Garden State
Starring: Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard
Plot: A quietly troubled young man returns home for his mother’s funeral after being estranged from his family for a decade. After an encounter with a young girl, his experiences lead him to start seeing life for what it really is.
City Island
Starring: Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies
Plot: A crazy family with their own quirks, trying to reinvent and possibly redo their lives. Props to Andy Garcia for his effortless portrayal of a prison guard.
Akeelah and the Bee
Starring: Keke Palmer, Laurence Fishburne, Angela Bassett
Plot: A young black girl from south Los Angeles tries to make it to the National Spelling Bee. As the movie chronicles her conquest, her struggles seem to say: Start where you left off.
Into the Wild
Starring: Emile Hirsch, Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener
Plot: A fresh high school graduate gives up all his possessions to trek out, live in the wild and find true happiness.
Precious
Starring: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton
Plot: An obese, illiterate, abused girl goes to alternate school in order to create a new, happier world for herself.
