By David Weiner
8:00 AM PDT, September 30, 2011
Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz shack up in the wrong house; Joseph Gordon-Levitt shaves his head; Anna Faris and Chris Evans flirt and more in theaters this weekend.
1 / 7
'American Teacher' (Limited)
First Run Features
Who's In It: Matt Damon
The Director: Vanessa Roth, Brian McGinn (Third Monday in October)
The Plot: Damon narrates this documentary about four teachers within the current educational system, and how our children's most valued instructors remain so woefully underpaid that they have to take on second jobs to eek out a living.
Reason to See It: Does your child go to school? Do you value the future of our education? Then see this film. Damon championed the insightful film at a summer march on Washington, telling an ET affiliate, "I feel more and more appreciative everyday for the teachers that I had and the older that I get, the more it really sinks in how lucky I was and I want that for every kid."
To Help You Decide: Watch the trailer.
The Director: Vanessa Roth, Brian McGinn (Third Monday in October)
The Plot: Damon narrates this documentary about four teachers within the current educational system, and how our children's most valued instructors remain so woefully underpaid that they have to take on second jobs to eek out a living.
Reason to See It: Does your child go to school? Do you value the future of our education? Then see this film. Damon championed the insightful film at a summer march on Washington, telling an ET affiliate, "I feel more and more appreciative everyday for the teachers that I had and the older that I get, the more it really sinks in how lucky I was and I want that for every kid."
To Help You Decide: Watch the trailer.
'Margaret' (Limited)
Fox Searchlight
Who's In It: Anna Paquin, Kieran Culkin, Matt Damon, Mark Ruffalo, Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Allison Janney
The Director: Kenneth Lonergan (You Can Count on Me)
The Plot: An innocent flirtation leads to tragedy when a teen (Paquin) just misses a bus, leading to a tragic accident. Torn apart by guilt and frustration, her world slowly begins to unravel.
Reason to See It: After sitting on the proverbial shelf for six years due to legal hang-ups, the star-studded film finally sees the light of day – or darkness of public movie theaters.
To Help You Decide: Watch the trailer.
The Director: Kenneth Lonergan (You Can Count on Me)
The Plot: An innocent flirtation leads to tragedy when a teen (Paquin) just misses a bus, leading to a tragic accident. Torn apart by guilt and frustration, her world slowly begins to unravel.
Reason to See It: After sitting on the proverbial shelf for six years due to legal hang-ups, the star-studded film finally sees the light of day – or darkness of public movie theaters.
To Help You Decide: Watch the trailer.
'Tucker & Dale vs. Evil' (Limited)
Fox Searchlight
Who's In It: Tyler Labine, Alan Tudyk, Katrina Bowden, Jesse Moss, Brandon Jay McLaren
The Director: Eli Craig (Brothers & Sisters)
The Plot: A pair of West Virginian hillbillies on vacation in their "dream" cabin run into a group of preppy college kids who mistake them for inbred, chainsaw-wielding killers.
Reason to See It: This clever horror-comedy takes the point of view of the "bad guys" as a group of clueless coeds do themselves in one after another by their own hands.
To Help You Decide: Watch the trailer.
The Director: Eli Craig (Brothers & Sisters)
The Plot: A pair of West Virginian hillbillies on vacation in their "dream" cabin run into a group of preppy college kids who mistake them for inbred, chainsaw-wielding killers.
Reason to See It: This clever horror-comedy takes the point of view of the "bad guys" as a group of clueless coeds do themselves in one after another by their own hands.
To Help You Decide: Watch the trailer.
'Courageous' (Nationwide)
Sony Pictures
Who's In It: Alex Kendrick, Ken Bevel, Ben Davies, Kevin Downes, T.C. Stallings, Eleanor Brown
The Director: Alex Kendrick (Fireproof)
The Plot: Four police officers struggle with their faith and their roles as husbands and fathers when a tragedy strikes close to home.
Reason to See It: A rare, feel-good family drama with a positive message.
To Help You Decide: Watch the trailer.
The Director: Alex Kendrick (Fireproof)
The Plot: Four police officers struggle with their faith and their roles as husbands and fathers when a tragedy strikes close to home.
Reason to See It: A rare, feel-good family drama with a positive message.
To Help You Decide: Watch the trailer.
'What's Your Number?' (Nationwide)
Twentieth Century Fox
Who's In It: Anna Faris, Chris Evans, Blythe Danner, Chris Pratt, Mike Vogel, Martin Freeman, Andy Samberg, Thomas Lennon, Zachary Quinto, Anthony Mackie, Dave Annable and Aziz Ansari
The Director: Mark Mylod (United States of Tara, Entourage)
The Plot: Anna plays a woman who has made one mistake too many with men. Thinking she may have missed out on true love, she revisits all of her exes to find the one that "got away." Chris plays her playboy neighbor who agrees to help her find the perfect man.
Reason to See It: Catch the chemistry between Anna and Chris amid the comic cameos by Quinto, Samberg, Ansari and more. Anna tells ET of the comedy, "I think that it's refreshing and funny and hopefully makes guys a little nervous."
To Help You Decide: Watch the trailer.
The Director: Mark Mylod (United States of Tara, Entourage)
The Plot: Anna plays a woman who has made one mistake too many with men. Thinking she may have missed out on true love, she revisits all of her exes to find the one that "got away." Chris plays her playboy neighbor who agrees to help her find the perfect man.
Reason to See It: Catch the chemistry between Anna and Chris amid the comic cameos by Quinto, Samberg, Ansari and more. Anna tells ET of the comedy, "I think that it's refreshing and funny and hopefully makes guys a little nervous."
To Help You Decide: Watch the trailer.
'50/50' (Nationwide)
Summit Entertainment
Who's In It: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anjelica Huston
The Director: Jonathan Levine (The Wackness)
The Plot: Gordon-Levitt and Rogen play Adam and Kyle, best friends whose lives are changed by Adam's unexpected cancer diagnosis. Searching for optimism after the doctor's diagnosis gives Adam a 50/50 chance of survival, the two set out to beat the odds, avoid a nervous breakdown, meet women and live life to the fullest.
Reason to See It: Gordon-Levitt and Rogen deliver a touching comedy with a touchy subject, even managing to insert a good Terms of Endearment joke. The film was written by Rogen's best bud, Da Ali G Show associate producer Will Reiser, based on his personal experience.
To Help You Decide: Watch the trailer.
The Director: Jonathan Levine (The Wackness)
The Plot: Gordon-Levitt and Rogen play Adam and Kyle, best friends whose lives are changed by Adam's unexpected cancer diagnosis. Searching for optimism after the doctor's diagnosis gives Adam a 50/50 chance of survival, the two set out to beat the odds, avoid a nervous breakdown, meet women and live life to the fullest.
Reason to See It: Gordon-Levitt and Rogen deliver a touching comedy with a touchy subject, even managing to insert a good Terms of Endearment joke. The film was written by Rogen's best bud, Da Ali G Show associate producer Will Reiser, based on his personal experience.
To Help You Decide: Watch the trailer.
'Dream House' (Nationwide)
Universal Studios Hollywood
Who's In It: Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, Naomi Watts, Elias Koteas
The Director: Jim Sheridan (In the Name of the Father, My Left Foot)
The Plot: A couple finds their dream home for their family in a quaint New England town, only to learn that grisly murders were committed against the former residents of the house -- and they may be the killer's next target.
Reason to See It: Real-life couple Craig and Weisz get to demonstrate their onscreen chemistry as well as off-screen, and director Sheridan interestingly turns his considerable talents towards a mystery-thriller.
To Help You Decide: Watch the trailer.
The Director: Jim Sheridan (In the Name of the Father, My Left Foot)
The Plot: A couple finds their dream home for their family in a quaint New England town, only to learn that grisly murders were committed against the former residents of the house -- and they may be the killer's next target.
Reason to See It: Real-life couple Craig and Weisz get to demonstrate their onscreen chemistry as well as off-screen, and director Sheridan interestingly turns his considerable talents towards a mystery-thriller.
To Help You Decide: Watch the trailer.