Movies on transformation and change

Actors: Robin Williams, Ethan Hawke

In an age defined by crew cuts, sport coats, and cheerless conformity, he not only broke the mold ... he reinvented it. Academy Award® winner Robin Williams (Best Supporting Actor, GOOD WILL HUNTING, 1997) delivers an extraordinary performance in one of the most compelling motion pictures of all time. Williams stars as English professor John Keating, a passionate iconoclast who changes his students' lives forever when he challenges them to live life to the fullest and "Carpe Diem" -- seize the day! Keating's unconventional approach meets with irrepressible enthusiasm from his students, but the faculty at staid, exclusive Welton Academy prep school is, to put it mildly, not amused.

Actors: Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Jeremy Irons, Winona Ryder, Antonio Banderas

Based on Isabel Allende's best-selling novel, The House of the Spirits is a hauntingly romantic epic tale spanning three generations of the Trueba family. At its core is the stormy yet passionate relationship between the supernaturally gifted Clara and her controlling husband Esteban, who resists change both politically and personally.

Actors: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain

The Tree of Life is the impressionistic story of a Midwestern family in the 1950's. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father (Brad Pitt). Jack (played as an adult by Sean Penn) finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith. Through Malick's signature imagery, we see how both brute nature and spiritual grace shape not only our lives as individuals and families, but all life.

Actors: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Gerard Depardieu

Embark on the adventure of a lifetime in this visual masterpiece from Oscar® Winner Ang Lee (Directing, Brokeback Mountain, 2005), based on the best-selling novel. After a cataclysmic shipwreck, young Pi Patel finds himself stranded on a lifeboat with only one other survivor – a ferocious Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Bound by the need to survive, the two are cast on an epic journey that must be seen to be believed.

Actors: Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Tony Goldwyn

Epic Action Drama. Set in Japan during the 1870s, The Last Samurai tells the story of Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise), a respected American military officer hired by the Emperor of Japan to train the country's first army in the art of modern warfare. As the Emperor attempts to eradicate the ancient Imperial Samurai warriors in preparation for more Westernized and trade-friendly government policies, Algren finds himself unexpectedly impressed and influenced by his encounters with the Samurai, which places him at the center of a struggle between two eras and two worlds, with only his own sense of honor to guide him.

Actors: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett

"I was born under unusual circumstances." And so begins "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards: a man, like any of us, who is unable to stop time. We follow his story, set in New Orleans, from the end of World War I in 1918 into the 21st century, following his journey that is as unusual as any man's life can be. Directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett with Taraji P. Henson, Tilda Swinton, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas and Julia Ormond, "Benjamin Button," is a grand tale of a not-so-ordinary man and the people and places he discovers along the way, the loves he finds, the joys of life and the sadness of death, and what lasts beyond time.

Actors: Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Stacy Keach

Academy Award-nominee for his leading role, Edward Norton (Fight Club, The Illusionist) delivers a searing performance as Derek, a former neo-Nazi skinhead whose life was almost destroyed by his own hatred--and who now struggles to prevent his younger brother Danny (played by Edward Furlong Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Pecker) from following in his footsteps.

Actors: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, William Hurt

An average family is thrust into the spotlight after the father (Viggo Mortensen) commits a seemingly self-defense murder at his diner.

Actors: Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear, Cuba Gooding Jr.

Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear and Cuba Gooding, Jr., star in James L. Brooks' hit comedy, As Good As It Gets. Nicholson gives a show-stopping performance as Melvin Udall, an obsessive-compulsive novelist with Manhattan's meanest mouth. But when his neighbor Simon is hospitalized, Melvin is forced to babysit Simon's dog. And that unexpected act of kindness, along with waitress Carol Connelly, helps put Melvin back in the human race.

Actors: Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, Deborah Kara Unger, James Rebhorn

There are no rules in "the game." And that will make life very difficult for Nicholas Van Orton, a successful businessman who is always in control. Van Orton lives a well-ordered life - until an unexpected birthday gift from his brother destroys it all. Like it or not, Nicholas has been enrolled in a game - "a profound life experience" that begins quietly but soon erupts in a rush of devastating events. Van Orton has to win this deadly game or lose control of everything in his life.

Actors: Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver, Casey Affleck

A true motion picture phenomenon, this triumphant story was nominated for 9 Academy Awards® -- winning Oscars for Robin Williams (Best Supporting Actor) and hot newcomers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck (Best Original Screenplay). The most brilliant mind at America's top university isn't a student ... he's the kid who cleans the floors! Will Hunting (Damon) is a headstrong, working-class genius who's failing the lessons of life. After one too many run-ins with the law, Will's last chance is a psychology professor (Williams), who might be the only man who can reach him! With acclaimed performances from Academy Award®- nominee Minnie Driver (GROSSE POINTE BLANK) and Ben Affleck (ARMAGEDDON) -- you'll find GOOD WILL HUNTING a powerful and unforgettable movie experience!

Actors: Clint Eastwood

Academy Award-winner Clint Eastwood ("Million Dollar Baby," "Mystic River") directs and stars as disgruntled Korean War veteran Walt, who sets out to reform his neighbor, a young Hmong teenager, who tried to steal Kowalski's prized possession: his 1972 Gran Torino. The two learn to grow beyond their own prejudices and struggles by fighting together to change the harsh realities of racial gang violence in their neighborhood.

Actors: Will Smith, Matt Damon, Charlize Theron, Joel Gretsch, Bruce McGill

Robert Redford directed this adaptation of a novel by Steven Pressfield that uses golf as a metaphor for one man's spiritual and philosophical journeys. Rannulph Junuh (Matt Damon) was a gifted amateur golfer from Savannah, GA, until traumatic experiences during World War I shattered his confidence and sent him into a spiral of alcoholism. In 1931, Adele Invergordon (Charlize Theron), a beautiful heiress who once loved Junuh, inherits a spectacular but financially ailing golf course after the suicide of her father. To attract customers, she proposed a high-stakes match between the two most famous golfers of the day, Bobby Jones (Joel Gretsch) and Walter Hagen (Bruce McGill). Local businessmen sponsoring the match insist that a local golfer be added to the card, and Junuh is drafted for the position, but it soon becomes obvious that his game is just a shadow of its former glory. When things seem hopeless, a mysterious gentleman named Bagger Vance (Will Smith) volunteers to serve as Junuh's caddy and coach, using a mixture of ancient wisdom and past-life knowledge to help Junuh “remember" the swing he's lost. Jack Lemmon narrates the story, and J. Michael Moncrief plays Lemmon's character as a boy.

Actors: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell

Do you ever have deja vu? Didn't you just ask me that? Bill Murray is at his wry, wisecracking best in this riotous romantic comedy about a weatherman caught in a personal time warp on the worst day of his life. Teamed with a relentlessly cheerful producer (Andie MacDowell) and a smart-aleck cameraman (Chris Elliott), TV weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities. But on his way out of town, Phil is caught in a giant blizzard, which he failed to predict, and finds himself stuck in small-town hell. Just when things couldn't get worse, they get worse; Phil wakes the next morning to find it's Groundhog Day all over again... and again... and again. Cheered by critics as Bill Murray's best movie ever.

Actors: Russell Crowe, Marion Cotillard

"Oscar-winner Russell Crowe reunites with Gladiator director Ridley Scott in A Good Year, a Fox 2000 Pictures presentation. Max Skinner (Russell Crowe) is a highly successful investment expert with no time for life outside work. When his estranged uncle dies, Max inherits the vineyard in France where he grew up as a child, and his first intention is to sell the vineyard as quickly as possible. But after spending unexpected time at the Vineyard in France, he discovers a part of himself that he had lost and experiences romance and a blossoming new love affair with a beautiful French woman that changes his life forever. A Good Year is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Peter Mayle."

Actors: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Sean Penn, Shirley MacLaine

A moment comes when you stop dreaming, start living and discover your destiny. For day dreamer Walter Mitty, that time is now. When his job, along with that of his coworker (Kristen Wiig) are threatened, Walter takes action and embarks on an incredible journey. Ben Stiller directs and co-stars in this inspiring story about an ordinary man who leaps into the extraordinary adventure that is life.

Actors: Anthony Hopkins, Cuba Gooding Jr., Donald Sutherland

Actors: Ryan Murphy

Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) is a modern woman on a quest to marvel at and travel the world while rediscovering and reconnecting with her true inner self in Eat Pray Love. At a crossroads after a divorce, Gilbert takes a year-long sabbatical from her job and steps uncharacteristically out of her comfort zone, risking everything to change her life. In her wondrous and exotic travels, she experiences the simple pleasure of nourishment by eating in Italy; the power of prayer in India, and, finally and unexpectedly, the inner peace and balance of love in Bali. Based on an inspiring true story, Eat Pray Love proves that there really is more than one way to let yourself go and see the world.

Actors: Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, Haley Joel Osment, James Caviezel, Jon Bon Jovi

Social studies teacher Eugene Simonet (Kevin Spacey) gives his class an assignment: look at the world around you and fix what you don't like. One student comes up with an idea: #1 it is something that really helps people; #2 something they can't do it by themselves; and #3 do it for them, then do it for three other people.

Actors: Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon, Jeff Daniels, Paul Walker

Tobey Maguire ("Spider-Man 3," "The Good German"), Academy Award and Golden Globe-winner Reese Witherspoon ("Walk the Line," "Legally Blonde"), Academy Award-nominee and Emmy-winner William H. Macy ("Fargo," "Wild Hogs") and Golden Globe-nominee Jeff Daniels ("The Lookout," "Good Night, and Good Luck") star in this modern day fairy tale where an entire fictional town is granted a chance to experience the comedies and dangers of real life when two late 20th Century teenagers accidentally bring living color to a mysterious suburb trapped in a black-and-white '50s utopia--and set off a revolution. This film was written, produced, and directed by Academy Award-nominee Gary Ross ("Seabiscuit," "Big").

Actors: Gore Verbinski

Get ready to tango with RANGO, a winner with critics and audiences that’s "like nothing you’ve ever seen before" (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone). Johnny Depp is spectacular as Rango, a kooky pet chameleon who gets tossed into a wild and raucous town in desperate need of a hero. Refreshingly original with eye-popping animation, RANGO is "loads of fun and genuinely funny" (Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times).

Actors: Adam Sandler, Kate Beckinsale, Christopher Walken, David Hasselhoff, Henry Winkler

A harried workaholic, Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) doesn't have time for his wife (Kate Beckinsale) and children, not if he's to impress his ungrateful boss and earn a well-deserved promotion. So when he meets Morty (Christopher Walken), a loopy sales clerk, he gets the answer to his prayers: a magical remote that allows him to bypass life's little distractions with increasingly hysterical results. But as Michael gleefully mutes, skips and scans past his family and his friends, the remote gradually takes over his life and begins to program him, in this fast, funny and out-of-control comedy adventure.