year: 2009.
2009 in Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
Paul (Patton Oswalt) is an obsessive New York Giants fan. His days as a parking-lot attendant are dull, but at night he watches games or calls sports talk-radio shows. When he and his buddy (Kevin Corrigan) see one of their favorite players at a gas station, they follow him. In a bar, they admit they've been on their trail and things get violent. How can the Giants' most devoted fan redeem himself after this incident? Directed by Robert D. Siegel. With Marcia Jean Kurtz, Gino Cafarelli, and Matt Servitto. Categories: Drama. Year: 2009.
2009 in Big Fan
When an oversized, undereducated African-American quarterback (Quinton Aaron), is recruited for a college team, he is adopted by Anne (Sandra Bullock), a tough-talking mom. She helps him make his way on campus and off. Tim McGraw plays her husband and Kathy Bates is a well-meaning neighbor who helps the young player. Directed by John Lee Hancock. Categories: Drama, Sport. Year: 2009.
2009 in The Blind Side
An ensemble comedy loosely based on a true story, this film is about a pirate radio station run from a boat in the North Sea in the 1960s. Radio Rock, which broadcast from the boat, shook up Britain with its hardrocking tunes. Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost, Bill Nighy and Philip Seymour Hoffman all play rogue DJs who keep the boat rocking. Kenneth Branagh is a humorless government official who makes it his life's mission to shut the boat down. The soundtrack features classic rock tunes. Directed by Richard Curtis. With Tom Wisdom and Talulah Riley, Kenneth Branagh. Categories: Comedy, Drama, Music, Romance. Year: 2009.
2009 in The Boat That Rocked
When a young girl (Linda Rodriguez) is kidnapped in Mexico, her father (Ricardo Melindez) will stop at nothing to get her back. He must face off against corrupt officials, shady drifters who offer information, and supposedly upstanding citizens who know more than they're telling. Directed by Chris Allen Williams. With Gary Wade Morton, Mark Joy and Terry Jernigan. Categories: Action. Year: 2009.
2009 in Border Town
Cameron Diaz and James Mardsen play an ordinary suburban couple who receive a strange box in the mail. If they push the button on it, they will receive $1 million in cash. However, at the same time, someone else will be killed. They have a day to decide what to do. Directed by Richard Kelly. With Frank Langella. Categories: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller. Year: 2009.
2009 in The Box
Joe (Clive Owen) is a carefree sportswriter, living in Australia with his second wife (Laura Fraser) and 6-year-old son, Artie (Nicholas McAnulty). When his wife dies suddenly, Joe has to start taking full responsibility for his son. He treats the boy like a buddy, which causes problems when he starts dating a new woman (Emma Booth). George MacKay plays Harry, Joe's son from a first marriage, who becomes a surrogate father to Artie. Directed by Scott Hicks. Erik Thomson. Year: 2009.
2009 in The Boys Are Back
Emma (Anne Hathaway) and Liv (Kate Hudson) have been best friends their entire lives. And, when they both become engaged within hours of one another, they couldn't be happier. But, when a clerical error ends up having their weddings doublebooked at the Plaza Hotel, neither one will budge and the old friends find themselves in an all-out bridal feud. Directed by Gary Winick. With Candice Bergen, Kristen Johnston, Bryan Greenberg, Steve Howey and Chris Pratt. Categories: Comedy, Romance. Year: 2009.
2009 in Bride Wars
Based on a novel by David Foster Wallace, this film is about Sara (Julianne Nicholson), who is writing her doctoral dissertation on relationships. Through interviewing men, she hopes to discover what has gone wrong with her own relationships. Ryan (John Krasinski), her ex-boyfriend, is among her subjects. Ben Shenkman talks about what he says when he is alone with women, while Christopher Meloni tells how he met a woman crying at the airport. Dominic Cooper, Will Arnett, Chris Messina, Timothy Hutton and Joey Slotnick are among her other interviewees. Directed by John Krasinski. Year: 2009.
2009 in Brief Interviews with Hideous Men
A period drama based on the real-life romance between 19th century British poet John Keats (Ben Wishaw) and his neighbor, Fanny (Abbie Cornish). Fanny wasn't interested in anything but fashion at first, but the two got to know each other better after Keats learned she was caring for her seriously ill brother. Their romance was cut short when Keats also became sick. Paul Schneider plays Keats' friend and confidant. Directed by Jane Campion. Categories: Drama, Romance. Year: 2009.
2009 in Bright Star
When Sam (Tobey Maguire), a U.S. army officer, disappears in Afghanistan, his brother, Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) consoles Sam's wife, Grace (Natalie Portman). When Sam comes home, it creates a tense situation, since Tommy and Grace have fallen for each other. Sam Shepherd plays their father, while Bailee Madison is Grace and Sam's daughter in this moving drama. Directed by Jim Sheridan. Categories: Drama, War. Year: 2009.
2009 in Brothers
Director Jake Rademacher has two brothers serving in the military in Iraq and decided to make a documentary to try to understand what motivates them. Although he has own reservations about the war, he comes to admire his brothers' selfless devotion to their country, as well as to respect the price they pay for being under so much pressure and for living so far from their families. Directed by Jake Rademacher. Categories: Documentary, War. Year: 2009.
2009 in Brothers at War
Sacha Baron Cohen, the comedian behind Borat, is at it again. This time he guises himself as Brüno, a flamboyant, gay Austrian fashion designer/model who comes to America. In Los Angeles, he once again takes aim at unsuspecting celebrities, rednecks, and anyone else he can embarrass. Directed by Larry Charles. With Sacha Baron Cohen and Richard Bey. Categories: Comedy. Year: 2009.
2009 in Bruno
A deadly virus threatens to wipe out humanity. Four young people flee south to try to escape it: Danny (Lou Taylor Pucci); his brother, Brian (Chris Pine), his girlfriend, Bobby (Piper Perabo); and Danny's friend, Kate (Emily VanCamp). Over the course of four days, the group is faced with difficult decisions and they discover that their greatest enemy is the darkness within themselves. Directed by David Pastor. Categories: Thriller, Drama, Horror. Year: 2009.
2009 in Carriers
Based on a Colette novel, Cheri stars Michelle Pfeiffer as a sophisticated courtesan in Belle-Epoque Paris. She has a six-year affair with Fred (Rupert Friend), a young man whose mother (Kathy Bates), a former courtesan, wants him to marry a rich woman. He marries an innocent young girl but can't forget Lea and the two are drawn together no matter how hard they try to move on. Directed by Stephen Frears. Categories: Romance. Year: 2009.
2009 in Chéri
In this animated retelling of the famous Dickens' Christmas story, Jim Carrey provides the voice of Scrooge, as well as the ghosts of Christmas past and present. This is a timeless tale of a miser who learns the true holiday spirit through taking a hard look at his life. Gary Oldman plays the father of a large brood and Bob Hoskins is the crusty old Mr. Fezziwig. Directed by Robert Zemeckis. Categories: Animation, Drama, Family, Fantasy. Year: 2009.
2009 in A Christmas Carol
Based on a series of fantasy novels, this horror film focuses on Darren (Chris Massoglia) and his friend, Steve (Josh Hutcherson) who go to a freak show. There, they meet a vampire (John C. Reilly) and they become involved with the traveling freak show. Jane Krakowski is a member of the company with detachable limbs. Ken Watanbe plays the owner of the show. Jessica Carlson becomes Darren's girlfiend, Salma Hayek is a bearded lady and Willem Dafoe plays a rival vampire. Directed by Paul Weitz. With, Ray Stevenson and Patrick Fugiti. Categories: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Horror. Year: 2009.
2009 in Cirque du Freak: The Vampire'Assistant
This classic children's story has been turned into a full-length animated cartoon. It tells the story of a kid determined to become an inventor, who grows up and discovers a way to turn water into food. This means that every time it rains, mouth-watering delicacies pour down onto the earth. Children delight in being covered in spaghetti and jumping onto giant pancakes. Bill Hader provides the voice of Flint, the inventor, while Anna Faris is Sam, the girl he is trying to impress. Directed by Chris Miller. With Bruce Campbell and Mr. T. Categories: Animation, Family. Year: 2009.
2009 in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs