Holiday 2002 Movies

When the Switchblade, the most sophisticated prototype stealth fighter created yet, is stolen from the U.S. government, one of the United States' top spies, Alex Scott (Owen Wilson), is called to action. What he doesn't expect is to get teamed up with a cocky civilian, World Class Boxing Champion Kelly Robinson (Eddie Murphy), on a dangerous top secret espionage mission. Their assignment: using equal parts skill and humor, catch Arnold Gundars, one of the world's most successful illegal arms dealers, and foil his treacherous plans for the plane.

Scott Calvin has been Santa Claus for the past eight years, and his loyal elves consider him the best Santa ever. But Santa's world is turned upside down when he's dealt a double whammy of bad news: not only has his son, Charlie, landed on this year's "naughty" list, but if Scott doesn't marry by Christmas Eve—just a month away!—he'll stop being Santa forever. (It's right in his contract—the "Mrs. Clause") Desperate, Scott turns to the elves' new invention—a machine that can replicate anything—to create Santa II (a toy version of himself) and he leaves his double in charge. Things quickly go south at the North Pole when Santa II institutes some strange redefinitions of what's naughty and nice; worse, when Scott finally falls for a potential Mrs. Claus, she threatens to drive a wedge between him and Charlie. In a climactic battle pitting Santa, Charlie, the new Mrs. Claus, and the elves against Santa II and his army of tin soldiers, the future of Scott's family, the North Pole, and Christmas itself, hangs in the balance.

An honest but provocative fictional examination of a critical month in the life of a young man named Jimmy (Eminem) as he searches for identity and a sense of purpose. Against the familiar backdrop of indifference and community decay, he learns to express his anger, fears and frustration as he struggles to transcend his bleak circumstances.

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) has not had a good summer. Not only has he had to put up with his overbearing Aunt Petunia (Fiona Shaw) and Uncle Vernon Dursley (Richard Griffiths) and their dread of his magical abilities, but it seems as if Harry's best friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) have forgotten him – as they haven't replied to a single one of his letters. Then, suddenly and mysteriously, house-elf Dobby appears in Harry's bedroom and warns of great danger if the aspiring wizard should attempt to return to Hogwarts. Dobby is so keen to prevent the young Gryffindor from returning to the school for witches and wizards, he has blocked all of Ron and Hermione's correspondence from reaching Harry. But despite the elf's mischievous efforts, the ever-determined Harry is rescued from the Dursleys' dreary clutches by Ron and his brothers – with the aid of a flying car! – and welcomed into the warmth of the Weasley household. But when Harry and Ron are suspiciously prevented from entering Platform 9 3/4 and boarding the Hogwarts Express back to school, the boys take emergency action to avoid being late for the new term – only to incur the wrath of Professor Snape (Alan Rickman), who calls for their expulsion. Meanwhile, news of Harry's first year heroism has spread throughout Hogwarts and he finds himself the center of much unwanted attention. His new fans include Ron's little sister Ginny (Bonnie Wright); first year would-be photographer Colin Creevey (Hugh Mitchell); and most irritatingly, the new Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh). Outshone only by his own vanity, Lockhart craves the attention that Harry shuns and is only too keen to associate himself with Hogwarts' young hero. But not even Lockhart can offer an explanation or solution to the slippery and sinister new terror that is gripping the school. Now all eyes are on Harry, and his so-called friends are beginning to doubt him. Everyone, that is, except Ron and Hermione and fragile young Ginny, who has shifted her focus to her mysterious new diary. But Harry is not about to let his friends down and, with or without the support of Gilderoy Lockhart, he will confront the dark force lurking in his beloved school.

An unemployed cameraman finds an incredible story with a mysterious old neighbor who claims to have been the second gunman on the grassy knoll during the JFK assassination.

Their music is famous around the world, though their names are not. Known as the Funk Brothers, they put the backbeat - the soul - into the hits of Motown Records, for such legendary performers as Diana Ross and the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and many others. Creating music that helped to define the era of the 1960s and has remained a vital influence to this day, these musicians played on more #1 records than the Beatles, the Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones and Elvis Presley combined. Now the new documentary "Standing In The Shadows of Motown" tells their story, combining exclusive interviews, archival footage, re-enactments, reminiscences, and thrilling new performances by the reunited Funk Brothers.

James Bond returns with the twentieth installment in the superspy series of adventures. From Hong Kong to Cuba to London, Bond circles the world in his quest to unmask a traitor and prevent a catastrophic war. On his way, he crosses paths with Jinx (Halled Berry) and Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike), who will play vital roles in the adventure.

Delia (Kyra Sedgwick) is a young mother stuck in an abusive relationship with her husband of twelve years. One night after he brutally beats her, Delia finally attempts to reclaim some As a teenager, Delia was a tough girl from a small New York town who had survived an abusive father and found power amongst her peers through her sexuality. How did she end up a battered wife and mother of three? Greta is a sharp, spunky Ivy League editor who, to spite the hated infidel ways of her father, has settled into a complacent relationship with a blond, blue-eyed grad student. Sudden success leads her to confront her own issues of fidelity. Paula ran away from home only to find herself pregnant and in a relationship she doesn't want. When she narrowly escapes death's grip, what will she do with her second chance at life?

Davey Stone, a 33-year old party animal, finds himself in trouble with the law after his wild ways go too far. In keeping with the holiday spirit, the judge gives Davey one last chance at redemption — spend the holiday performing community service as the assistant referee for the youth basketball league or go to jail. Davey thinks he's gotten off easy until he meets Whitey Duvall, the eccentric, elf-like head referee. The mismatch between Whitey's good heart and never-ending optimism and Davey's constant troublemaking antics soon have them both wondering if going to jail wouldn't have been easier! In this new, full-length animated feature about basketball, old girlfriends, holiday spirits, and the mall, Adam Sandler voices the three lead characters of Whitey, Davey, and Whitey's fraternal twin sister Eleanore!

Superstar George Clooney turns in a stellar performance in this "brilliant sci-fi movie" ("New York Daily News") from Academy Award winners Steven Soderbergh (2000 - Best Director, "Traffic") and JamesCameron (1997 - Best Picture, "Titanic"). Aboard a lonely space station orbiting a mysterious planet, terrified crew members are experiencing a host of strange phenomena, including eerie visitors who seem all too human. And when psychologist Chris Kelvin (Clooney) arrives to investigate, he confronts a power beyond imagining that could hold the key to mankind's deepest dreams…or darkest nightmares.

After witnessing a horrible incident, a graduate student (Laura Regan) struggles to find the link between her childhood fear of the dark and the night terrors she now suffers, and must confront what may or may not be real.

It's two odd stories in one. The plot follows the attempt of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Nicolas Cage) to adapt Susan Orlean's nonfiction novel "The Orchid Thief" for the big screen. As Kaufman tries to work with the book's true story — the tale of John Laroche (Chris Cooper), a Florida plant dealer who works with Seminole Indians to create clones of rare orchids, which he sells to collectors for huge profits — he nearly goes mad. Enter his fictional twin (also Cage), a more successful version of Charlie. Charlie finally manages to finish the script, finding that in the process, he's incorporated himself and his writer's block into the story.

Sequel to the 1999 hit, "Analyze, This," follows Ben Sobel's struggle to help Paul Vitti, his mobster client. Paul, who's been spending time in prison, is released to the custody of his psychiatrist. Paul tries to adjust to a straight life, but it's Ben who has issues this time: he's depressed after the recent death of his father.

Victor Rosa (John Leguizamo) is all about the mighty dollar and fashions himself as a businessman on par with Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Bill Gates. With an iron fist, he runs a successful "street pharmaceutical" business that peddles a heroin mix he has named Empire. His beautiful fiancée, Carmen, a Baruch College student, befriends a classmate with an investment-banker boyfriend, Jack Wimmer. Victor meets Jack, and they instantly connect. Both are hard-core businessmen from two different sides of the legal fence. When Jack offers Victor a piece of the action on the stock market, he sees his ticket out of the violent streets of the South Bronx and jumps at the opportunity. But there is a bigger price to be paid than clean money for his gorgeous new Soho lifestyle. For the first time, Victor is confronted with a price tag that he will find difficult to pay.

In a futuristic world, a strict regime has eliminated war by suppressing emotions: books, art and music are strictly forbidden and feeling is a crime punishable by death. Cleric John Preston (Bale) is a top-ranking government agent responsible for destroying those who resist these rules. When he misses a dose of Prozium, a mind-alterering drug that hinders emotion, Preston, who has been trained to enforce the strict laws of the new regime, suddenly becomes the only person capable of overthrowing it.

A true story about four Allied POWs who endure harsh treatment at the hands of their Japanese captors during World War II while being forced to build a railroad through the Burmese jungle. Ultimately they find true freedom by forgiving their enemies.

Jack Nicholson stars as Warren Schmidt, a man who is set adrift following retirement and the sudden death of his wife. Uncertain about his future as well as his past, Warren packs up his 30-foot Winnebago to set out on a journey across the Nebraska plains to attend his daughter's (Hope Davis) wedding to a waterbed salesman (Dermot Mulroney). But every step he takes seems wrong, and Warren seems destined to end his life as he lived it: a failure. But along the way, Warren recounts his journey and shares his observations with an unexpected friend - a poor Tanzanian boy he is sponsoring for 73 cents a day. In his long letters to the boy, Warren begins to see himself and the life he has lived with new eyes.

Desmond Doyle is devastated when his philandering wife abandons their family on the day after Christmas. His unemployment and the fact that there is no woman in the house to care for the children, Evelyn, Noel and Brendan, make it clear to the authorities that his is an untenable situation. The Catholic Church and the Irish courts decide the Doyle children put into Church-run orphanages. Although a sympathetic judge assures Desmond that when his financial situation reverses, he will be able to get his children back; money is hard to come by. During that time, Evelyn and her brothers suffer the abuses of living in orphanages while Desmond struggles to secure finances. Now he must battle the courts to get his children back.

There are those among us who are preternaturally lucky. They are the survivors of the plane crash that kills everyone else, the ones who escape being victims of war and terror, the gamblers who win high-stake games and even life itself. Their gift is not only being lucky, however; it includes the power to rob others of their luck and leave them helpless in the face of misfortune. Frederico has been robbed of his luck and believes that Tomas, the survivor of a plane crash, will be the instrument of his vengeance. The two men embark on a voyage of initiation, a series of trials challenging others that will lead them to the summit of chance, but they must avoid the scrutiny of policewoman Sara, herself a survivor, to finally meet Sam, the master of the domain from which only one person will emerge intact.

A street savvy, independent single mother who lives in the Bronx with her son, and works as a maid in a first class Manhattan hotel dreams of a better life but has learned to depend upon her own wits to get her there. When a handsome, debonair heir to an American political dynasty is in New York and staying in the hotel where Marisa works, the two meet by a twist of fate and mistaken identity. She soon finds herself gaining insight into the life of a man she might otherwise have judged from a distance. When her true identity is revealed, however, the truth sets in as to the disparity in their lives.

Jessica Spencer (Anna Faris) is convinced she has the perfect life. She's the hottest, most popular girl in high school, captain of the cheerleading squad and dating the dreamy quarterback. But thse gets a big does of reality when she wakes up in the body of a 30-year-old man (Rob Schneider)! She quickly discovers that trading on your looks isn't so easy when you're a girl who constantly needs a shave. And until she can figure out how to change herself back, Jessica must find a way to win the Cheer Competition, go to the prom, and win her boyfriend back - all as a guy. From some of the guys who brought you "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo" and "The Animal" comes a wild, heartfelt comedy everyone can enjoy no matter what you sex.

The sequel to "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" follows the continuing quest of Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship that has joined together to destroy the One Ring and stand against the leader of the dark lord Sauron. The fellowship has divided and now find themselves taking different paths to defeating Sauron and his allies. Their destinies now lie at two towers: Orthanc Tower in Isengard, where the corrupted wizard Saruman waits, and Sauron's fortress at Barad-dur, deep within the dark lands of Mordor.

Based on a true story, a biographical drama centering upon Antwone "Fish" Fisher who—once a Sony Pictures security guard—eventually gained fame as an acclaimed writer and a Hollywood producer. In the earlier part of his life, he was a sailor prone to violent outbursts. On the verge of being kicked out of the Navy for repeated fighting, he is sent to a naval psychiatrist for help. Refusing at first to open up, the young man eventually breaks down and reveals a horrific childhood rife with abuse. With the help of a Navy psychiatrist, he turns his life around and decides to embark on a search to find the family that abandoned him as a baby. Through the guidance of his doctor, he confronts his painful past and begins a quest to find the family he never knew. In the course of that search, his life changes dramatically.

Set during the mid 1800s, this story is based upon the non-fiction book of the same title by Herbert Asbury, about the beginning of the mob in America. The story centers around two rival gangs, the Dead Rabbits and the Native Americans. When the leader of the Dead Rabbits is murdered, his son Amsterdam (Leonardo DiCaprio) seeks revenge on the man held responsible Bill "The Butcher" (Daniel Day-Lewis).

This Nickelodeon movie finds this animated family going on wild adventures around the world. Now 12-year-old Eliza is in Africa where she meets a mysterious shaman who grants her the power to talk to animals. But there's a catch - if she reveals her gift, she will lose it forever. One day, Eliza discovers that poachers plan to kill an elephant herd with an electrified fence and she and Darwin, her pet chimp, must stop them.

In the romantic comedy "Two Weeks Notice", Sandra Bullock plays a brilliant but detail-obsessed attorney opposite Hugh Grant as her charming, irresponsible and fabulously wealthy boss in a film that explores whether or not it's ever too late to say "I Love You."

Frank Abagnale, Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) worked as a doctor, a lawyer, and as a co-pilot for a major airline—all before his 18th birthday. A master of deception, he was also a brilliant forger, whose skill gave him his first real claim to fame: At the age of 17, Frank Abagnale, Jr. became the most successful bank robber in the history of the United States. FBI Agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) had made it his prime mission to capture Frank and bring him to justice, but Frank is always one step ahead of him, baiting him to continue the chase.

Written by, directed by, and starring Roberto Benigni, this is the classic story of a wooden puppet come to life and his magnificent odyssey to become a 'real boy'. Despite guidance from the beautiful Blue Fairy (Nicoletta Braschi) and the love of his father, Gepetto (Carlo Guiffre), Pinocchio's curious spirit leads him into one wild adventure after another - distracting him from his goal, and distancing him from his loved ones. Using Carlo Collodi's original masterwork as its source, the film is filled with mysterious fairies, colorful circuses, mystical forests, talking animals, fantastical toys and magnificent playlands.

A heroic coming-of-age story which follows the epic adventures of a young lion cub named Simba as he struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and his destined role as king of the jungle. As a carefree cub, he is both excited and anxious to become king, one day, and spends his days frolicking with his pal, Nala. His father, King Mufasa, the revered ruler of Pride Rock and the lands that surround it, teaches him about the "Circle of Life"--the delicate balance of nature which bonds all animals together; Simba's father cautions him to prepare for the day when he will be called upon to lead. Mufasa's evil brother, Scar, hopes that day will never arrive and schemes to do away with the king and Simba so that he can assume the throne for his own tyrannical purposes. Scar and his hyena henchmen--Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed--lure Simba into the path of a wildebeest stampede in which Mufasa is killed trying to save his son. Scar convinces Simba that he is responsible! for his father's death and urges him to leave the Pride Lands and never return. A frightened and guilt-ridden Simba flees into exile where he is befriended by a wacky but warmhearted warthog named Pumbaa and his free-wheeling meerkat companion, Timon. Under the dubious guidance of this nature's odd couple, Simba adopts their "Hakuna Matata" (no worries) attitude towards life--taking things one day at a time. The cub matures into a young adult and is able to forget his past until a beautiful young lioness--who turns out to be his childhood friend Nala--arrives on the scene. She tells him of the hard times and suffering that have come to the Pride Lands under Scar's reign, and beseeches him to take his place as king. With the help of Rafiki, a wise shaman baboon, Simba realizes that his father's spirit lives on in him and that he must accept the responsibility of his destined role.

It's the long-awaited film version of the Broadway hit. Set in the roaring 20's, this is the story of Chicago chorus girl Roxie Hart (Renée Zellweger), who shoots her unfaithful lover (Dominic West). Landing in jail, she meets Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones), another chorus girl and murderess, currently enjoying media attention and legal manipulation, care of her attorney, Billy Flynn (Richard Gere), king of the old "Razzle Dazzle." Soon enough, however, Flynn takes Roxie's case as well, and Velma finds herself old news as Roxie is now the most famous murderess in town, on her way to getting out of jail and becoming a star. The two go through a series of attempts at getting what they both want: freedom and fame.

This is the story of a young man, Sonny (James Franco), living in New Orleans and trained to follow the family tradition as a paid male prostitute for wealthy women, and he hates it. He wants to free himself from this predetermined life and find something for himself outside the business, perhaps even in the Army, but his family won't hear of it.

The film is adapted from the autobiography of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish Jew who detailed his survival during World War II. A composer and a pianist, he played the last live music heard over Polish radio airwaves before Nazi artillery hit. During the brutal occupation, he eluded deportation and remained in the devastated Warsaw ghetto. There, he struggled to stay alive even when cast away from those he loved. He would eventually reclaim his artistic gifts and confront his fears, with aid from the unlikeliest of sources.