Fernanda Montenegro's affecting performance, nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, is the centerpiece in this acclaimed Brazilian film. In the bustling heart of Rio de Janeiro, a young boy, Josue (Vinicius De Olivera), witnesses the accidental death of his mother. When a lonely letterwriter (Montenegro) reluctantly agrees to care for the boy, they begin a journey across the countryside on which they learn valuable lessons about each other and the human spirit.
Nine-year-old Frankie and his single mum Lizzie have been on the move ever since Frankie can remember, most recently arriving in a seaside Scottish town. Wanting to protect her deaf son from the truth that they've run away from his father, Lizzie has invented a story that he is away at sea on the HMS Accra. Every few weeks, Lizzie writes Frankie a make-believe letter from his father, telling of his adventures in exotic lands. As Frankie tracks the ship's progress around the globe, he discovers that it is due to dock in his hometown. With the real HMS Accra arriving in only a fortnight, Lizzie must choose between telling Frankie the truth or finding the perfect stranger to play Frankie's father for just one day.
Times are tough in Dublin, Ireland. But no one has it tougher than Desmond Doyle when his wife runs off and his beloved daughter Evelyn and two young sons are sent to an orphanage by the government. Enlisting the help of loyal friends (Julianna Margulies, Stephen Rea) and a feisty American lawyer (Aidan Quinn), he takes his case to Ireland's Supreme Court in a history-making quest to topple an ironclad law...and win back custody of his children.
Gracie Thompson hasn't been so much brought up as dragged through life by her manipulative, drug-addled mother. Missing meals, dodging cops and landlords, changing schools the way most kids change socks, Gracie and her sister and brothers, each the product of a different dead-beat dad, seem to have hit the skids. Then Gracie makes a choice to get a job, succeed in school, and find stability. But her choice isn't just for herself. At the age of 17, she decides to be the mother, emotionally and legally, her siblings never had.
Leonardo DiCaprio gives an electrifying performance as the criminally rebellious son in this funny and stirring tale of one family's humor and heartache. Seventeen years ago, fiercely independent Lee ((Meryl Streep) left home...and left behind her kindhearted sister Bessie (Diane Keaton) to care for their father, Marvin (Hume Cronyn). But now Lee is returning with her teenage son (Leonard DiCaprio) for a homecoming that's sure to turn the entire household upside down! Also starring Robert DeNiro, this entertaining motion picture proves that people you know the least may be the ones you need the most!
