Actor Paul Giamatti (1967)

Jungle Cruise (2021) is an American fantasy adventure film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and written by Glenn Ficarra, John Requa, and Michael Green. The inspiration for the film comes from Walt Disney’s popular theme park attraction. In 1556, Spanish conquistadors led by Don Aguirre embark on a journey to South America in search of the legendary Lágrimas de Cristal Tree. This tree is believed to cure illness, heal injuries, break curses, and possibly heal ...

The Catcher Was a Spy (2018) is an American war film directed by Ben Lewin and written by Robert Rodat, based on the book of the same name by Nicholas Dawidoff. Moe Berg, an experienced 15-year baseball player, takes on a new role as a spy in the war effort to outdo Nazi Germany in developing the first atomic bomb. The Germans made a breakthrough by splitting the atom in 1938, and the race for the bomb was on. In charge of delivering this weapon was German Nobel prize winner Werner Heisenberg. To counter this threat, Moe ...

In an animated sci-fi comedy film, Ratchet & Clank (2016), produced by Rainmaker Entertainment and distributed by Gramercy Pictures, Chairman Drek and his Blarg people are systematically destroying multiple planets in the Solana Galaxy to build their new home, New Quartu. This plan is necessary as their current home, Quartu, has become uninhabitable due to pollution. However, the destruction catches the attention of the Galactic Rangers – a group dedicated to maintaining peace. A broken warbot from Drek’s factory on Quartu escapes during a power outage and goes to Kerwan to warn the Rangers about his builder’s intentions. After crash-landing on Veldin, ...

In the disaster film, San Andreas (2015), directed by Brad Peyton and written by Carlton Cuse, we follow the journey of Caltech seismologist Dr. Lawrence Hayes. Along with his colleague, Dr. Kim Park, he is conducting tests at Hoover Dam using a new earthquake prediction model. However, their plans are disrupted when an unknown fault suddenly ruptures nearby, causing a catastrophic 7.1-magnitude earthquake that destroys the dam. Despite Park’s heroic sacrifice to save a young girl, he is swept away by the ensuing flood. As Hayes investigates further, he discovers ...

The American epic biographical drama film directed by F. Gary Gray, Straight Outta Compton (2015), tells the story of the rise and fall of N.W.A., a hip hop group. Set in 1986, Compton, California is depicted as a chaotic dystopia overrun by street gangs, drug dealers, and police brutality. One night, Eazy-E narrowly escapes a police raid at a crack house. The following day, Dr. Dre is at a crossroads in life and is confronted by his mother for missing a job interview. Meanwhile, high school senior Ice Cube dreams of becoming a rapper. When Dre hears Cube’s ‘reality raps’ about the struggles faced by ...

The American superhero film The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) is based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It follows the story of former Oscorp scientist and businessman Richard Parker, who records a video message explaining his sudden disappearance along with his wife Mary. They try to escape on a private jet, but unfortunately, it is taken over by an assassin and crashes, resulting in the couple’s death. In present day, one year after defeating Dr. Curt Connors, their son Peter continues to use his powers as Spider-Man to fight crime and successfully captures notorious criminal Aleksei Sytsevich. However, due to concerns about his relationship ...

Director John Lee Hancock created the biographical drama film, Saving Mr. Banks (2013). The screenplay was written by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith. At this time, Diarmuid Russell, a agent in London, urges Pamela ‘P. L.’ Travers to travel to Los Angeles and meet with Walt Disney. For the last twenty years, Disney has been pursuing the film rights to her Mary Poppins stories after promising his daughters he would make a movie based on them. Despite her financial struggles and dwindling book royalties, Travers has ...

The biographical drama film, 12 Years a Slave (2013), is based on the slave memoir Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup. Directed by Steve McQueen and written by John Ridley, it follows the story of Northup, an African American man who was kidnapped in Washington, D.C. in 1841 and sold into slavery in Louisiana for 12 years. Prior to his abduction, Northup was a free man living with his family in Saratoga Springs, New York and working as a violinist. Brown and Hamilton tricked him into taking short-term ...

Turbo (2013), an animated comedy from DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Fox, tells the story of Theo, an aspiring racer who happens to be a garden snail. In his suburban San Fernando Valley tomato patch in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, Theo, aka ‘Turbo’, longs to emulate his idol Guy Gagné, a five-time Indy 500 champion. But his single-minded focus on racing sets him apart from the slow and careful snail community and constantly embarrasses his older brother Chet. One fateful day, while chasing a tomato that has fallen out of the garden and narrowly escaping a lawnmower’s blades, Theo wanders onto a busy freeway and makes a wish upon what he thinks is a ...

Rock of Ages (2012) is a film directed by Adam Shankman, based on the Broadway musical by Chris D’Arienzo. Set in 1987 Los Angeles, Sherrie Christian arrives from Oklahoma with hopes of becoming a singer. However, her suitcase is stolen and she is left stranded. Drew Boley, a barback at the Bourbon Room, helps her out by getting her a job as a waitress after the previous one quits (‘Sister Christian/Just Like Paradise/Nothin’ But a Good Time’). The Bourbon Room, facing financial troubles due to tax debt, desperately books Stacee Jaxx, a ...

The Ides of March (2011), directed by George Clooney, is an American political drama. The screenplay was written by Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon, based on Willimon’s play Farragut North. The film follows the story of Stephen Meyers, the junior campaign manager for Governor of Pennsylvania Mike Morris, as he competes against Arkansas Senator Ted Pullman in the Democratic presidential primary. Both ...

The American sports comedy-drama film Win Win (2011) was written and directed by Tom McCarthy. Mike Flaherty, a small-town attorney in New Providence, New Jersey, struggles to maintain his law practice while also coaching wrestling. He faces the challenge of keeping his financial problems hidden from his wife Jackie and their two young daughters, Abby and Stella. Mike sees an opportunity when he is assigned to represent Leo Poplar, a client with early dementia who has no known family. He convinces a judge to make him Leo’s guardian, resulting in a monthly stipend of $1,508. However, instead of taking care of Leo ...

The comedy film, The Hangover Part II (2011), was produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Following their wild adventure in Las Vegas, Stu Price is getting ready to tie the knot with his fiancée, Lauren, in Thailand. To avoid a similar debacle to their last trip, Stu initially declines the offer for his friends Doug Billings and Phil Wenneck (and especially Alan Garner) to come along. Instead, he opts for a more low-key bachelor party at IHOP with just Phil and Doug. However, Tracy pleads with Doug to convince Stu to let her brother Alan join them on the trip. After some hesitation, Stu reluctantly agrees to bring along his friends ...

Too Big to Fail (2011) is an American biographical drama that aired on HBO. Directed by Curtis Hanson and written by Peter Gould, the film was based on Andrew Ross Sorkin’s non-fiction book of the same name. It received multiple nominations at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards. The plot revolves around the 2008 mortgage industry crisis and the sale of Bear Stearns to JPMorgan Chase with Federal guarantees. As news of this spreads, short sellers shift their focus to another investment bank, Lehman Brothers. Despite trying ...

Tony Gilroy wrote and directed Duplicity (2009), an American romantic crime comedy starring Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. Five years prior to this, Ray Koval, an MI6 agent, crossed paths with CIA officer Claire Stenwick at a party in Dubai. Unaware of her identity, he tried to seduce her but ended up being drugged and robbed of classified documents. Their next encounter is three years later in Rome, where they spend several days together at a luxurious hotel. As they consider leaving their government jobs for the cut-throat ...

The American television miniseries John Adams (2008) follows the political journey of U.S. president John Adams and his pivotal role in the establishment of the United States. Directed by Tom Hooper and starring Paul Giamatti as Adams, the series was adapted from David McCullough’s 2001 book of the same name by Kirk Ellis. Over seven episodes, HBO brought to life both the biopic of Adams and the first 50 years of America’s history. Garnering widespread critical ...

The Ant Bully (2006), an American animated film written and directed by John A. Davis, is based on the eponymous children’s book by John Nickle from 1999. When Lucas Nickle’s parents go to Puerto Vallarta for their anniversary, he is left with his sister Tiffany and grandmother. Neglected and bullied by Steve, Lucas takes out his anger on an anthill in his yard. Zoc, an odd sorcerer ant, wants to retaliate while Hova, a nurse ant fascinated by humans, desires to communicate with him. To shrink Lucas down to ant size, the colony leader decides to use ...

Lady in the Water (2006) is a riveting fantasy thriller by acclaimed director M. Night Shyamalan, who also produced alongside Sam Mercer. The story follows Cleveland Heep, the newly appointed superintendent of a Philadelphia apartment complex, whose tragic past drives him to discover a mysterious Narf named Story in the pool. Just as he saves her from the clutches of a Scrunt, an eerie wolf-like creature camouflaged in grass, she reveals she has come to find the Writer – a person with magical powers who will pen a book that will save humanity. When Heep mentions ...

Paycheck (2003) is a science fiction action film directed by John Woo. Written by Dean Georgaris, it is adapted from Philip K. Dick’s short story of the same name. Set in the near future, the story follows Michael Jennings, a talented reverse engineer who improves upon his clients’ technology by analyzing their competitors’. To ensure confidentiality, Jennings undergoes memory wipes with the help of his friend Shorty. One day, he is contacted by his old college roommate James Rethrick, who offers him a ...

Planet of the Apes (2001) is an American science fiction adventure film directed by Tim Burton and written by William Broyles Jr., Lawrence Konner, and Mark Rosenthal. Serving as the sixth installment in the Planet of the Apes film series, it is loosely based on Pierre Boulle’s 1963 novel and also acts as a remake of the 1968 movie adaptation. In 2029, Leo Davidson works closely with trained apes on the United ...