Both family comedy and drama make up this week’s column. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day follows an 11-year old boy through the one of the most horrible days of his young life, Cinderella is a live-action retelling of the famous Disney fairytale and The Hundred-Foot Journey centers on the rivalry between two competing restaurants. All three films have serious A-list Hollywood stars in their casts, which will no doubt bring moviegoers to their local theaters. In addition, the plots of each are fresh and are sure to keep moviegoers enthralled. Family comedy and family drama are always big draws for audiences to theaters, for both the laughter and the tears, respectively. Given the top-notch movie stars in these movies, plus the outstanding special effects that are sure to be in at least one of these movies, there is sure to be plenty of laughs and tears to go around.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is a family comedy based on Judith Viorst's 1972 children's book of the same name. Starring Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner, Jennifer Coolidge, Dick Van Dyke and Megan Mullally, it’s the story of 11-year-old Alexander and a horrible day in his young life. Co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures and The Jim Henson Company, the trailer shows the life trials and school mishaps Alexander goes through as well as what his parents and older siblings endure. It’s madcap fun for the whole family. It opens in theaters on Friday, October 10.
Cinderella is a live-action retelling of the beloved children’s fairy tale. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, it stars Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, Derek Jacobi, Ben Chaplin, Holliday Grainger, Sophie McShera and Stellan Skarsgård. As everyone knows, the tale follows the life of young Ella whose merchant father remarries following the tragic death of Ella’s mother. Eager to support her caring father, Ella welcomes her new stepmother Lady Tremaine (Blanchett) and her daughters Anastasia (Grainger) and Drizella (McShera) into the family home. But, when Ella's father unexpectedly passes away, she finds herself at the mercy of her heartless and cruel new family. The trailer is a teaser merely showing the magnificent glass slipper that is so significant to the tale’s plot. The music swells and moviegoers know from this trailer and the sheer star power of the cast, that this movie will be a blockbuster. It opens in theaters on Friday, March 15, 2015.
The Hundred-Foot Journey is an American-Indian-French drama starring Helen Mirren and is based on the novel of the same name by Richard C. Morais. The story revolves around an Indian family, who must leave their native country only to end up settling in a small French town and opening up a restaurant. Meanwhile, the disdainful female owner (Mirren) of a French restaurant across the street is determined to put them out of business. The trailer illustrates hijinks abounds as each restaurant struggles for customers and against each other’s antics. It opens in theaters on Friday, August 8.