Movies Released December 19, 2003

Friday, December 19

The Hebrew Hammer

This action comedy spoof, said to be in the same vein as "Undercover Brother", but for Orthodox Jews, Adam Goldberg ("Saving Private Ryan") stars as a superhero detective who's out to stop Santa's evil son Damien (Andy Dick) from eliminating Hanukkah forever. It's based on the short of the same name, written and directed by Jonathan Kesselman during his days as a student at USC's Film School.
Jonathan Kesselman, Adam Goldberg, Judy Greer, Andy Dick, Peter Coyote, Rachel Dratch, Nora Dunn, Mario Van Peebles
Action Comedy

Calendar Girls PG-13

"Calendar Girls" is based on the true story of a group of women who bare all - or nearly all - for charity and become international celebrities as a result. The Women's Institute, in Great Britain, encourages the ancient skills of jam-making, flower pressing, knitting and baking. So when a group of extraordinary women are looking for a new way to raise money, they decide to take the annual WI calendar, normally featuring landscapes or flowers, and create something traditional - but with a twist. Behind the baked goods, the apple pressing and the flower arranging, the women are completely nude.
Helen Mirren, Geraldine James, Julie Walters, Annette Crosbie, Celia Imrie, Nigel Cole, John Alderton, Linda Bassett
Comedy

Mona Lisa Smile PG-13

Academy Award®-winner Julia Roberts heads an all-star cast featuring Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Marcia Gay Harden in "Mona Lisa Smile", an uplifting and poignant drama about one woman's desire to enrich the lives of her students. In 1953, a time when women's roles were rigidly defined, novice art history professor Katherine Watson (Roberts) begins teaching at the prestigious all-female Wellesley College, which despite its academic reputation is an environment where success is measured by how well the students marry. Encouraging these women to strive for a more enlightened future, Watson challenges the administration and inspires her students to look beyond the image of what is, and consider the possibilities of what could be.
Kirsten Dunst, Topher Grace, Julia Roberts, Mike Newell, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ginnifer Goodwin, Marcia Gay Harden
Drama
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The Fog of War PG-13

Robert McNamara, former Secretary of Defense during the JFK and LBJ administrations, was one of the key figures in the Vietnam War. This documentary is built around 20 hours of interviews and additional archival footage of Mr. Namara, who later became president of the World Bank and broadened his global influence.
Errol Morris, Michael Williams, Julie Ahlberg, Robert McNamara, Fidel Castro, Barry Goldwater, Lyndon Johnson, John F. Kennedy
War Historical Biography Documentary

Friday, December 19