As the semester draws to a close and everybody is soon to head elsewhere, The Scene staff wanted to ensure our readers don't miss this summer's upcoming films. From childbirth to sickness to wizards, there's a lot going on. And if you don't read it in The Scene, how would you ever know about it? Here are some of our top picks of what we hope will turn out to be must-sees in June and July.
"Away We Go" Release: June 5
"Away We Go" is a story about an expectant couple, Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph), traveling around the United States and Canada to try and find the best place to raise their child. Originally, they settle near Burt's parents, but after realizing the grandparents-to-be plan on moving to Belgium, Burt and Verona decide to find another place to live. Their main criterion for their new home is that it should be near friends or family. They travel first to Phoenix, then to Hartford, up to Montreal and down to Miami, but still can't seem to find the right place to settle down.
The real-life husband-and-wife team of Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida wrote the film and later recruited Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes. The acting is better than expected, stemming mainly from surprising performances from Rudolph and Krasinski. The rest of the cast is also extremely talented, made up of powerful actors including Jeff Daniels, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Allison Janney, Chris Messina, Catherina O'Hara, Paul Schneider, Carmen Ejogo, Jim Gaffigan, Josh Hamilton and Melanie Lynskey.
"Away We Go" will have a limited release on June 5. It's rated R for language and some sexual content. You can visit the film's Web site AwayWeGoMovie.com or join their fan page on Facebook for more details.
-MARIVIC TAGALA
"My Sister's Keeper Preview" Release: June 26
It's usually a safe bet that if the trailer of a film moves you to tears, the movie will keep up its end of the tearjerker bargain. "My Sister's Keeper" seems to be no exception.
Based on the novel of the same name by popular author Jodi Picoult, "My Sister's Keeper" tells the story of Anna (Abigail Breslin), a young girl who attempts to sue her parents for the right to her own body after they continuously make her undergo medical procedures in an attempt to save her sister who is sick with leukemia.
Alec Baldwin plays the lawyer Anna employs to file a suit against her parents (played by Cameron Diaz and Jason Patric), rounding out what appears to be a top-notch cast.
The few trailers that have emerged for the film show a shocking transformation by Sofia Vassileva, who plays Anna's older sister suffering from cancer, Kate. Vassileva shaved her head and wore special teeth and gums for the role, rendering her nearly unrecognizable.
The movie's sensitive subject and moving performances will no doubt prove to make even the most stone-faced of audiences wipe away a tear or two.
-CAITLIN E. MOORE
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" Release: July 17
When most of us picked up the first Harry Potter book, we thought we'd be too old to care about the last book's release, let alone the release of upcoming Potter films. What were we thinking? If only we knew then that nearly a decade later we'd be counting down the days until the next film's release.
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," one of the longer stories in the book series, will make its way into theaters on July 17. David Yates, the man who brought us the wonders of "Order of the Phoenix," returned to direct "Half-Blood Prince" and will continue on for "Deathly Hallows."
If you need refreshing, "Half-Blood" was the book that first introduced us to "snogging" and is stocked with the romance that was lacking in the characters' previous, more youthful years. Hopefully the film will keep its focus on Harry Potter and Dumbledore as they discover Voldemort's horcruxes and the increasing danger that accompanies the rise of the dark mark's power. The film's release was originally slated for this past November, but the movie was held until July 17 - two years and one day after the sixth book's release. Thankfully, July isn't too far away. Be ready for pensieves, battles and love triangles - and, of course, the half-blood prince.
-KRISTEN BOGHOSIAN
