Movies Released September 16, 2011

The Lion King

A heroic coming-of-age story which follows the epic adventures of a young lion cub named Simba as he struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and his destined role as king of the jungle. As a carefree cub, he is both excited and anxious to become king, one day, and spends his days frolicking with his pal, Nala. His father, King Mufasa, the revered ruler of Pride Rock and the lands that surround it, teaches him about the "Circle of Life"--the delicate balance of nature which bonds all animals together; Simba's father cautions him to prepare for the day when he will be called upon to lead. Mufasa's evil brother, Scar, hopes that day will never arrive and schemes to do away with the king and Simba so that he can assume the throne for his own tyrannical purposes. Scar and his hyena henchmen--Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed--lure Simba into the path of a wildebeest stampede in which Mufasa is killed trying to save his son. Scar convinces Simba that he is responsible! for his father's death and urges him to leave the Pride Lands and never return. A frightened and guilt-ridden Simba flees into exile where he is befriended by a wacky but warmhearted warthog named Pumbaa and his free-wheeling meerkat companion, Timon. Under the dubious guidance of this nature's odd couple, Simba adopts their "Hakuna Matata" (no worries) attitude towards life--taking things one day at a time. The cub matures into a young adult and is able to forget his past until a beautiful young lioness--who turns out to be his childhood friend Nala--arrives on the scene. She tells him of the hard times and suffering that have come to the Pride Lands under Scar's reign, and beseeches him to take his place as king. With the help of Rafiki, a wise shaman baboon, Simba realizes that his father's spirit lives on in him and that he must accept the responsibility of his destined role.

James Earl Jones, Matthew Broderick, Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Jeremy Irons

Drive

A Hollywood stuntman moonlights as a wheelman during robberies and discovers that a contract has been put on him.

Marc Platt, Oscar Isaac, Gigi Pritzker, Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks, Adam Siegel, Nicolas Winding Refn, Michel Litvak

I Don't Know How She Does It

A woman must balance her important business career and her duties as a mom.

Sarah Jessica Parker, Sydney Pollack, Olivia Munn, Anthony Minghella, Christina Hendricks, Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear, Sarah Shahi

Straw Dogs

A young man and his wife move to a rural area where they face increasingly vicious local harassment.

Alexander Skarsgard, James Marsden, Dominic Purcell, Rod Lurie, Marc Frydman, Reed Steiner, Kate Bosworth, James Woods

Jane's Journey

The film travels with animal research and wildlife conservatist Jane Goodall across several continents from her childhood home in England, to the Gombe National Park in Tanzania.

Lorenz Knauer

Stay Cool

The project is described as a "knowing-your-age comedy," centering on a successful author (Polish) who is forced to confront an unrequited high school crush (Ryder) when he returns home to deliver a commencement address to graduating seniors.

Hilary Duff, Michael Polish, Winona Ryder, Josh Holloway, Jon Cryer, Sean Astin, Jonathan Sheldon, Ken Johnson

Hermano

Raised as brothers, intense teammates and competitors on the soccer field – the gregarious, swaggering Julio (Eliu Armas) and the more wiry and focused Daniel “Gato” (Fernando Moreno) have remained virtually inseparable ever since the newborn Daniel was found abandoned in a trash heap in their La Ceniza slum. The opportunity of their lives arrives when a football scout invites them to tryout for the city’s top professional team, just as a tragic act of violence threatens to tear them apart and prevent them from achieving their dreams.

Eliu Armas, Marcel Rasquin, Fernando Moreno

My Afternoons With Marguerite

An illiterate and lonely man bonds with an older and well-read woman.

Gerard Depardieu, Claire Maurier, Jean Becker, Jean-Loup Dabadie, Sophie Guillemin

Connected

Explores the visible and invisible connections linking major issues of our time—the environment, consumption, population growth, technology, human rights and global economy.

Tiffany Shlain

Restless

Described as contemporary and distinctive take on young love.

Mia Wasikowska, Bryce Dallas Howard, Gus Van Sant, Ron Howard, Ryo Kase, Jason Lew, Brian Grazer, Henry Lee Hopper

Back Door Channels: The Price of...

The film examines the personalities -- Menachem Begin, Anwar El-Sadat, and Jimmy Carter -- who drove the peace process along with the secret liaisons, communications, and third-party world leaders who played roles in forging the Camp David Accords.

Harry Hunkele

Happy, Happy

Anne Sewitsky, Ragnhild Tronvoll, Agnes Kittelsen, Henrik Rafaelsen, Joachim Rafaelsen, Maibritt Saerens

The Weird World of Blowfly

Documents story of Miami musician Clarence Reid and his alter ego Blowfly, the original dirty rapper. A major force in the Miami soul scene of the 60s and 70s, Reid wrote Top-10 songs for some of the greatest R&B acts of the era, while at the same time, his X-rated recordings and stage antics as Blowfly made him a star of the "party record" scene.

Jonathan Furmanski, Clarence Reid