Drama: 385

Directed and written by Guillermo Arriaga, The Burning Plain (2008) is a nonlinear American drama that follows the lives of a married mother, Gina, and her lover, Nick Martinez. Set in a small town near Las Cruces, New Mexico during the mid-1990s, the story unfolds as events are revealed out of sequence. Gina’s daughter, Mariana, discovers her mother’s affair with Nick and attempts to end it by setting fire to his trailer while they are inside. However, Mariana’s plan goes awry when the flames spread to a gas tank causing an explosion that tragically takes both Nick and Gina’s lives. The ...

The American drama film, Sleepwalking (2008), follows the struggles of Tara Reedy and her mother Joleen, who have been forced to leave their previous home due to Joleen’s boyfriend’s arrest for growing marijuana. With nowhere else to turn, Joleen persuades her younger brother James to take them in. However, after settling into James’ apartment, Joleen disappears with a truck driver, leaving Tara in the care of her uncle who works on a road-building crew. Unfortunately, he loses his job and is forced to stay with his married best friend Randall. Meanwhile, Tara is placed in a foster home where she faces bullying and desperately yearns to be reunited ...

In the American drama film Fireflies in the Garden (2008), written and directed by Dennis Lee, we see a strained relationship between English professor Charles and his son Michael. Since their boyhood road trip, when young Michael falsely claimed to have lost his glasses, their interactions have been filled with rule breaking and retaliation. When Lisa’s younger sister Jane stays with them while she is pregnant, she becomes close with Michael and takes his side against Charles. This tension only escalates when Michael embarrasses Charles in front of his colleagues by claiming to have written a Robert Frost poem. ...

Clint Eastwood directed and produced Gran Torino (2008), an American drama film in which he also starred. This marked Eastwood’s return to the big screen since his role in Million Dollar Baby (2004). Walt Kowalski is a recently widowed Korean War veteran and retired Ford factory worker living in a Rust Belt neighborhood of Metro Detroit. The area has been plagued by gang violence and an influx of poor Hmong immigrants, including the Vang Lor family next door. Despite his son’s suggestion that he move to a retirement community, Walt chooses to live ...

Seven Pounds (2008) is a film, directed by Gabriele Muccino and starring Will Smith. It follows the story of Tim Thomas, a man who becomes responsible for the deaths of seven people in a car accident while driving and texting. Among the victims were six strangers and his fiancee, Sarah Jenson. Unable to bear the weight of his guilt, Tim makes it his mission to save the lives of seven deserving individuals as a way to seek redemption. He begins by leaving his job as an aeronautical engineer and donating part of his liver to Holly, who works in social services. He then ...

The neo-noir film, The Merry Gentleman (2008), directed by Michael Keaton, tells the story of Kate. She escapes her abusive husband, a police officer, and moves to Chicago. Despite befriending a colleague at work, she mostly keeps to herself due to her shame over the black eye from her husband’s latest attack. Feeling isolated and rejected, she encounters mainly unsavory characters. One night, while standing in an office window, Frank Logan, a professional hit man on a nearby rooftop preparing for a hit, sees her through his rifle scope. Instead of leaving after the job is done, he takes off his hat and steps out ...

W. (2008) is an American biographical comedy-drama film that tells the story of George W. Bush, directed by Oliver Stone and written by Stanley Weiser. In 1966, George endures an initiation into Delta Kappa Epsilon at Yale University with his fellow students. Despite having a famous political family, he has no interest in their legacy. However, after getting arrested for causing a scene at a football game in New Jersey, his father offers to help him one last time. After graduating from Yale, George takes a short-lived job at an oil patch in Texas before revealing his true ...

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 ...

Slumdog Millionaire (2008), a British drama film, is a loose adaptation of the novel Q & A (2005) by Indian author Vikas Swarup. The story follows 18-year-old Jamal Malik, an Indian Muslim from the Juhu slum of Mumbai, who participates in the game show Kaun Banega Crorepati. Before reaching the final question worth ₹20 million, Jamal is wrongfully accused of cheating by the police and subjected to torture. As he gives his answers, we see flashbacks of key moments in his life that have helped him gain knowledge. For instance, when he was five years old, Jamal jumped into a cesspit just to get Bollywood star ...

Doubt (2008) is an American drama film that was written and directed by John Patrick Shanley. The movie is based on Shanley’s stage play Doubt: A Parable, which won both a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award in 2004. Set in 1964 during a Catholic mass in The Bronx, Father Brendan Flynn delivers a homily on the topic of doubt. He remarks that it can serve as a unifying force, much like faith. However, Sister Aloysius, the stern principal of the church’s parish school, becomes concerned when she witnesses a young boy avoiding contact with Father Flynn in ...

Fireproof (2008), the first film released by both Samuel Goldwyn Films and Affirm Films, is a thought-provoking American Christian drama directed by Alex Kendrick. The plot centers around Caleb and Catherine Holt, a married couple facing challenges in their relationship. On the job, Caleb stresses the importance of always supporting one’s partner, yet at home, the two are constantly bickering. Catherine criticizes Caleb for his selfishness in wanting an unnecessary and costly boat while she considers paying for her sick mother’s medical equipment. She is also frustrated with his habit of viewing internet ...

Revolutionary Road (2008) is a romantic drama film directed by Sam Mendes and written by Justin Haythe. It is based on the 1961 novel of the same name by Richard Yates. The story follows longshoreman Frank Wheeler, who meets a woman named April at a party in 1948. Their aspirations differ – Frank dreams of being a cashier, while April longs to become an actress. After securing a sales position with Knox Machines, Frank and April get married and move to 115 Revolutionary Road in suburban Connecticut, as they await the ...

Directed by Todd Haynes and co-written by Haynes and Oren Moverman, I’m Not There (2007) is a musical drama film that utilizes a nonlinear narrative, interweaving the stories of six characters who each represent a different aspect of Bob Dylan’s public persona. These personas include poet (Arthur Rimbaud), prophet (Jack Rollins/Father John), outlaw (Billy McCarty), fake (Woody Guthrie), ‘rock and roll martyr’ (Jude Quinn), and ‘star of electricity’ (Robbie Clark). According to production ...

Directed by Michael Winterbottom and based on the 2003 memoir of the same name by Mariane Pearl, A Mighty Heart (2007) is an American drama film with a gripping storyline. The film follows the events surrounding Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl’s disappearance in Karachi while he was supposed to fly to Dubai with his pregnant wife, Mariane, who is also a journalist. With meticulous planning, Danny has set up an interview with an Islamic fundamentalist cleric at a café. However, things take a dark turn when he doesn’t return and Mariane takes it upon herself to find him.

Created by Craig Wright, Dirty Sexy Money (2007–2009) was an American prime time drama series that aired on ABC from September 2007 to August 2009. The show, produced by Berlanti Television and ABC Studios, boasted an impressive executive producing team including Greg Berlanti, Bryan Singer, Matthew Gross, Peter Horton, and Josh Reims. Melissa Berman served as producer. Set in ...

The Great Debaters (2007), an American historical drama film directed by Denzel Washington, tells the story of debate coach Melvin B. Tolson’s efforts to overcome racial barriers in the Jim Crow-era American South. Based on a true story and inspired by a 1997 article for American Legacy by Tony Scherman, the film follows Tolson as he leads his team at Wiley College, a historically black institution affiliated with The United Methodist Church. Despite facing discrimination and violence, the Wiley debaters defy expectations and eventually earn the opportunity to challenge Harvard University in a debate competition. ...

Charlie Wilson’s War (2007), an American biographical comedy-drama, tells the story of Congressman Charlie Wilson and CIA agent Gust Avrakotos. The duo worked together to establish Operation Cyclone, a program aimed at supporting Afghan mujahideen during the Soviet–Afghan War (1979–1989). Directed by Mike Nichols and written by Aaron Sorkin, based on George Crile III’s book, the film follows Congressman Wilson in 1980 as he focuses more on partying than his legislative duties. His lavish lifestyle eventually ...

The autobiography film, Goodbye Bafana (2007), was based on the book Goodbye Bafana: Nelson Mandela, My Prisoner, My Friend, which was criticized by Anthony Sampson, a longtime friend of Nelson Mandela who has since passed away. In his authorized biography of Mandela, Sampson accused James Gregory (also deceased) of lying and violating Mandela’s privacy in his work. According to Sampson, Gregory did not have a close relationship with Mandela and instead used censored letters to fabricate one. Other prison ...

The British drama, The History of Mr Polly (2007), follows the story of Alfred Polly in the early 1900s. Despite marrying Miriam Larkins and opening a shop, Polly still holds onto his infatuation with Christabel, but as time goes on, his marriage becomes dull and he feels trapped. In an attempt to break free, he plans to fake his own death by burning down the shop. However, during the fire, he saves an elderly deaf woman and is hailed as a hero. He uses the insurance money to start over and ends up working at a quaint country pub called the Potwell Inn. The landlady is kind, but her nephew Jim is causing trouble for the business.

The American drama film, The Visitor (2007), was written and directed by Tom McCarthy and produced by Michael London and Mary Jane Skalski. Walter Vale, a widowed economics professor from Connecticut College, leads a mostly solitary life. He occupies his time by occasionally taking piano lessons in honor of his late wife, a renowned concert pianist, and rarely works on his latest book. Despite not being entirely enthusiastic about it, he is asked to present a paper at an academic conference at New York University as the ...