The holiday movie season is in full swing. Here’s a look at some of the films to watch for (release dates are subject to change):
NOV. 30 "Killing Them Softly" Starring Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta, James Gandolfini and Richard Jenkins. Directed by Andrew Dominik. Plot: An enforcer must track down crooks who robbed the Mob. What to expect: Box office totals will be driven by Pitt's appeal.
DEC. 7 "Playing for Keeps" Starring Dennis Quaid, Jessica Biel, Uma Therman and Gerard Butler. Directed by Gabriele Muccino. Plot: A man's attempt to reconnect with his son gets sidetracked by a job. What to expect: Will fill the void of romantic comedies.
DEC. 14 "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" Starring Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Elijah Wood and Martin Freeman. Directed by Peter Jackson. Plot: Bilbo Baggins joins a quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor. What to expect: It will be a monumental launch for this film franchise.
DEC. 19 "Zero Dark Thirty" Starring Joel Edgerton, Kyle Chandler, Chris Pratt and Harold Perrineau. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Plot: Navy SEAL Team 6 searches for Osama Bin Laden. What to expect: Could be the surprise hit of the holiday season.
DEC. 21 "This is 40" Starring Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, John Lithgow and Megan Fox. Directed by Judd Apatow. Plot: A look at the lives of Pete and Debbie a few years after"Knocked Up." What to expect: Hard to say since Apatow's humor is hit and miss. "Jack Reacher" Starring Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall and Rosamund Pike. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie. Plot: A detective looks into a sniper shooting. What to expect: Cruise is a safe bet when he's not in a musical.
DEC. 25 "Les Misérables" Starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway and Amanda Seyfried. Directed Tom Hooper. Plot: An ex-prisoner's life changes when he agrees to care for a young girl. What to expect: The popularity of the stage production will make this a box office hit. "Django Unchained" Starring Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson. Directed by Quentin Tarantino. Plot: A slave works with a German bounty hunter to track killers. What to expect: It's a Tarantino film, so expect this pre-Civil War film to be action-packed and bloody. "Parental Guidance" Starring Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Tom Everett Scott and Marisa Tomei. Directed by Andy Fickman Plot: A grandfather's parenting skills are tested. What to expect: Crystal and Midler should produce plenty of laughs. "Guilt Trip" Starring Seth Rogen, Barbra Streisand and Yvonne Strahovski. Directed by Anne Fletcher Plot: An inventor and his mother go on a road trip. What to expect: It all depends on how much chemistry Rogen and Streisand have.
--Rick Bentley, Fresno Bee
