Touchstone Pictures (USA): 60

Scott Waugh directed and co-edited Need for Speed (2014), an action crime film written by George and John Gatins. Based on Electronic Arts’ racing video game franchise of the same name, the story follows Tobey Marshall, a former race car driver who runs his late father’s garage in Mount Kisco, New York. Struggling financially, Tobey and his friends participate in street races at night. After one race, Dino Brewster, Tobey’s old rival, asks them to complete a rare Ford Shelby Mustang that belonged to ...

The American biographical historical drama film Lincoln (2012) was brought to life by director and producer Steven Spielberg. With a focus on Lincoln’s efforts in early 1865, the film showcases his determination to abolish slavery and involuntary servitude through the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. As the Civil War nears its end with the defeat of the Confederate States, President Abraham Lincoln shares his concern that his 1863 Emancipation Proclamation may not hold up in court post-war, and that the proposed Thirteenth Amendment may face defeat from returning slave states. ...

Gnomeo & Juliet (2011) is an animated romantic comedy film directed by Kelly Asbury from a screenplay by Rob Sprackling and John Smith. In the English town of Stratford-upon-Avon, two feuding neighbors, Miss Montague and Mr. Capulet, reside next to each other. When they are away from their gardens, their respective lawn ornaments and gnomes come to life – the blue-hatted gnomes in Miss Montague’s garden led by Lady Blueberry, and the red-hatted gnomes in Mr. Capulet’s garden led by Lord Redbrick. One day, ...

War Horse (2011) is a drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg, written by Lee Hall and Richard Curtis. It is adapted from Michael Morpurgo’s book of the same title and its stage version from 2007. In 1912, a bay Irish Hunter is born in Devon, England. At an auction, farmer Ted Narracott outbids his landlord Lyons for the colt Joey. His wife Rose is not pleased as they need a working horse for ploughing, not an Irish Hunter. Their son Albert and his friend ...

The film The Last Song (2010) and the novel it is based on, written by Nicholas Sparks in 2009, both follow the story of 17-year-old Veronica ‘Ronnie’ Miller. After her parents’ divorce three years ago, she became rebellious and was caught shoplifting in New York City where she lives. Despite being a gifted pianist under her father Steve Miller’s guidance, Ronnie hasn’t played piano or spoken to him since. Despite receiving interest from Juilliard School for her talent, Ronnie refuses to attend. In an attempt to reconnect with her family, Kim Miller sends Ronnie and her younger brother ...

Based on the first two novels in Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series, Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009) is an American romantic comedy film. The protagonist, Rebecca ‘Becky’ Bloomwood, is a shopaholic residing in New York City with her best friend Suze. Despite working as a journalist for a gardening magazine, Becky longs to be a part of the fashion magazine Alette. On her way to an interview with Alette, she attempts to buy a green scarf but faces rejection when her credit card is declined. To obtain cash for the purchase, she offers to buy all the hot dogs from a stand and receive change in ...

The Proposal (2009) is an American romantic comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher and written by Peter Chiarelli. It follows the story of Margaret Tate, an abrasive Canadian editor-in-chief at a New York City book publishing company who finds out that her visa renewal has been denied due to violation of her term. In order to avoid deportation, she convinces her personal assistant Andrew Paxton to marry her so she can obtain a green card. She reminds Andrew that if she gets deported, it would mean losing years of his work as her assistant and hindering his dream of ...

Swing Vote (2008) is an American comedy-drama film directed by Joshua Michael Stern, depicting a fictional U.S. presidential election. In this alternate version of the year 2008, the entire contest rests on the vote of one man – Ernest ‘Bud’ Johnson from Texico, New Mexico. Bud is a simple, unemployed man with no interest in politics until his twelve-year-old daughter Molly inspires him to take a more serious approach to life. Despite her efforts, Bud remains apathetic towards voting and Molly takes matters into her own hands on election day by attempting to cast a ballot for her father at their local ...

Déjà Vu (2006) is a American thriller film directed by Tony Scott, written by Bill Marsilii and Terry Rossio, and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. In New Orleans, a ferry carrying U.S. Navy sailors and their families during Mardi Gras explodes, resulting in the death of 543 individuals. Doug Carlin, an ATF Special Agent, uncovers proof of a bomb planted by a domestic terrorist while examining the body of Claire Kuchever. Although she was believed to have died in the explosion, ...

Annapolis (2006), an American drama directed by Justin Lin, follows the story of Jake Huard. After being knocked down in a boxing match, Huard wakes up and heads home where his distant father and employer doubts his potential. Despite this, Lieutenant Commander Burton visits Huard to inform him of his acceptance to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. While celebrating at a bar with friends, they introduce him to Ali, who they claim is a prostitute hired as a going-away present. However, Huard’s attempts to seduce Ali fail and he leaves frustrated after saying goodbye to his father. On his first day at ...

The Guardian (2006), an American action-adventure drama film directed by Andrew Davis, begins with a legend recounted by those who have faced perilous situations at sea. This legend speaks of a mysterious force known as the Guardian, which supposedly helps lost individuals reach the surface and hold on until help arrives. Ben Randall is a renowned rescue swimmer in the United States Coast Guard’s Aviation Survival Technician (AST) program. However, his dedication to his job has caused his marriage to fall apart. During one rescue mission, Ben experiences tragedy when his team crashes into the ocean in their HH-60J ...

The Prestige (2006) is a psychological thriller directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan. This film is based on a novel by Christopher Priest that was published in 1995. Set in 1890s London, it follows two shills for a magician named Robert Angier and Alfred Borden, who are both mentored by John Cutter, an engineer responsible for designing stage magic tricks. During one performance involving a water tank, Angier’s wife Julia tragically drowns while attempting to escape. In ...

Apocalypto (2006) is an epic historical action-adventure film produced and directed by Mel Gibson, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Farhad Safinia. While on a hunting trip in the Mesoamerican rainforest, Jaguar Paw and his father Flint Sky encounter a group of refugees escaping from war and devastation. Upon returning to their village, Flint Sky warns Jaguar Paw to never allow fear to overtake him, as it has with the frightened refugees. That evening, an elder shares a prophetic tale about a being consumed by an insatiable emptiness that can never be satisfied, no ...

Dark Water (2005) is an American supernatural horror film directed by Walter Salles and written by Rafael Yglesias. A remake of the 2002 Japanese film, it tells the story of Dahlia, who finds herself in a custody battle with her ex-husband Kyle over their daughter Cecilia. While Kyle wants Cecilia to live near his apartment in Jersey City, Dahlia has found a more affordable option on Roosevelt Island, where she has also discovered a good school for her five-year-old. Eventually, they settle on an apartment just blocks away from Cecilia’s new school, but as they ...

A romantic comedy-drama, A Lot like Love (2005) follows the story of Emily Friehl and Oliver Martin through various pivotal moments in their lives. Beginning seven years in the past and progressing to the present, their first encounter takes place on a flight from Los Angeles to New York City. Despite Emily’s spontaneous actions, they part ways without exchanging contact information. However, fate brings them together again in the city where they spend time exploring and taking photos with Oliver’s camera. As they get to know each other, Oliver shares his plans of becoming an Internet entrepreneur and gives Emily his mother’s phone number, suggesting ...

Directed by Garry Marshall and written by Jack Amiel and Michael Begler, Raising Helen (2004) is an American comedy-drama film. The story follows three sisters, Jenny, Helen, and Lindsay Harris, who are all living in New York. After the loss of their mother when they were young, Jenny took on the role of raising her two younger sisters. While Jenny and Lindsay are devoted stay-at-home moms, Helen enjoys her glamorous lifestyle as an executive assistant at one of Manhattan’s top modeling agencies. One day, Jenny calls ...

The Village (2004), an American period thriller film written, produced, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, is set in 19th-century Pennsylvania. The small, isolated village is plagued by mysterious humanoid-creatures that inhabit the nearby woods. To protect themselves, watchtowers and tall poles with oil lamps are positioned around the perimeter of the village. Additionally, the elders have forbidden the color red as it seems to attract the creatures. When a young villager dies, Lucius Hunt asks for permission to venture through the woods to retrieve medicine from ‘the towns’, but his request is denied. His ...

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) is an American adventure comedy-drama directed by Wes Anderson and written by both Anderson and Noah Baumbach. While documenting his latest sea expedition, oceanographer Steve Zissou’s closest friend and lead diver, Esteban du Plantier, is consumed by a large, glowing spotted creature referred to as a ‘jaguar shark’ by Zissou. Determined to capture the shark’s demise for his next project, Zissou enlists the help of a diverse crew aboard his aging research ...

Ladder 49 (2004), an American disaster thriller directed by Jay Russell and written by Lewis Colick, tells the story of Baltimore City firefighter Jack Morrison. While responding to a four-alarm fire in a 20-story concrete grain elevator/warehouse in the Canton waterfront neighborhood, Jack saves a man’s life before tragedy strikes. The stored grain explodes, causing Jack to fall through multiple floors and break his leg. As Jack fights for survival, his comrades from Ladder Company 49, led by Deputy Chief Mike Kennedy, work tirelessly to rescue him. Throughout the ...

The Coen brothers‘ film, The Ladykillers (2004), features an unlikely group of characters. When stern and devout widow Mrs. Marva Munson rents a room to Professor Goldthwaite Higginson Dorr, she has no idea he plans to use her root cellar for rehearsals with his early music ensemble. What Mrs. Munson doesn’t realize is that this “ensemble” is actually a gang of criminals. Led by Dorr, the group includes Lump, a not-so-bright football player serving as their muscle; Garth Pancake, an overconfident movie effects technician with IBS; the crude and disheveled Gawain McSam as their inside man; and ...