24 November
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UNCLE FRANK Writer/Director: Alan BallStarring: Paul Bettany, Peter Macdissi, Sophia Lillis, Stephen Root, Judy Greer, Margo Martindale, Lois Smith, Steve Zahn Families are more than the people you are born into. Sometimes it’s the chosen families that make us who we are. They offer the space and environment to make us feel whole. Writer/director Alan Ball explores those identities in his new film Uncle Frank. Paul Bettany takes on the title character. He lives in New York, and as a gay man in the early 1970s he never felt quite at home with his biological family. He still remains closeted to all of them exceptRead More →

22 April
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MRS. AMERICA Creator: Dahvi WallerStarring: Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne, Uzo Aduba, Tracey Ullman, Elizabeth Banks, Margo Martindale, Sarah Paulson, Melanie Lynskey, Ari Graynor, John Slattery Cate Blanchett has played many real life figures in her career. Now she tackles the outspoken Phyllis Schlafly in Mrs. America. It’s the early 1970s and the Equal Rights Amendment is the hot button issue dividing women across the country. Schlafly is staunchly against the women’s right movement. Fighting with her as other local housewives are Sarah Paulson and Melanie Lynsky. The other side of the fight includes people like Shirley Chisholm who’s running for president. She’s played by Uzo AdubaRead More →

15 August
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THE KITCHEN Writer/Director: Andrea BerloffStarring: Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, Elisabeth Moss, Domhnall Gleeson, Brian d’Arcy James, Common, Margo Martindale You haven’t seen Melissa McCarthy or Tiffany Haddish in a film like this before. Along with Elisabeth Moss they play mob wives whose husbands have been arrested after a botched robbery at a liquor store. It’s January 1978 in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of New York. The women need money to keep their families afloat, but cash is tight and their crime families won’t chip in to help now that their husbands are locked up. They make a pact to work together to gain control andRead More →

15 November
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INSTANT FAMILY Director: Sean Anders Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne, Octavia Spencer, Tig Notaro, Julie Hagerty, Margo Martindale, Julianna Gamiz, Gustavo Quiroz, Isabela Moner Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne star as Pete and Ellie, respectively, who have a great life with a successful business flipping houses. The only thing they feel is missing is having children. They debate if they are too old, but decide that adoption will be the best choice for them after seeing the heartbreaking videos on an adoption website. They meet with a local adoption agency and after meeting with a few foster kids, they decide to adopt fifteen-year-old Lizzie (Moner)Read More →

15 June
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CARS 3 Director: Brian Fee Starring: Owen Wilson, Cristela Alonzo, Chris Cooper, Nathan Fillion, Armie Hammer, Margo Martindale, Kerry Washington, Larry the Cable Guy I don’t know of too many people who were looking forward to a third Cars movie after the second one’s poor reception. It seemed a little unnecessary for Pixar to spend their time and talents with this franchise when they could be diving into new and original stories. I’d like to assume Cars 3 is the last we will see of Lightning McQueen and the gang as it ends on a high note. The world of race car driving is changing,Read More →

03 March
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TABLE 19 Writer/Director: Jeffrey Blitz Starring: Anna Kendrick, Lisa Kudrow, Craig Robinson, Tony Revolori, June Squibb, Wyatt Russell, Stephen Merchant, Thomas Cocquerel, Margo Martindale We’ve all been there before where you are invited to a wedding, and you’re unsure if you’ll know anyone else there. You were probably sat table 19. That’s the table where all of the odd pairings and random guests are sat in the corner of the ballroom. Anna Kendrick stars as Eloise, the former maid of honor and ex-girlfriend of the man of honor (Russell). She’s a bit of a mess when the film opens due to her recent breakup butRead More →

29 April
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MOTHER’S DAY Director: Gary Marshall Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, Julia Roberts, Jason Sudeikis, Margo Martindale, Britt Robertson, Timothy Olyphant, Hector Elizondo, Aasif Mandvi, Robert Pine, Sarah Chalke, Jack Whitehall I hate watching bad movies, but I sure do love writing about them. Such is the case for Mother’s Day. Long-time comedy director Gary Marshall continues his “holiday” themed movies with Mother’s Day, which follows Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve. It’s another ensemble film with many intersecting storylines and one little twist along the way. Those other films had boasted a huge cast of A-listers. I had gathered by this film’s poster that maybeRead More →

08 April
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THE BOSS Director: Ben Falcone Starring: Melissa McCarthey, Kristen Bell, Ella Anderson, Peter Dinklage, Kristen Schaal, Cecily Strong, Kathy Bates, Tyler Labine, Margo Martindale, Cedric Yarbrough Melissa McCarthy and her husband/creative partner, Ben Falcone, are back with another loud-mouthed character that aligns with many of the other characters she has created recently. She plays Michelle Darnell who spent her childhood being tossed around from foster home to foster home thanks to Margo Martindale’s character. Now she’s a business titan who has risen from the ashes to become a confident and successful career woman. She’s dressed to the nines in head to toe designer labels andRead More →

23 April
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HEAVEN IS FOR REAL Director: Randall Wallace Starring: Greg Kinnear, Kelly Reilly, Thomas Hayden Church, Margo Martindale, Connor Corum, Lane Styles There seem to be quite a fair amount of faith based movies out in theaters right now. Between Noah, God’s Not Dead, Son of God, and now Heaven is for Real, there is a market for this genre as they seem to be doing well at the box office. I haven’t seen all of these movies, but they each seem to take a different approach and angle. Heaven is for Real is based on a remarkable true story that first caught people’s attention asRead More →

10 January
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AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY Director: John Wells Starring: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Julianne Nicholson, Juliette Lewis, Chris Cooper, Margo Martindale, Ewan McGregor, Abigail Breslin, Dermot Mulroney, Benedict Cumberbatch, Sam Shepard Did you have some family drama over the holidays? People acting crazy around the dinner table? Just wait until you meet the Weston family. Your family will seem a whole heck of a lot more normal after you spend a few hours with the Westons. Patriarch Beverly (Shepard) is an alcoholic and former poet who can no longer tolerate his marriage to Violet (Streep). After thirty plus years and three daughters, the love they once hadRead More →