Immigrants of different nationalities struggle to earn their legal status in Los Angeles. Their plight includes dealing with crossing the border, obtaining fraudulent documents, gaining asylum and the green card process. In addition to the difficulties of entering the US and living in a new countries, the immigrants must also deal with work-site enforcement and the office of counter terrorism. Directed by Wayne Kramer. With Harrison Ford, Sean Penn, Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd, Summer Bishil, Cliff Curtis and Alice Braga. Categories: Drama. Year: 2009.
Sean Penn in Crossing Over
In 1977, Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) becomes the nation's first openly gay man to be voted into public office, joining the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Using his victory to champion not only gay rights but human rights as well, Milk unites a diverse group of people from across the political spectrum with his outspoken manner and sense of humor. But, as he gains recognition and increases his public profile, Milk also faces hostility from fellow supervisor Dan White (Josh Brolin), the man who would ulitmately take the lives of both Milk and Mayor George Moscone (Victor Garber). Directed by Gus Van Sant. With Emile Hirsch, James Franco, Diego Luna, Alison Pill and Lucas Grabeel. Categories: Biography, Drama, Based on a True Story. Year: 2008.
Sean Penn in Milk
Ben (Robert De Niro), a fading middle-aged Hollywood producer, struggles to balance his troubled homelife with the stresses of his job. Attending marriage counseling with his wife Kelly (Robin Wright Penn) and having trouble getting his new film made, Ben is surrounded by people who need him to be and do more than he already is. Directed by Barry Levinson. With Bruce Willis, Stanley Tucci, John Turturro, Kristen Stewart, Sean Penn, Catherine Keener and Michael Wincott. Categories: Comedy, Drama. Year: 2008.
Sean Penn in What Just Happened?
Based on the nonfiction bestseller, this film tells the story of Chris (Emile Hirsch), a bright young college graduate from a troubled family who decides to go off on his own and live off the land. On the road, he makes friends with a sweet teenage girl (Kristen Stewart) and a lonely widower (Hal Holbrook). His parents (William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden) and sister (Jena Malone) become frantic, since they have no idea where he is. Eventually he abandons his new friends as he heads deep into the Alaskan wilderness, determined to live by his wits alone. With Catherine Keener and Vince Vaughn. Directed by Sean Penn. Categories: Adventure, Biography, Drama. Year: 2007.
Sean Penn in Into the Wild
"Boss" Willie Stark (Sean Penn), an idealistic southern politician loosely based on Governor Huey Long of Louisiana, appeals to the common man to earn his place of power. But, Stark's victories have their price, eventually leading him to his downfall after being corrupted by the system. Directed by Steven Zaillian. With Jude Law, Anthony Hopkins, Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo and James Gandolfini. Categories: Drama. Year: 2006.
Sean Penn in All the King's Men
When UN Translator Silvia Broome (Nicole Kidman) overhears a death threat against an African head of state, she becomes a target for the same group of killers. Placed under the protection of federal agent Tobin Keller (Sean Penn), everything seems under control, until Tobin begins to question Silvia's motives. As the conspiracy grows, Silvia and Tobin grapple with the realization that in this dangerous game, anyone could be the enemy. Directed by Sydney Pollack. With George Harris, Michael Wright and Catherine Keener. Categories: Drama, Thriller. Year: 2005.
Sean Penn in The Interpreter
Cristina Peck (Naomi Watts) is forced to suffer the loss of her husband Michael (Danny Huston) and their two daughters, killed in a hit-and-run by born-again ex-con Jack Jordan (Benicio Del Toro). Paul Rivers (Sean Penn), a college professor dying of heart failure, becomes the recipient of Michael's transplanted heart and is drawn to Cristina out of the debt of life he owes to her husband. Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. Categories: Drama, Crime, Thriller. Year: 2003.
Sean Penn in 21 Grams
Jimmy (Sean Penn), Sean (Kevin Bacon) and Dave (Tim Robbins) were best friends until the day when Dave was abducted a man claiming to be a police officer. Years later, they find their lives thrust together again when Jimmy's daughter Katie (Emmy Rossum) is murdered. Sean, who is now a police detective, leads the investigation and questions Dave as a prime suspect. Jimmy, consumed with grief, sets out on a course of revenge to learn the truth, no matter the consequences. Directed by Clint Eastwood. With Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney, Kevin Chapman and Tom Guiry. Categories: Crime, Drama, Mystery. Year: 2003/.
Sean Penn in Mystic River
Sam Dawson (Sean Penn) is a mentally-challenged single father who loves his daughter Lucy (Dakota Fanning) and the Beatles. Although an extraordinary group of friends help Sam with Lucy, child services step in and set up Lucy with a foster family when it becomes apparent that the 7-year-old's intelligence has begun to surpass her father's. Never giving up hope of getting his daughter back, Sam hires Rita Harrison (Michelle Pfeiffer), a high priced lawyer, to help him plead his case and convince the court that he is a fit father. Directed by Jessie Nelson. With Dianne Wiest, Richard Schiff, Laura Dern, Doug Hutchison and Mary Steenburgen. Categories: Drama. Year: 2001.
Sean Penn in I Am Sam
Jack Nicholson stars as a police officer in a small town who is about to retire. Just before he works his final day, a 7-year-old girl is found murdered. He promises her mother that he will find out who killed her. But as he continues to work on the case, even after he leaves the force, one of his former colleagues (Aaron Eckhart) questions whether his interest in this case is as innocent as it appears. Directed by Sean Penn. With Dale Dickey. Categories: Drama, Crime, Mystery, Thriller. Year: 2001.
Sean Penn in The Pledge
The life of Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas inspired this film. Javier Bardem, who won an Oscar for his performance in No Country for Old Men, stars as the writer, who was a strong supporter of the Castro regime until he realized he was gay. Persecuted for his sexual orientation, he became an outcast in the country he once loved and eventually moved to New York. Sean Penn and Johnny Depp play friends who had a significant impact on his life. Directed by Julian Schnabel. Categories: Biography, Drama. Year: 2000.
Sean Penn in Before Night Falls
Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) is an out of work puppeteer with a dowdy girlfriend (Cameron Diaz) and few prospects. After starting a strange new job, he discovers a doorway in his office building that allows him to enter the head of actor John Malkovich for fifteen minutes. This discovery opens up new avenues in his life as he experiments with this bizarre ability. Directed by Spike Jonze. With Catherine Keener, Charlie Sheen, Sean Penn, Winona Ryder and Ned Bellamy. Categories: Comedy, Fantasy, Drama. Year: 1999.
Sean Penn in Being John Malkovich
Sean Penn stars as Emmet Ray, in this biopic of a fictional jazz guitarist. The arrogant Ray is considered the second-best jazz guitarist in the world, and he is obsessed with improving his reputation. Meanwhile, he falls in love with a mute woman (Samantha Morton) and gets involved with a high-society floozy (Uma Thurman). Directed by Woody Allen. Categories: Comedy, Music. Year: 1999.
Sean Penn in Sweet and Lowdown
During the conflict at Guadalcanal, a battle that will strongly influence the Japanese advance into the Pacific, a group of young soldiers is brought in as a relief for battle-weary Marine units. The soldiers begin to form a tight-knit group as they face the horrors of war while trying to maintain possession of a key airfield. Directed by Terrence Malick. With Sean Penn, Adrien Brody, James Caviezel, Nick Nolte, John C. Reilly, John Travolta, John Cusack, Woody Harrelson, George Clooney and Jared Leto. Categories: Action, Drama, War. Year: 1998.
Sean Penn in The Thin Red Line
On his 48th birthday, bored billionaire Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) receives an unusual gift from his brother, Conrad (Sean Penn): an invitation to a high-stakes game with mysterious, unknown rules. Once signed up, Nicholas enters a personally-tailored, all-encompassing experience, and is soon unable to distinguish between what is real and what is an illusion. Directed by David Fincher. With Deborah Kara Unger and James Rebhorn. Categories: Thriller, Action, Adventure, Mystery. Year: 1997.
Sean Penn in The Game
Alyssa Milano stars as Hugo, a Los Angeles pool cleaner. Her alcoholic father (Malcolm McDowell) and her mother (Cathy Moriarty), a gambling addict, help her out with a backlog of jobs. Hugo becomes friendly with some of her quirky clients, who include a crazed Dutch film director (Robert Downey Jr.). But her life really changes when she meets Floyd (Patrick Dempsey), a young man suffering from ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. With Sean Penn as a loner her father meets. Directed by Robert Downey Sr. With Richard Lewis. Categories: Comedy, Romance. Year: 1997.
Sean Penn in Hugo Pool
When Bobby Cooper's (Sean Penn) car breaks down in the two-horse town of Superior, Arizona, he becomes entangled in a web of murder, sex and deceit. Bobby unwittingly gets involved with the married Grace McKenna (Jennifer Lopez). Her husband, Jake (Nick Nolte), in turn, asks Bobby to kill her. However, Grace has also asked Bobby to kill Jake. Bobby is forced to cope with all of this and a zany car mechanic, Darrell (Billy Bob Thornton) who can't seem to fix his car, preventing him from escaping the rabbit-hole he has seemingly fallen into. Directed by Oliver Stone. With Claire Danes, Joaquin Phoenix, Jon Voight and Powers Boothe. Categories: Crime, Drama, Thriller. Year: 1997.
Sean Penn in U Turn
Sister Helen Prejean (Susan Sarandon) acts as the spiritual advisor to Matthew Poncelet (Sean Penn), the condemned killer of two teenage lovers. After spending time with Poncelet in prison, Sister Helen begins to see the terrified human beneath his brash, unrepentant facade. Increasingly disturbed by Poncelet's anguish leading up to his execution and the rage of the victims' families, Sister Helen struggles for the life, dignity, and soul of a confused and angry man. Directed by Tim Robbins. With R. Lee Ermey and Raymond J. Barry. Categories: Crime, Drama. Year: 1995.
Sean Penn in Dead Man Walking
Carlito Brigante (Al Pacino), released early from prison after a five year stint, pledges to change his ways and to never return to the life of crime and drug dealing that he had before. Hoping to raise enough money to get away from New York, Carlito runs a nightclub while renewing an affair with a dancer (Penelope Ann Miller). But because of his past connections and a feeling of obligation to his lawyer and best friend (Sean Penn), Carlito is gradually dragged back into the world he promised to give up forever. Directed by Brian De Palma. With John Leguizamo, Luis Guzmán and Viggo Mortensen. Categories: Crime, Drama, Thriller. Year: 1993.
Sean Penn in Carlito's Way
Terry (Sean Penn) moves back to his old neighborhood in New York and meets up with his friend, Jackie (Gary Oldman). Jackie works for his older brother, gangster boss Frankie (Ed Harris). Terry has to decide if he wants to get back into a life of crime. Meanwhile, he finds himself falling in love with Frankie and Jackie's sister (Robin Wright Penn), who wants to get out of the neighborhood. Directed by Phil Joanou. Categories: Crime, Drama, Thriller. Year: 1990.
Sean Penn in State of Grace
A group of high schoolers growing up in southern California struggle with life and love in the 1970s. Stacy Hamilton (Jennifer Jason Leigh) attempts to find love through sex. Mark Ratner (Brian Backer) turns to his friend Mike Damone (Robert Romanus) for tips on how to win Stacy over. Brad Hamilton (Judge Reinhold) works a series of crappy jobs to pay for his dream car. And, Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn), a stoned surfer, coasts through life, always on the lookout for the next party. Directed by Amy Heckerling. With Phoebe Cates, Vincent Schiavelli, Forest Whitaker and Brian Backer. Categories: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Cult Classics. Year: 1982.
Sean Penn in Fast Times at Ridgemont High