New releases
A look at what's headed to the video shelves.
By Times Staff
Published August 31, 2006
Akeelah and the Bee
DIRECTOR: Doug Atchison
CAST: Keke Palmer, Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, Curtis Armstrong, J.R. Villarreal, Erica Hubbard, Tzi Ma, Sean Michael
SYNOPSIS: A bright girl (Palmer) strives to become a National Spelling Bee champion, aided by a professor (Fishburne) and ultimately her mother (Bassett).
WHAT WE SAID: The Times gave the film an A.
MPAA RATING: PG; brief profanity
RUNNING TIME: 112. min.
Friends With Money
DIRECTOR: Nicole Holofcener
CAST: Jennifer Aniston, Catherine Keener, Frances McDormand, Joan Cusack, Jason Isaacs, Scott Caan, Greg Germann, Simon McBurney, Bob Stephenson
SYNOPSIS: Four lifelong friends gripe about the men in and out of their lives.
WHAT WE SAID: The Times gave the movie a C-.
MPAA RATING: R; profanity, sexual situations, brief drug content
RUNNING TIME: 88 min.
Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World
DIRECTOR: Albert Brooks
CAST: Albert Brooks, Sheetal Sheth, John Carroll Lynch, Jon Tenney, Fred Dalton Thompson
SYNOPSIS: Brooks plays a man hired by the U.S. government to analyze humor in Pakistan and India.
WHAT WE SAID: The Times did not review this film.
MPAA RATING: PG-13 ; drug content and brief strong language
RUNNING TIME: 98 min.
The Sentinel
DIRECTOR: Clark Johnson
CAST: Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Eva Longoria, Martin Donovan, Kim Basinger, Blair Brown, David Rasche
SYNOPSIS: A Secret Service agent (Douglas) is suspected of plotting a presidential assassination.
WHAT WE SAID: The Times gave the movie a B.
MPAA RATING: PG-13; action violence, brief sexuality
RUNNING TIME: 108 min.
Take the Lead
DIRECTOR: Liz Friedlander
CAST: Antonio Banderas, Rob Brown, Alfre Woodard, Yaya DaCosta, Dante Basco, Laura Benanti, John Ortiz, Marcus T. Paulk, Jenna Dewan
SYNOPSIS: High school volunteer (Banderas) uses ballroom dance lessons to teach manners and respect to students. Loosely based on the story of Pierre Dulaine, whose inner-city program inspired the documentary Mad Hot Ballroom.
WHAT WE SAID: The Times gave the movie a B.
MPAA RATING: PG-13; profanity, sensuality, mature themes
RUNNING TIME: 108 min.