Charlie Wilson's War 2007 R, 97 min. Genre: Drama / Comedy
Director: Mike Nichols Cast: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Ned Beatty, Emily Blunt, Om Puri, Ken Stott, John Slattery, Denis O'Hare, Jud Tylor, Christopher Denham, Brian Markinson, Peter Gerety
Based on George Crile's popular book, this story, based on fact, involves funding for a covert war operation, which provided money and weapons to Afghan rebels. Liberal living and thinking Texas playboy congressman Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) joins forces with CIA Agent Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and wealthy, anti-communist Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts). Charlie manages to squeeze money out of a House subcommittee giving the Afghan resistance the means to fight off the Soviet invaders. Throughout the 1980s, money was provided, and, by the end of the decade, the Soviets were on the run–thanks to Charlie. Hoffman received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
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Dan in Real Life 2007 PG-13, 98 min. Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance
Director: Peter Hedges Cast: Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, Alison Pill, Brittany Robertson, Marlene Lawston, Dianne Wiest, John Mahoney, Emily Blunt, Norbert Leo Butz, Amy Ryan, Jessica Hecht, Frank Wood
Widowed Dan Burns (Steve Carell) is a New Jersey newspaper advice columnist who is raising his three rebellious daughters–Jane (Alison Pill), Cara (Brittany Robertson), and Lilly (Marlene Lawston). Dan and the girls head for a family reunion in Rhode Island, and after settling in Dan takes a break from the festivities and visits a local book store. While looking for a newspaper, Dan meets and is instantly attracted to Marie (Juliette Binoche). However, a few hours later Marie shows up at the reunion, and Dan learns that Marie is his brother Mitch's (Dane Cook) new girlfriend. Now, amidst awkward moments, the fun and suffering begin as Dan and Marie try to hide their attraction to each other.
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The Devil Wears Prada 2006 PG-13, 109 min. Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: David Frankel Cast: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Adrian Grenier, Tracie Thoms, Rich Sommer, Simon Baker, Daniel Sunjata, Jimena Hoyos, Rebecca Mader, Tibor Feldman, David Marshall Grant, James Naughton
Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) moves to New York City after graduating from Northwestern University and takes a job as assistant to high-powered fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep). Problems ensue when Andy finds herself in an environment where style and self-importance reigns. Andy undergoes a makeover but, despite the odds, manages to remain true to herself and her friends. Two Oscar nominations were received, including Best Actress (Meryl Streep).
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The Great Buck Howard 2009 PG, 90 min. Genre: Comedy
Director: Sean McGinly Cast: John Malkovich, Colin Hanks, Emily Blunt, Steve Zahn, Tom Hanks, Ricky Jay, Debra Monk, Griffin Dunne, Regis Philbin, Kelly Ripa, John Stewart, Martha Stewart, Tom Arnold, George Takei, Adam Scott
Buck Howard (John Malkovich) is an illusionist whose show business career is on the down slope. He is hoping for a comeback when he hires law school dropout Troy Gable (Colin Hanks) as his road manager. Troy's father (Tom Hanks, Colin's real life father) disapproves of Troy's choice of careers, but Troy sees his job as a new beginning. Troy tries to deal with Buck's large ego and manages to hold his own when Buck exhibits tantrums. Buck has also hired Valerie Brennan (Emily Blunt) as his new publicist with hopes that she will stage his comeback, and Valerie does not hesitate to tell Buck exactly what she is thinking. Meanwhile, Valerie exhibits a sexual interest in Troy. Despite Buck's downsides, he does teach Tony lessons about life and the importance of being true to yourself.
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The Jane Austen Book Club 2007 PG-13, 106 min. Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: Robin Swicord Cast: Kathy Baker, Maria Bello, Emily Blunt, Amy Brenneman, Maggie Grace, Jimmy Smits, Hugh Dancy, Lynn Redgrave, Marc Blucas, Kevin Zegers, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Ed Brigadier, Nancy Travis
Best friends–dog-lover Jocelyn (Maria Bello) and newly widowed Sylvia (Amy Brenneman) have just suffered losses in their lives. They form a book club with six-times-married Bernadette (Kathy Baker), high-school teacher Prudie (Emily Blunt), Sylvia's headstrong daughter Allegra (Maggie Grace), and one guy, Grigg (Hugh Dancy), who happens to be a sci-fi fan. The group meets regularly to discuss the works of Jane Austen and, in the process, finds that their own lives parallel those of the characters in the novels.
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My Summer of Love 2004 R, 86 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Paul Pawlikowski Cast: Nathalie Press, Emily Blunt, Paddy Considine, Dean Andrews, Michelle Byrne, Paul Antony-Barber, Lynette Edwards, Kathryn Sumner
It is doomed to failure, but the brief, summer relationship of Mona (Nathalie Press) and Tamsin (Emily Blunt) makes for an intriguing story.
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Sunshine Cleaning 2009 R, 102 min. Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Christine Jeffs Cast: Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, Jason Spevack, Steve Zahn, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Clifton Collins Jr., Eric Christian Olsen, Kevin Chapman, Paul Dooley, Amy Redford, Judith Jones, Christopher Dempsey, Vic Browder, Arron Shiver
Single-mother Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams) is supporting her eight-year-old son Oscar (Jason Spevack) by cleaning homes while her father Joe (Alan Arkin) and sister Norah (Emily Blunt) babysit for Oscar. Meanwhile, Rose is having an affair with her married ex-boyfriend from high school, Mac (Steve Zahn), who is now a police officer. Mac tells Rose about a better paying job, which involves cleaning up crime scenes after the police have finished their investigations. Rose opens up her new business, "Sunshine Cleaning," and takes Norah along to help. It is a dirty job, but the money is good, and the sisters grow close as they work together providing security and a future for the Lorkowski family.
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Wind Chill 2007 R, 93 min. Genre: Drama / Horror / Thriller
Director: Gregory Jacobs Cast: Emily Blunt, Ashton Holmes, Martin Donovan, Ned Bellamy, Ian A. Wallace, Donny James Lucas, Chelan Simmons, Darren Moore, Linden Banks, Caz Odin Darko, Heath Horejda
On Christmas break, college classmates (Emily Blunt and Ashton Holmes) share a ride home from Pennsylvania to Delaware. With a winter storm advisory in effect, they take a shortcut along a snow-covered country road on which they are overtaken by a speeding car and are forced off the road into a snow bank. They try to get help, but those they encounter are not friendly and, in fact, are ghosts who were victimized by a highway patrolman (Martin Donovan) in the 1950s. To make matters worse, the ghost of that same patrolman keeps driving his phantom car past them and increases the terror of an already horrific night.
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| 1. Charlie Wilson's War (2007)
2. Dan in Real Life (2007)
3. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
4. The Great Buck Howard (2009)
5. The Jane Austen Book Club (2007)
6. My Summer of Love (2004)
7. Sunshine Cleaning (2009)
8. Wind Chill (2007)
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