The Ballad of Jack and Rose 2005  R, 111 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Rebecca Miller
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Camilla Belle, Catherine Keener, Paul Dano, Ryan McDonald, Beau Bridges, Jena Malone, Jason Lee, Susanna Thompson, Anna Mae Clinton
As the last members of a 1960s' environmental activist commune, Jack (Daniel Day-Lewis) and his 16-year-old daughter, Rose (Camilla Belle), live peacefully on their abandoned island. But life takes a turn when a developer (Beau Bridges) plans a housing development next to them, and Jack's girlfriend, Kathleen (Catherine Keener)–along with her two sons (Ryan McDonald and Paul Dano)–come to live with them. While Rose is intimidated by the presence of Kathleen and the boys, Jack sees the new housing project as a direct infringement on his efforts to keep the environment pure. The writer and director of this film, Rebecca Miller, is the wife of Daniel Day-Lewis, and his father was playwright Arthur Miller.
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The Emperor's Club 2002  PG-13, 109 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Michael Hoffman
Cast: Kevin Kline, Emile Hirsch, Embeth Davidtz, Patrick Dempsey, Steven Culp, Rob Morrow, Edward Herrmann, Harris Yulin, Joel Gretsch, Paul Dano
Based on Ethan Canin's short story, "The Palace Thief," this plot revolves around the once-stormy relationship between a Classics teacher and his young student. Today, more than 25 years later, the now-retired teacher, William Hundert (Kevin Kline) and the student, Sedgewick Bell (Emile Hirsch), who is currently a CEO for a major corporation, reunite. Old problems rise to the surface.
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Fast Food Nation 2006 R, 114 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Richard Linklater
Cast: Greg Kinnear, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Wilmer Valderrama, Patricia Arquette, Luis Guzman, Ashley Johnson, Bobby Cannavale, Ana Claudia Talancon, Bruce Willis, Kris Kristofferson, Ethan Hawke, Lou Taylor Pucci, Paul Dano, Avril Lavigne
Inspired by Eric Schlosser's best seller that exposed problems with America's fast food industry, this is a fictionalized account that involves characters and situations depicting the concerns expressed in Schlosser's muckraking book. The story begins with fast food ("Mickey's") executive Don Anderson (Greg Kinnear) journeying into Colorado to examine where his burgers really come from. On his trip, he touches the lives of those who have jobs in the meat packing plants–Raul (Wilmer Valderrama), Sylvia (Catalina Sandino Moreno), and Coco (Ana Claudia Talancon)–as well as restaurant workers–Amber (Ashley Johnson) and Mike (Bobby Cannavale)–and gains insights concerning health risks involved in the fast food industry.
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 The Girl Next Door 2004 R, 108 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance
Director: Luke Greenfield
Cast: Emile Hirsch, Elisha Cuthbert, Timothy Olyphant, James Remar, Chris Marquette, Paul Dano, Timothy Bottoms, Donna Bullock, Jacob Young, Brian Kolodziej, Brandon Irons, Amanda Swisten, Ulysses Lee, Sung Hi Lee, Harris Laskaway
High school senior Matthew Kidman (Emile Hirsch) falls in love with Danielle (Elisha Cuthbert), who has just moved into his neighborhood. Romance is in the air, and Matthew's friends Klitz (Paul Dano) and Eli (Chris Marquette) admire him. But, problems arise when Danielle's past as a porn star surfaces. Danielle's former boyfriend Kelly (Timothy Olyphant) lures Danielle back to Las Vegas to perform, and Matthew follows and tries to convince Danielle that there is much more to her life than appearing in porn videos.
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The King 2005 R, 105 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: James Marsh
Cast: Gael Garcia Bernal, William Hurt, Pell James, Laura Harring, Paul Dano, E. Matthew Buckley, Derek Alvarado, Monica Pena, Mohammad Ahmed, Billy Joe Martinez
Newly discharged from the Navy, Elvis (Gael Garcia Bernal) heads to Corpus Chrisi, Texas, in search of his father who he has only heard about from his now-deceased Mexican mother. Elvis finds his father, David (William Hurt), who has found God and is now a minister and has a family with a son, Paul (Paul Dano), about to enter Bible School and 16-year-old daughter Malerie (Pell James). Upon meeting Elvis, David decides not to reveal to his family that he is his son. Incest, murder, and disillusionment follow.
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L.I.E. 2001 NC-17, 97 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Michael Cuesta
Cast: Brian Cox, Paul Dano, Billy Kay, Bruce Altman, James Costa, Tony Michael Donnelly, Walter Masterson, Marcia DeBonis, Adam LeFevre
Since losing his mother in a car accident, 15-year-old Howie (Paul Dano) has been on his own. Now he is befriended by an ex-Marine, Big John Harrigan (Brian Cox), who is a known sexual predator.
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 Little Miss Sunshine 2006   R, 101 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris
Cast: Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carell, Abigail Breslin, Paul Dano, Alan Arkin, Jill Talley, Brenda Canela, Julio Oscar Mechoso, Marc Turtletaub
The dysfunctional Hoover family–motivational speaker dad, Richard (Greg Kinnear); energetic mom Sheryl (Toni Collette); silent, teenage son Dwayne (Paul Dano); seven-year-old Olive (Abigail Breslin); suicidal Uncle Frank (Steve Carell); and heroin-snorting Grandpa (Alan Arkin)–boards their VW bus and embarks on a road trip to California so that Olive can compete in a pre-teen beauty pageant. On their arrival in Redondo Beach, the Hoovers face the winning-crazed world of young girls made-up to look like beauty queens, and the family gains strength through their ultra-weird experience. The film received two Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actor (Alan Arkin), and nominations were received for Best Picture and Supporting Actress (Abigail Breslin).
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 Taking Lives 2004 R, 100 min.
Genre: Action
Director: D.J. Caruso
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Ethan Hawke, Kiefer Sutherland, Gena Rowlands, Olivier Martinez, Tcheky Karyo, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Paul Dano, Justin Chatwin, Andre Lacoste, Billy Two Rivers, Richard Lemire
FBI agent Illeana (Angelina Jolie) is summoned to Canada to help Montreal police officers solve a murder. During the investigation, Illeana determines that the person they are looking for is really a serial killer who has been assuming the identities of his latest victims.
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Taking Woodstock 2009 110 min.
Genre: Musical / Comedy / Drama
Director: Ang Lee
Cast: Demetri Martin, Dan Fogler, Imelda Saunton, Emile Hirsch, Eugene Levy, Liev Schreiber, Henry Goodman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Adam LeFevre, Kevin Chamberlin, Jonathan Groff, Edward Hibbert, Paul Dano, Kelli Garner, Bette Henritze
This film is based on the true story of Greenwich Village interior designer Elliot (Demetri Martin) who moved back to his parents'–Sonia and Jake (Imelda Stanton and Henry Goodman)–home in upstate New York to help manage their run-down Catskills motel, The El Monaco. The year is 1969, and when Elliot gets word that a neighboring town has retracted its permit for a planned hippie music festival, Elliot sees a way to drum-up business for the motel. Elliot contacts the producer, Michael Lang (Jonathan Groff), and offers to board the crew and use his family's land for the concert. Their land is a swamp and will not work, but a few weeks later, half a million people arrive for the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival that takes place on neighbor Max Yasgur's (Eugene Levy) farm. Elliot works hard to keep things running smoothly, and his success changes his life forever.
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There Will Be Blood 2007  R, 158 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Kevin J. O'Connor, Ciaran Hinds, Dillon Freasier, Sydney McCallister, David Warshofsky, Colton Woodward, Colleen Foy, Russell Harvard, David Willis, Barry Del Sherman
Prospector Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) works in California at the turn of the 20th century and later adopts a young boy, H.W. (Dillon Freasier), whose father was killed in the oil fields. A few years pass, and H.W. joins Daniel in a plot to swindle the Sunday family out of its land in order to begin their oil empire. Meanwhile, Eli Sunday (Paul Dano) begins the Church of the Third Revelation and, as its charismatic preacher, introduces values of humanity, which oppose the lack of values in oil drilling. Thus, the stage is set for a life-long conflict between Eli and his preaching vs. Daniel and his oil drilling. Academy Awards were received for Best Actor (Day-Louis) and Cinematography; seven other nominations were also received including Best Picture and Director.
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Where the Wild Things Are 2009 PG, 94 min.
Genre: Family / Adventure / Drama / Fantasy
Director: Spike Jonze
Cast: Max Records, Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini, Paul Dano, Catherine O'Hara, Lauren Ambrose, Pepita Emmerichs, Mark Ruffalo, Forest Whitaker, Chris Cooper, Steve Mouzakis, Michael Berry Jr.
When Max (Max Records) is sent to his room as punishment after arguing with his Mom (Catherine Keener), his imagination provides his escape. Max puts on a wolf suit and sails off to an island where he discovers mysterious Wild Things. It just happens that the Wild Things are having trouble getting along with each other and need a leader. They crown Max as their king; however, Max soon learns that ruling others is not easy, and more than a few complications ensue–especially with the aggressive beast Carol (James Gandolfini).
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| 1. The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005)
2. The Emperor's Club (2002)
3. Fast Food Nation (2006)
4. The Girl Next Door (2004)
5. The King (2005)
6. L.I.E. (2001)
7. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
8. Taking Lives (2004)
9. Taking Woodstock (2009)
10. There Will Be Blood (2007)
11. Where the Wild Things Are (2009)
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