Town Topics — Princeton's Weekly Community Newspaper Since 1946.
Vol. LXV, No. 31
Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Bad Teacher (R for nudity, profanity, sexuality, and drug use). Cameron Diaz stars in the title role of this romantic comedy about a gold digger who schemes to land a wealthy substitute teacher (Justin Timberlake) while being chased by another colleague (Jason Segel). With Lucy Punch, Molly Shannon, and Thomas Lennon.

Beginners (R for profanity and sexuality). Drama about a terminally ill 75-year-old widower (Christopher Plummer) who finally summons up the courage to inform his son (Ewan McGregor) about his gay lover (Goran Visnjic). With Melanie Laurent, Lou Taylor Pucci, and Mary Page Keller. In English and French with subtitles.

Bridesmaids (R for pervasive profanity and graphic sexuality). Comedy about the ruthless competition between a bride’s-to-be (Maya Rudolph) best friends (Kristen Wiig and Rose Byrne) desperate to serve as her maid of honor. Cast includes Terry Crews, Wendy McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Melissa McCarthy, Kali Hawk, and the late Jill Clayburgh.

Buck (Unrated) Cowboy biopic about the legendary Buck Brannaman, a horse whisperer famous across Big Sky Country for an unorthodox approach to breaking horses.

Cars 2 (G). Pixar/Disney animated sequel about a couple of cool automobiles (“Larry the Cable Guy” and Owen Wilson) who become embroiled in international espionage when they venture to Europe to compete in the World Grand Prix of Racing. With voice work by Emily Mortimer, Michael Caine, John Turturro, Brent Musburger, Joe Mantegna, Cheech Marin, Vanessa Redgrave, Jenifer Lewis, and Tony Shalhoub.

Green Lantern (PG-13 for violence). Ryan Reynolds stars as the title character in this action adventure based on the DC comics series about a test pilot-turned-superhero and intergalactic leader of a brotherhood of warriors committed to world peace. Supporting cast includes Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, and Mark Strong.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (PG-13 for frightening images and intense violence). Final chapter of the fabled J.K. Rowling franchise finds Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) searching for the three remaining Horcruxes en route to an epic showdown with merciless Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). With Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon, Helena Bonham Carter, and Robbie Coltrane.

Horrible Bosses (R for sexuality, crude humor, pervasive profanity, and some drug use). Comedy about three friends (Jason Sudeikis, Jason Bateman, and Charlie Day) who conspire to murder the bosses (Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey, and Colin Farrell) making their lives miserable. Supporting cast includes Jamie Foxx, Donald Sutherland, Isaiah Mustafa, and Bob Newhart.

Larry Crowne (PG-13 for brief profanity and sexuality). Tom Hanks stars in the title role of this romantic film about a victim of downsizing who develops a crush on his jaded speech professor (Julia Roberts) when he enrolls at a community college to brush up on his job skills. Supporting cast includes Pam Grier, Wilmer Valderrama, Taraji P. Henson, Cedric the Entertainer, George Takei, and Nia Vardalos.

Midnight in Paris (PG-13 for sexual references and smoking). Romantic comedy, directed by Woody Allen, about the troubles of a couple (Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams) who find themselves reevaluating their elusive dreams while in France on business. With Kathy Bates, Michael Sheen, Marion Cotillard, Adrien Brody, Alison Pill, Tom Hiddleston, and Carla Bruni.

Monte Carlo (PG for mild epithets). Road comedy about three young tourists (Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester, and Katie Cassidy) who are disappointed during their vacation in Paris until they are suddenly whisked away for a glamorous international adventure when one of them is mistaken for a British heiress. With Andie MacDowell, Cory Monteith, Pierre Boulanger, and Catherin Tate.

Mr. Popper’s Penguins (PG for rude humor and mild epithets). Jim Carrey stars in the screen adaptation of the children’s novel of the same name about a businessman who gets a big lesson about what really matters when his life is turned upside-down by six penguins that he inherits. With Carla Gugino, Angela Lansbury, and Philip Baker Hall.

Page One: Inside the New York Times (R for profanity and sexual references). Documentary chronicling a year inside the pressroom of the proverbial paper of record.

Super 8 (PG-13 for profanity, drug use, and intense violence). Fantasy thriller, set in Ohio in 1979, about a group of friends who suspect that the train wreck they witnessed wasn’t an accident when the disaster is followed by a series of inexplicable disappearances. Cast includes Elle Fanning, Ryan Lee, and Joel Courtney.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (PG-13 for profanity, mayhem, destruction, sexual innuendo, and intense violence). Final installment in Michael Bay’s trilogy finds the heroic Autobots desperate to reach a spacecraft marooned on the moon that contains secrets which could turn the tide in their epic showdown with the diabolical Decepticons. Cast includes Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Hugo Weaving, Dr. Ken Jeong, Josh Duhamel, Frances McDormand, Tyrese, John Malkovich, John Turturro, Patrick Dempsey, and Leonard Nimoy.

The Tree of Life (PG-13 for mature themes). Meditation, set in the fifties, on the meaning of life as contemplated by a sensitive soul (Sean Penn) who hasn’t been the same since losing his innocence at the age of 11. Directed by Terrence Malick and co-starring Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain, Kari Matchett, and Joanna Going.

The Trip (Unrated). Culinary comedy chronicling character actor Steve Coogan’s sampling of British cuisine while accompanied on a tour of England’s finest restaurants by his best friend/colleague, Rob Brydon.

Winnie the Pooh (G) Animated Disney adventure features Winnie (Jim Cummings) leading a menagerie of animal pals on a quest to save Christopher Robin (Jack Boulter) from a creature called Backson (Huell Howser). Voice cast includes Craig Ferguson, John Cleese, and Tom Kenny.

X-Men: First Class (PG-13 for violence, sexuality, and brief profanity). Prequel to the popular Marvel Comics series, set in the early sixties before mutants Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) became archenemies and adopted their respective alter egos, Professor X and Magneto. Cast includes Kevin Bacon, Rose Byrne, January Jones, Oliver Platt, Zoe Kravitz, and Hugh Jackman.

Zookeeper (PG for rude humor, mild epithets, and double entendres). Kevin James stars in the title role of this romantic comedy about a lonely zookeeper who lands the girl of his dreams (Rosario Dawson) with the help of some talking animals. With Dr. Ken Jeong, Joe Rogan, Donnie Wahlberg, and voiceover work by Sly Stallone, Nick Nolte, Adam Sandler, Don Rickles, Maya Rudolph, and Cher.

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