Actor Dennis Quaid (1954)

Midway (2019) is a war film that depicts the crucial Battle of Midway, which marked a turning point in the Pacific Theater during World War II. In December 1937, American naval attaché intelligence officer Lieutenant Commander Edwin T. Layton receives a warning from Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto during a state function. The Japanese leader emphasizes that their country’s dependence on imported oil means they would be forced to declare war if the US were to threaten their supply. And so it happens on December 7, 1941, when Japan launches a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor after the US cuts off their oil supply. In response to this act of aggression, Lieutenant Richard ...

Truth (2015) is an American biographical political drama film written and directed by James Vanderbilt in his directorial debut. It is based on American television news producer Mary Mapes’s memoir Truth and Duty: The Press, the President and the Privilege of Power, which recounts the events leading up to the 2004 presidential election. As producer of 60 Minutes Wednesday, Mary Mapes and her team, consisting of Mike Smith, Lucy Scott, and Colonel Roger Charles, investigate allegations that George W. Bush received preferential treatment during his military ...

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) is a military science fiction action film based on the popular G.I. Joe toy line. Weapons expert James McCullen has developed a highly advanced weapon using nanotechnology called nanomites, designed to destroy metal and other materials, including tanks and entire cities. These destructive bots can only be stopped by activating the kill switch. McCullen’s company, M.A.R.S., sells four of these warheads to NATO forces, which are being delivered by American soldiers Duke and Ripcord. However, their mission is compromised when they are ambushed by the Baroness, who Duke recognizes as his former fiancée Ana Lewis. ...

Smart People (2008), a American comedy-drama film, tells the story of Lawrence Wetherhold, an English professor at Carnegie Mellon University. As a single parent to his college-aged son James and high school daughter Vanessa, as well as the sibling of his adopted brother Chuck, Lawrence’s life is complicated. He often clashes with Chuck, who he sees as a ne’er-do-well, and is generally bitter, arrogant, and self-absorbed. These traits also affect his relationship with his students; he has little interest in teaching them and even parks illegally on campus. However, when his car gets impounded and he can’t retrieve it due to a former student working ...

Originally known as Terra, Battle for Terra (2007) is an American animated film from 2007 that tells the story of a planet under threat. The peaceful and advanced inhabitants of Terra, a star system in the Milky Way galaxy, are faced with destruction when humans, displaced from their own planet, attempt to colonize it. Mala and her friend Senn belong to this alien race and live on the near Earth-like planet. When a large object blocks the sun, Mala’s curiosity leads her to go beyond the boundaries set by the ruling council and create a telescope. From outside the city walls, she uses it to investigate further. Soon after, reconnaissance ships emerge ...

The American disaster movie, The Day After Tomorrow (2004), was co-created and directed by Roland Emmerich. Inspired by the 1999 book The Coming Global Superstorm by Art Bell and Whitley Strieber, the film follows Jack Hall, an American paleoclimatologist. Together with his colleagues Frank and Jason, they are conducting ice-core sampling in the Larsen Ice Shelf for NOAA. During their research, the ice shelf breaks off into the ocean. At a UN conference in New Delhi, Jack presents his findings on how climate change ...

Far from Heaven (2002) is a historical romantic drama film written and directed by Todd Haynes. Set in 1957 suburban Connecticut, Cathy Whitaker embodies the ideal wife, mother, and homemaker. Her husband, Frank, holds an executive position at Magnatech, a television advertising company. However, one evening, Cathy receives a call from the local police station informing her that Frank has been detained. Despite Frank’s claims of a misunderstanding, it becomes clear that he has been frequenting gay bars in Hartford. Amidst the turmoil, Cathy encounters Raymond Deagan in her yard – the son of her late gardener ...

Frequency (2000) is an American sci-fi thriller set in New York City. In 1969, during a gasoline tanker accident on a highway ramp, two workers become trapped in an underground electrical substation. Despite his commander’s orders, experienced firefighter Frank Sullivan goes down to rescue them. With the fuel level rising and damaged electronics sparking, Frank and a fellow firefighter manage to save the workers just before a massive explosion occurs. Back at home, Frank is greeted by his loving wife Julia and young son Johnny. Thirty years later, John Sullivan is now an NYPD detective living in the same house. His girlfriend Samantha breaks up with him, ...

Directed by Oliver Stone, Any Given Sunday (1999) follows the struggles of fictional American football team, the Miami Sharks. The once-dominant team is struggling to secure a spot in the 2001 AFFA playoffs, under the leadership of long-time coach Tony D’Amato. However, tensions arise between D’Amato and young team owner Christina Pagniacci, as well as his expected successor Nick Crozier, who serves as offensive coordinator. In a pivotal game during the thirteenth week of the season, both starting quarterback Jack ‘Cap’ Rooney and backup player Tyler Cherubini are injured and unable to play. In ...

Playing by Heart (1998) is a comedic-drama film that follows the lives of various characters in Los Angeles. These include an older couple renewing their wedding vows, a theatre director and architect starting anew, a young woman seeking excitement, a gay man with AIDS and his distant mother, an unfaithful couple trying to reignite their marriage, and the husband exploring ways to overcome its dullness. As the plot unfolds, the audience discovers the interconnectedness between these seemingly unrelated individuals. Unhappily wedded Hugh frequently pursues women using a variety of falsehoods: claiming he caused the death of his wife and child in a car accident; stating ...

The romantic comedy, The Parent Trap (1998), marks the directorial debut of Nancy Meyers. Nick Parker and Elizabeth James meet on a cruise in 1986 and quickly fall in love. They get married and have twin daughters, Hallie and Annie. Unfortunately, their marriage ends shortly after the twins are born. As a result, Nick raises Hallie on his vineyard in Napa, California while Elizabeth resides in London, where she works as a wedding gown designer and raises Annie. Eleven years later, the twins end up at the same summer camp where they develop a strong rivalry. After pulling a dangerous prank with her friends on ...

Something to Talk About (1995), a comedy-drama film directed by Lasse Hallström, follows Grace King Bichon, who spends her days helping out at her parent’s horse farm. Her daughter Caroline shares her love for horses, while their stable manager Hank has his sights set on riding Ransom in an upcoming equestrian championship. However, Grace’s father Wyly plans to purchase a stud named Ford instead and ride it himself in the event, causing tension within the family. Adding to Grace’s stress, she discovers her husband Eddie is having an affair. In a dramatic confrontation with Eddie and his mistress, Grace ...

The American epic biographical Western drama film, Wyatt Earp (1994), was directed and produced by Lawrence Kasdan and co-written by Kasdan and Dan Gordon. As a teenager during the American Civil War, Wyatt lived on his family’s farm in Pella, Iowa while his older brothers served in the Union Army. He attempted to join them by lying about his age but was caught by his father. After the war, his brothers returned home with James being severely injured. The family then relocated out west. One day, Wyatt witnessed a man ...

The American Western film, The Long Riders (1980), directed by Walter Hill, follows the James-Younger gang as they terrorize banks and trains in the years after the Civil War in the Midwestern United States. Led by Jesse James and Cole Younger, along with their brothers, this band of robbers wreaks havoc until a careless mistake during a bank robbery leads to a shootout where Jesse is injured. In response, Jesse kicks Ed Miller out of the gang while his brother Clell remains. Assigned to capture the outlaws is Mr. Rixley of the Pinkerton’s agency, who relentlessly pursues them but causes some unintended ...