 40 Days and 40 Nights 2002  R, 94 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance
Director: Michael Lehmann
Cast: Josh Hartnett, Shannyn Sossamon, Vinessa Shaw, Paulo Costanzo, Adam Trese, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Keegan Connor Tracy, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michelle Harrison, Monet Mazur, Lorin Heath, Aaron Trainor, Glenn Fitzgerald
For six months after being dumped by his girlfriend, Matt (Josh Hartnett) had plunged into a series of one-night stands, which failed to bring solace. Turning to the church for help, Matt takes a vow of celibacy for the 40 days of Lent. But, now he meets Erica (Shannyn Sossamon) who plans a much different scenario for Matt, and his co-workers are placing bets on how long it will take Erica to succeed.
|  | |
 Adaptation 2002  R, 110 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance
Director: Spike Jonze
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Tilda Swinton, Cara Seymour, Brian Cox, Judy Greer, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ron Livingston, Jay Tavare, Stephen Tobolowsky, Gary Farmer, Doug Jones, Jim Beaver
Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Nicholas Cage) takes on the project of adapting Susan Orlean's (Meryl Streep) non-fiction book, "The Orchid Thief," into a movie. Orlean's story involves John Laroche's (Chris Cooper) poaching of "ghost orchids" from a Florida Everglades natural preserve. Charlie faces a mid-life crisis when his brother Donald (also played by Cage), who is following in his brother's footsteps as a screenwriter, moves in with him. Donald breezes through the writing of his assigned screenplay. Meanwhile, paranoid Charlie encounters more than a few problems writing his and, in the process, ends up as the subject in his script that tells of his inability to adapt Orlean's book into a film. Cooper won an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role; three other nominations were received, including Best Actor (Cage) and Actress in a Supporting Role (Streep).
| | |
Away We Go 2009 R, 97 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Sam Mendes
Cast: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Jeff Daniels, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Allison Janney, Catherine O'Hara, Samantha Pryor, Paul Schneider, Jim Gaffigan, Carmen Ejogo, Chris Messina, Josh Hamilton, Melanie Lynskey, Conor Carroll, Bailey Harkins
An unmarried couple, Burt and Verona (John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph), are expecting their first baby, and they travel through the United States and Montreal looking for the perfect place to settle down. Along the way, they experience many misadventures when they visit friends and family hoping to find people like themselves with whom they can enjoy raising their child.
| | |
Casa de los Babys 2003  R, 95 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: John Sayles
Cast: Daryl Hannah, Marcia Gay Harden, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mary Steenburgen, Lili Taylor, Rita Moreno, Susan Lynch, Pedro Armendariz Jr., Bruno Bichir, Angelina Pelaez, Vanessa Martinez, Juan Carlos Vives
After six women arrive in South America with intentions of adopting babies, they find they must deal with a bureaucracy that mandates a lengthy residency requirement before adoption can take place. The women stay at a cheap hotel, Casa de Los Babys, where they must deal not only with each other but with the local population as well. Subplots abound in this memorable story.
| | |
 Cecil B. DeMented 2000  R, 88 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: John Waters
Cast: Melanie Griffith, Stephen Dorff, Alicia Witt, Adrian Grenier, Larry Gilliard Jr., Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jack Noseworthy, Eric M. Barry, Erika Lynn Rupli, Harriet Dodge
When indie-film director Cecil B. DeMented (Stephen Dorff) and his cult followers kidnap A-list Hollywood star Honey Whitlock (Melanie Griffith), they plan to give her a punk makeover and star her in their own underground movie as a statement in their guerilla assault on mainstream films. Unfortunately, this is one of those uninspired comedies that comes across as amateurish and not very funny.
| | |
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind 2002 R, 113 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: George Clooney
Cast: Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Rutger Hauer, Maggie Gyllenhaal, David Julian Hirsch, Jerry Weintraub, Frank Fontaine, Rachelle Lefevre, Kristen Wilson, Chuck Barris
In his autobiography, game show creator/personality Chuck Barris claimed to have led a double life as a CIA hit man. This film adaptation never answers whether the claim is true or false; but the script is fun, and Sam Rockwell gets to the heart of Barris' personality.
| | |
 Criminal 2004 R, 87 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Gregory Jacobs
Cast: John C. Reilly, Diego Luna, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jonathan Tucker, Peter Mullan, Zitto Kazann, Laura Ceron, Soledad St. Hilaire, Ellen Geer, Brandon Keener, Deborah Van Valkenburgh, Brent Sexton
In this English language remake of Argentina's "Nine Queens," Richard Gaddis (John C. Reilly) takes Rodrigo (Diego Luna) under his wing as they team up with Richard's very reluctant sister, Valerie (Maggie Gyllenhaal), for one final scam that will top all previous ones.
| | |
The Dark Knight 2008  PG-13, 152 min.
Genre: Action / Drama / Mystery / Thriller
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Monique Curnen, Ron Dean, Cillian Murphy, Chin Han, Nestor Carbonell, Eric Roberts, Ritchie Coster, Anthony Michael Hall
In this sequel to "Batman Begins," millionaire Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is still leading his double life as the crusader Batman who is determined to rid Gotham City of organized crime. Batman and his ally, police Lt. James Gordon (Gary Oldman), work with District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), but the psychopathic "Joker" (Heath Ledger) is playing a deadly game with Batman through which he is throwing the city into chaos. The Joker excels at demolishing any and everything in his path and stops at nothing–including a hospital. Just how far will Batman go to stop this dangerous criminal, and how far will The Joker go in his efforts to get rid of Batman? Ledger died of an accidental prescription drug overdose before the film was released. The film won two Academy Awards, including Best Actor (Ledger), and four other Academy Award nominations were received.
| | |
 Donnie Darko 2001 R, 120 min.
Genre: Drama / Sci-Fi / Mystery
Director: Richard Kelly
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Jena Malone, Noah Wyle, Katharine Ross, Mary McDonnell, Holmes Osborne, Daveigh Chase, Patrick Swayze, James Duval, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Arthur Taxier, Mark Hoffman, David St. James, Jazzie Mahannah
Bright, but emotionally disturbed, Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) hears voices from a six-foot-tall rabbit that warns him to prepare for the end of the world (in 28 days!). In his ensuing search for God, Donnie becomes obsessed with time travel and what he perceives as energy reaching out from people's bodies. The story ends on Halloween when the world that Donnie knows does come to an end, and the puzzle pieces fit together neatly.
| | |
The Great New Wonderful 2006 R, 88 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Danny Leiner
Cast: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Thomas McCarthy, Judy Greer, Naseeruddin Shah, Sharat Saxena, Tony Shalhoub, Jim Gaffigan, Olympia Dukakis, Dick Latessa, Edie Falco, Stephen Colbert, Will Arnett, Rosemarie DeWitt
Found in this film are five overlapping stories about New Yorkers from very different backgrounds and their uniquely different problems dealing with life in the city one year after the attacks of 9/11.
| | |
 Happy Endings 2005 R, 128 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Don Roos
Cast: Lisa Kudrow, Steve Coogan, Jesse Bradford, Bobby Cannavale, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jason Ritter, Tom Arnold, David Sutcliffe, Sarah Clarke, Laura Dern, Hallee Hirsh, Eric Jungmann
Ten stories intertwine over a period of 20 years, and the result is an entertaining film.
| | |
 Mona Lisa Smile 2003 PG-13, 117 min.
Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: Mike Newell
Cast: Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ginnifer Goodwin, Dominic West, Juliet Stevenson, John Slattery, Marcia Gay Harden, Topher Grace, Laura Allen, Marian Seldes, Donna Mitchell, Terence Rigby, Jennie Eisenhower
Katherine Ann Watson (Julia Roberts) begins the academic year as an art professor at Wellesley College. But, this rebellious, free-thinking UC Berkeley grad may be a bit progressive for her conformist 1953 students at the all-girls' college.
| | |
 Monster House 2006 PG, 91 min.
Genre: Animation / Family / Comedy / Fantasy
Director: Gil Kenan
Cast: Mitchel Musso, Sam Lerner, Spencer Locke, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Steve Buscemi, Catherine O'Hara, Fred Willard, Jason Lee, Kevin James, Jon Heder, Nick Cannon, Ryan Newman, Kathleen Turner
DJ (voice of Mitchel Musso), Chowder (voice of Sam Lerner), and Jenny (voice of Spencer Locke) discover a house that is alive and swallowing people who come near. Halloween is coming. Will they be able to convince those in authority of the danger present in the neighborhood before the the house eats Trick-or-Treaters who enter the property? The film received an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature.
| | |
The Patron Saint of Liars 1998 TV, 100 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Stephen Gyllenhaal
Cast: Dana Delany, Ellen Burstyn, Sada Thompson, Clancy Brown, Nancy Moore Atchison, John Putch, Jill Gascoine, Debra Christofferson, Lisa Rieffel, Marissa Ribisi, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mary-Joan Negro
Unhappy and pregnant Rose (Dana Delany) leaves her husband in California and goes to a Catholic home in Kentucky for unwed mothers where she meets, falls in love with, and marries the grounds keeper (Clancy Brown) who raises her daughter as his own. Rose made one little mistake: she never divorced her first husband (John Putch) who, after 15 years, tracks her down.
| | |
The Photographer 2000 R, 90 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Jeremy Stein
Cast: Reg Rogers, Mary Alice, Marisa Berenson, Rob Campbell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Chris Bauer, John Heard, Anthony Michael Hall, Kristen Wilson, Tom Noonan, Tina Holmes, Fenton Lawless, Richard Bright
A year after photographer Max (Reg Rogers) gained fame for his stunning art show, he has lost his creativity and must come up with something for his follow-up show. So, when a man leaves a folder with 10 stunning photos on the bar, Max considers use of the pictures. But he loses the pictures when they are stolen by muggers, and now he searches for the missing photos throughout the streets of NYC. On the way, he meets an assortment of oddball people. Good shots of the atmosphere on the streets of NYC.
| | |
 Riding in Cars with Boys 2001 PG-13, 131 min.
Genre: Drama / Comedy
Director: Penny Marshall
Cast: Drew Barrymore, Steve Zahn, Brittany Murphy, Adam Garcia, Lorraine Bracco, James Woods, Sara Gilbert, Desmond Harrington, David Moscow, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Rosie Perez, Peter Facinelli, Mika Boorem, Vincent Pastore, Maryann Urbano
Beverly (Drew Barrymore), a promising high-school student in 1968, learned she was pregnant, quit school, and married the father (Steve Zahn). Now, 20 years later, after a failed marriage and major conflicts with her son, Jason (Adam Garcia), she is ready to publish her memoirs. Director Penny Marshall goes for the humor instead of the pathos in this story. It works.
| | |
 Secretary 2002  R, 104 min.
Genre: Drama / Comedy / Romance
Director: Steven Shainberg
Cast: James Spader, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jeremy Davies, Patrick Bauchau, Lesley Ann Warren, Stephen McHattie, Oz Perkins, Jessica Tuck, Amy Locane, Mary Joy, Michael Mantell, Lily Knighr, Sabrina Grdevich, Lacey Kohl, Julene Renee
Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal) has been released after a short stay at a sanitarium but still practices masochistic behavior, inflicting pain on herself when she encounters her drunken father (Stephen McHattie). Her overprotective mother (Leslie Ann Warren) has encouraged Lee to gain secretarial skills, and now Lee is hired as a secretary in the office of Florida attorney F. Edward Grey (James Spader). Grey often criticizes Lee, and Lee, in turn, thrives on his mental and physical abuse. Even after being fired, Lee plots to get her job–and Grey–back.
| | |
Sherrybaby 2006 R, 96 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Laurie Collyer
Cast: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Brad William Henke, Sam Bottoms, Kate Burton, Giancarlo Esposito, Danny Trejo, Rio Hackford, Bridget Barkan, Ryan Simkins, Caroline Clay, Michelle Hurst, Sandra Rodriguez, Anna Simpson
After her release from prison, drug addict Sherry Swanson (Maggie Gyllenhaal) returns home to New Jersey where she enters a half-way house and sets out to reclaim custody of her five-year-old daughter, Alexis (Ryan Simpkins), who has been cared for by Sherry's brother and sister-in-law–Bobby and Marcia (Brad William Henke and Kate Burton). But, Sherry's goal proves more difficult as she realizes after a meeting with Alexis and a reunion with her not-so-understanding father Bob, Sr. (Sam Bottoms). "Sherrybaby" does not seem capable of making adult decisions.
| | |
 Stranger Than Fiction 2006 PG-13, 113 min.
Genre: Comedy / Fantasy / Romance
Director: Marc Forster
Cast: Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Queen Latifah, Tony Hale, Tom Hulce, Linda Hunt, William Dick, Guy Massey, Martha Espinoza, T.J. Jagodowsky
IRS agent Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) leads a hum-drum, regimented life–until he starts hearing a voice describing his day-to-day activities in great detail. The voice is that of Kaye (Emma Thompson) who is writing a novel about Harold Crick and is being pressured by her publisher to complete the novel. When Harold realizes that Kaye is about to kill him off, he is determined to find her and change the ending.
| | |
Trust the Man 2006 R, 103 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance
Director: Bart Freundlich
Cast: David Duchovny, Julianne Moore, Billy Crudup, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Eva Mendes, Garry Shandling, Sascha & Brianna Gillen, Liam Broggy, Scott Sowers, Ellen Barkin, Brian Tarantina, Sarah Knowlton, Justin Bartha, Dagmara Dominczyk
Two spoiled couples–popular stage actress Rebecca (Julianne Moore) and her sex-addicted husband Tom (David Duchovny) and Rebecca's slacker brother Tobey (Billy Crudup) and children's writer Elaine (Maggie Gyllenhaal)–arrive at turning points in their relationships as romantic problems rise to the fore.
| | |
 World Trade Center 2006 PG-13, 128 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Oliver Stone
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Michael Pena, Maria Bello, Jay Hernandez, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Armando Riesco, Connor Paolo, Patti D'Arbanville, Brad William Henke, Lucia Brawley, Jon Bernthal, Frank Whaley, Donna Murphy
This story of courage and survival relates events during the rescue mission following the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center. Port Authority Police Department officers responded to the emergency and went into the building to rescue survivors. While they were inside, the tower collapsed, leaving only Will Jimeno (Michael Pena) and John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage) alive in the rubble. For 12 hours, while awaiting their own rescue, Will and John talk about their lives and dreams while their wives (Maggie Gyllenhaal and Maria Bello) and families wait for news.
| | |
| 1. 40 Days and 40 Nights (2002)
2. Adaptation (2002)
3. Away We Go (2009)
4. Casa de los Babys (2003)
5. Cecil B. DeMented (2000)
6. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)
7. Criminal (2004)
8. The Dark Knight (2008)
9. Donnie Darko (2001)
10. The Great New Wonderful (2006)
11. Happy Endings (2005)
12. Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
13. Monster House (2006)
14. The Patron Saint of Liars (1998)
15. The Photographer (2000)
16. Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)
17. Secretary (2002)
18. Sherrybaby (2006)
19. Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
20. Trust the Man (2006)
21. World Trade Center (2006)
In The News
|
