Avatar - Dec. 18
In his first movie since 'Titanic,' James Cameron packs this 3-D sci-fi epic with all the groundbreaking special effects US$230-$300 million can buy. He whisks audiences into a jungle-covered alien realm. There, a paralyzed Earthling walks by assuming a genetically-bred hybrid body. When the unwitting military scout falls for a local beauty, he must choose sides in a battle that will decide the fate of Earth and this unspoiled haven.
2009 holiday film hot list
20th Century Fox

Sherlock Holmes - Dec. 25
Director Guy Ritchie puts a slick, action-packed spin on Arthur Conan Doyle's famous sleuth. Starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law as his trusty sidekick, this dynamic retelling pits Holmes and Watson against dark forces out to destroy Great Britain. In unravelling this deadly plot, Holmes reveals some bad-ass fighting skills as lethal as his invincible intellect. Can Downey deliver? Elementary my dear film fans!
2009 holiday film hot list
Warner Bros. Pictures

The Fantastic Mr. Fox - Nov. 25
Based on Roald Dahl's best-selling children's book, Wes Anderson's delightful film showcases the voices of George Clooney and Meryl Streep. Together with their son, the three live an idyllic life tucked away in woods. When their goody-goody existence gets unbearable, Mr. Fox slides back into his chicken thief ways. His fun endangers his family and friends. But, Mr. Fox puts his instincts to work to set things right.
2009 holiday film hot list
20th Century Fox

The Princess and the Frog - Dec. 11
Featuring its first African-American princess, Disney's latest heroine meets a frog prince who is desperate to be human again. When an unexpected kiss turns their lives upside down, the pair goes on a roller-coaster adventure. Thanks to a love-struck Cajun firefly, a trumpet-playing alligator and a voodoo priestess, the plucky travellers make it to New Orleans and see their dreams come true in a fun-filled finale.
2009 holiday film hot list
Walt Disney Pictures

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel - Dec. 25
Alvin, Simon and Theodore return in this live-action, CGI sequel to 2007's 'Alvin and the Chipmunks.' Putting aside superstardom to return to school, these pop sensations soon become the school's only hope to save its music program. But, the boys face some stiff competition from the girl-band, The Chipettes. A nutty square-off made in chipmunk heaven.
2009 holiday film hot list
20th Century Fox

The Road - Nov. 27
Delivering the performance of his career, Viggo Mortensen stars in John Hillcoat's heart-wrenching film about a father and son travelling across America after a mysterious cataclysm. As this starving pair journey through cannibals and other horrors, 'The Road' transforms a post-apocalyptic morality tale into one of the best odes to father/son love ever captured on film. Mortensen deserves the Oscar for this one.
2009 holiday film hot list
The Weinstein Company

Brothers - Dec. 4
Oscar-worthy work abounds in this explosive drama. When a decorated Marine goes missing in Afghanistan, his jailbird brother consoles his young widow. Their guilty, needy attraction is never consummated. But, when the 'dead' marine is shipped back alive, suspicions and post-traumatic stress turn this hero's return into a nightmare. Maguire's descent into madness puts a chilling face on America's war on terror.
2009 holiday film hot list
Lionsgate

Up in the Air - Dec. 4
More slick, screwball dramedy than first-class drama, George Clooney's turn as a corporate downsizing expert who loves the road is earning the Hollywood hunk and director Jason Reitman considerable Oscar buzz. Is 'Up in the Air' really worthy of an Oscar? That remains to be seen, given this year's other top contenders. For now, settle in, belt-up and enjoy a fun ride in the skies with Gorgeous George.
2009 holiday film hot list
Paramount Pictures

Everybody's Fine - Dec. 4
Forget those cheesy comedies Robert De Niro has starred in lately. This acting great delivers one of his most refined performances in years in this remake of the 1990 film, 'Stanno Tutti Bene.' As a lonely widower, De Niro takes an impromptu road trip to reconnect with his grown children. His emotionally-charged journey reveals that life and people are never perfect. It also reveals that De Niro's still got the chops to earn Oscar buzz.
2009 holiday film hot list
Miramax Films

Invictus - Dec. 11
After the fall of apartheid in South Africa, President Nelson Mandela campaigned to host the 1995 Rugby World Cup to unite his country. Mandela's inspirational jockeying drives 'Invictus,' Clint Eastwood's latest Oscar contender. Morgan Freeman delivers a superb turn as the barrier-breaking politician. Matt Damon also shines as the South African team captain who leads his players to an unprecedented win.
2009 holiday film hot list
Warner Bros. Pictures

A Single Man - Dec. 11
Fashion designer Tom Ford scores a kick-ass directorial debut with 'A Single Man. But, the film's real glory goes to leading man Colin Firth. Based on the novel by Christopher Isherwood, Firth portrays a gay professor who cannot find the meaning in his life after the death of his lover. Told in a single day, Firth blows it out of the ballpark as a broken soul who can't and won't see his future without love. Dust off that tuxedo, Colin. You're going to the Oscars!
2009 holiday film hot list
The Weinstein Company

Broken Embraces - Dec. 25
Penelope Cruz stars in this slick little thriller about passion gone terribly wrong. The Spanish flick unfolds as a blind screenwriter recounts a long-ago love affair with an ambitious ingenue. Casting the girl in the movie of his career, the two succumb to temptation. But, trouble quickly finds them once her sugar daddy learns of their deceit and makes them pay. Oscar will find it hard to resist such Cruz control.
2009 holiday film hot list
Sony Pictures Classics

Old Dogs - Nov. 25
This early holiday treat from Walt Disney Pictures is just what the family ordered on a cold winter's night. A romantically-challenged divorcee and an impetuous bachelor are about to make the business deal of their lives. But, their world is turned upside down when they are charged with the care of six-year-old twins. The pals bumble everything, yet come out winners once they learn what matters most. Big laughs for the whole gang.
2009 holiday film hot list
Walt Disney Pictures

It’s Complicated - Dec. 25
Meryl Streep becomes the other woman in this breezy holiday ride. After a decade of amicable divorce, Jane and her remarried husband travel out of town for their son's graduation. A dinner for two quickly turns into an unexpected affair. Should they move on? Should they grab at this second chance at love? The whole mess wreaks unimaginable havoc on their lives and those of their new love interests. Good laughs from a golden cast.
2009 holiday film hot list
Universal Pictures

Did You Hear About the Morgans? - Dec. 18
Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker team up as a Manhattan couple headed for divorce in this holiday caper When they accidentally witness a murder and are targeted by a contract killer, the unhappy duo are whisked off by the Feds to Wyoming. There, a BlackBerry-free existence forces them to slow down the craziness of their lives and renew their love. The perfect holiday date-night flick.
2009 holiday film hot list
Columbia Pictures/Sony

Young Victoria - Dec. 18
The costume drama of the season, Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend resurrect the real-life love affair between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 'Young Victoria.' Big, stately mansions and romantic garden walks. Queen-size ball gowns skirted by the politics of courtly love. Romance lovers will eat this chick flick up, and sigh with every swoony look Friend tosses Blunt's way in this historical bit of eye candy.
2009 holiday film hot list
Apparition

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus - Dec. 25
Featuring Heath Ledger's final performance, Terry Gilliam's fantastical morality tale about dealing with the devil is full of dark, deep secrets to amuse holiday moviegoers. With his extraordinary travelling show, Dr. Parnassus guides crowds through wild, imaginary adventures that pit good and against evil. As he plays with their minds, his own sordid past is revealed.
2009 holiday film hot list
Sony Pictures Classics

Nine - Dec. 25
Daniel Day-Lewis helms a golden cast in this gusty musical about an Italian director who struggles with epic creative troubles while he juggles the women in his life. These disquieting babes include his wife, his mistress, his film star muse, his confidante and costume designer and his mother. Mamma mia! Bets are on Cotillard and Day-Lewis to nab Oscar nods for this quirky look at the true cost of fame.
2009 holiday film hot list
The Weinstein Company

The Lovely Bones - Dec. 11
Oscar buzz is swirling around Saoirse Ronan, who co-stars in Peter Jackson's film adaptation of Alice Sebold's best-selling novel. After being raped, murdered, and dismembered by a neighbour, a young girl watches her family from heaven. Saddened by their grief and frustrated by the choices that they make, the girl tries to set things right from the other side. A sad, satisfying drama. Bring the Kleenex!
2009 holiday film hot list
Paramount Pictures