Tina Fey stars as Portia Nathan and Paul Rudd stars as John Pressman in Paul Weitz's “Admission,” a Focus Features release.
A number of new movies will hit theaters this week, including the following films opening in wide release:
Admission Genre: Comedy and drama Cast: Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, Michael Sheen, Wallace Shawn, Gloria Reuben, Nat Wolff and Lily Tomlin Director: Paul Weitz Rated: PG-13
Every spring, high school seniors anxiously await letters of college admission that will affirm and encourage their potential.
At Princeton University, admissions officer Portia Nathan (Tina Fey) is a gatekeeper evaluating thousands of applicants. Year in and year out, Portia has lived her life by the book, at work as well as at the home she shares with Princeton professor Mark (Michael Sheen). When Clarence (Wallace Shawn), the Dean of Admissions, announces his impending retirement, the likeliest candidates to succeed him are Portia and her office rival Corinne (Gloria Reuben). For Portia, however, it's business as usual as she hits the road on her annual recruiting trip.
On the road, Portia reconnects with her iconoclastic mother, Susannah (Lily Tomlin). On her visit to New Quest, an alternative high school, she then reconnects with her former college classmate, idealistic teacher John Pressman (Paul Rudd) – who has recently surmised that Jeremiah (Nat Wolff), a gifted yet very unconventional New Quest student, might well be the son that Portia secretly gave up for adoption years ago while at school. Jeremiah is about to apply to Princeton.
Now Portia must re-evaluate her personal and professional existences, as she finds herself bending the admissions rules for Jeremiah, putting at risk the future she thought she always wanted – and in the process finding her way to a surprising and exhilarating life and romance she never dreamed of having.
The Croods Genre: Animation, adventure and comedy Cast: Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke and Cloris Leachman Director: Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco Rated: PG
“The Croods” is a 3D comedy adventure that follows the world's first modern family through the journey of a lifetime.
When the cave that has always been their home is destroyed – with the rest of their world not far behind it – the Croods are forced to set off on the first family road (or path) trip. Rocked by generational clashes and seismic shifts, The Croods discover an incredible new world filled with fantastic creatures, and a future beyond any they imagined.
The Crood family dynamics, though unfolding a few million years ago, feel like they could come from your own household. Like most fathers, family patriarch Grug (Nicolas Cage) is fiercely protective of his wife and three kids. His hyper-vigilance has kept his cave-bound family safe, secure and … super-bored. Grug’s strong and dutiful better half, Ugga (Catherine Keener), accepts her husband's "fear is good; change is bad" mentality, as does their son Thunk (Clark Duke), who’s content with the static status quo. Feisty mother-in-law Gran (Cloris Leachman) never tires of needling (or sometimes assaulting) Grug; and stone-tough toddler Sandy might be the fiercest Crood yet.
But leave it to a rebellious teenager to stand up to parental authority. Grug's sole focus is survival, but Eep (Emma Stone) wants to actually live, and her curiosity about the world outside their cave collides with her dad's primitive rules. Ever the defiant outsider, Eep gets her own ledge to sleep on while the rest of the Croods form a “sleep pile” for some group shut-eye.
A cataclysmic event forces the Croods to venture into parts unknown and rethink their way of living. En route, they encounter Guy (Ryan Reynolds), whose dazzling new discoveries – like fire ... and shoes – shake up the Croods in unexpected ways. Most of the family (especially Eep) is smitten by Guy’s vision of a new place called “tomorrow,” but Grug sees the biggest calamity yet: a charming teenage boy from which he must “protect” Eep.
Olympus Has Fallen Genre: Action, adventure, drama and thriller Cast: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Dylan McDermott, Ashley Judd, Melissa Leo and Rick Yune Director: Antoine Fuqua Rated: R
When terrorists take down the White House (code name "Olympus"), a disgraced Secret Service agent attempts to rescue the president of the United States in “Olympus Has Fallen,” an electrifying and inspired action thriller from acclaimed director Antoine Fuqua.
A small group of heavily armed, meticulously trained extremists launch a daring daylight ambush on the White House, overrunning the building and taking President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) and his staff hostage inside an impenetrable underground presidential bunker. As a pitched battle rages on the White House lawn, former presidential security officer Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) joins the fray, and finds his way into the besieged building to do the job he has trained for all his life: to protect the president – at all costs.
Banning uses his extensive training and detailed knowledge of the presidential residence to become the eyes and ears of Acting President Allan Trumbull (Morgan Freeman) and his key advisers. With tension rising, the radicals begin executing hostages and threaten to kill more unless their outrageous demands are met, our national security team must rely on Banning to locate the president's young son, who is being sought as the ultimate test of the president's loyalty to his country, and rescue the president before the terrorists can unleash their ultimate, terrifying plan.
The following will open in limited release. It may be several weeks before these films appear in local movie theaters.
Gimme the Loot Genre: Drama Cast: Tashiana Washington, Ty Hickson and Zoe Lescaze Director: Adam Leon Not rated
Malcolm and Sofia, two determined teens from the Bronx, are the ultimate graffiti-writers. When a rival gang buffs their latest masterpiece, they must hatch a plan to get revenge by tagging an iconic NYC landmark, but they need to raise $500 to pull off their spectacular scheme.
Over the course of two whirlwind, sun-soaked summer days, Malcolm and Sofia travel on an epic urban adventure involving black market spray cans, illicit bodegas, stolen sneakers, a high wire heist, and a beautiful, rich girl’s necklace that is literally their key to becoming the biggest writers in the city.
Hunky Dory Genre: Drama and musical Cast: Minnie Driver, Aneurin Barnard, Haydn Gwynne, Bob Pugh, Owen Teale and Steve Speirs Director: Marc Evans Not rated
Relive the summer of 1976 in this heartwarming British musical from the producer of “Billy Elliot.”
Minnie Driver plays Viv, a fiery high school drama teacher determined to fire up her hormonal, apathetic students by putting on the best end-of-the-year show the school has ever seen … a glam rock-infused musical version of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” But as the Welsh summer begins to heat up, can she compete with the typical teenage distractions of sex and drugs with some great rock and roll? Find out in this fantastic, rousing film – but remove all fears of the typical teen-pop covered high school musicals from your minds, as the songs in this film are from legendary artists like David Bowie, The Beach Boys, ELO, and The Byrds.
Love and Honor Genre: Drama and romance Cast: Liam Hemsworth, Aimee Teegarden, Austin Stowell, Teresa Palmer, Wyatt Russell and Chris Lowell Director: Danny Mooney Rated: PG-13
“Love And Honor” is the passionate story of a young soldier who helps his best friend re-capture the heart of his girlfriend on a clandestine trip home from the warfront in Vietnam during a time of protest and social revolution, and in the process finds true love for the first time.
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