Spring Movie Preview
22 Films making their big screen debuts this season
2017 has already been a banner year for the movies, especially from an LGBT perspective. With the big Oscar win for “Moonlight” and the debacle that surround the presentation of the award for Best Picture, as well as the release of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” and its “exclusively gay moment” this year has gotten off to a better than average year for queer movie goers. We’ve compiled a list of our favorites flicks that are coming to theatres this Spring.
April 7
Going in Style
A remake from the 1970’s, three bored old dudes decide to rob a bank that has “robbed” them of their life savings. The retirees decide to put their time to good use and come up with a plan to get their money back, and then some. This caper comedy is directed by Zach Braff and will have you in stitches.
Featuring: Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Alan Arkin, Ann-Margret, Christopher Lloyd, Matt Dillon, Joey King.
Smurfs: The Lost Village
If you are of a certain age like I am, there is no way you don’t know who the Smurfs are. This reboot of the franchise from the 80’s finds Smurfette leading her fellow Smurfs on a journey to find other Smurf life outside of their own village. It is sure to be “Smurftacular.” From Director Kelly Asbury.
Featuring: Demi Lovato, Mandy Patinkin, Jack McBrayer, Danny Pudi, Rainn Wilson, Michelle Rodriguez, Ariel Winter, Ellie Kemper.
Wonder
This drama is based on the 2012 book of the same name and is the story of a youngster with a facial deformity who just wants to be a normal kid. This is a drama that anyone who grew up feeling like an outsider will be able to relate with, and chances are, if you are reading this you’ve been the outsider before.
Featuring: Jacob Tremblay, Julian Roberts, Owen Wilson, Mandy Matinkin
Mine
This indie flick won’t open nationally but it should be a favorite come awards season next year. Mine is the story of a US soldier, Mike, whose mission goes bad and ends up stranded in a mine field in the desert. Mike ends up struggling to survive as he is forced to stand on top of a mine for two days. Armie Hammer is a dreamboat, so this film piques my interest.
Featuring: Armie Hammer, Anabelle Wallis, Tom Cullen, Juliet Aubrey, Geoff Bell and Clint Dyer.
April 12
Gifted
Marc Webb directs an all-star cast in this drama about Frank, a man who is forced to fight to raise his niece after his sister dies. After realizing that the young girl is an exceptional genius, Frank’s mother fights for custody so that she can ship the girl off to be studied as a child prodigy. Frank would prefer a more normal life for the girl.
Featuring : Chris Evans, Mckenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Jenny Slate, and Octavia Spencer
April 14
A Quiet Passion
This bio-pic follows the life of American Poet Emily Dickinson from her early years as a schoolgirl to her years as a famously reclusive poet. Staring out lesbian and “Sex and the City’” alum Cynthia Nixon as adult Emily Dickinson, this is another of our features that should get some attention come awards season.
Featuring: Cynthia Nixon, Jennifer Ehle, Keith Carradine, Duncan Duff, Jodhi May, and Emma Bell
Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer
Richard Gere stars as Norman, a “fixer” in New York City who specializes in helping businessmen and politicians “fix” sticky situations. He gets in a bit over his head and has to figure out a way to get back on his feet.
Featuring: Richard Gere, Lior Ashkenazi, Hank Azaria, Steve Buscemi, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Michael Sheen, and Dan Stevens.
Sandy Wexler
Sandy Wexler is another foray into the movie biz for Netflix. This film, from Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions stars Sandler as Sandy Wexler, a 1990s Hollywood agent with a not so A-List clientele. The story follows Wexler as he falls in love with his new discovery, a singer he finds at an amusement park.
Featuring: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Hudson, Judd Apatow, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Pauly Shore, Terry Crews, Jane Seymore, Dana Carvey, and Rob Schneider.
April 21
Free Fire
Dreamboat and previously mentioned Armie Hammer gets his second film of the season with Free Fire which casts him with Brie Larson in an action dramedy about an arms deal that goes terribly wrong in 1970s Boston. Larson is part of a gang of criminals who meet in an abandoned warehouse to make a deal that ends up in a shootout and fight for survival.
Featuring: Brie Larson, Armie Hammer, Enzo Cilenti, Sam Riley, Michael Smiley, and Cillian Murphy
The Lost City of Z
Follow real life British explorer Percy Fawcett as he searches through the amazon for the mythical lost city of gold during three separate trips there. The real life Fawcett disappeared in 1925 while on his obsessive search. Smoking hottie Robert Pattinson is sporting a beard that is so bushy it renders him practically unrecognizable from his breakout role as Edward Cullen in the “Twilight” saga.
Featuring: Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller, Tom Holland.
Unforgettable
Katherine Heigl plays Tessa Connover, who is barely coping with the end of her marriage when her ex-husband becomes happily engaged to someone else—not only bringing the new girl into the home they once shared but also into the life of their daughter, Lilly. This thriller follows Tessa’s jealousy which soon takes a pathological turn until she will stop at nothing to turn the new girl’s dream into her ultimate nightmare.
Featuring: Katherine Heigl, Rosario Dawson, Geoff Stults, Whitney Cummings and Cheryl Ladd
April 28
The Circle
Harry Potter alum Emma Watson makes her return to the big screen for the second time this spring after the record breaking hit she had with Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.” After all the hoopla surrounding privacy and the internet over the past couple of weeks, this one will be one to check out. The film follows a young woman into a world where a social media platform/new age cult is able to find out everyone’s secrets and she realizes all is not as it seems.
Featuring: Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, John Boyega, Karen Gillan, Patton Oswalt, Bill Paxton.
May 5
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
This is the sequel to the 2014 Marvel Films sci-fi action-adventure of the same name. Chris Pratt returns as Star Lord/Peter Quill, who leads his band of misfit heroes through the universe to, among other things, find out the truth about his parentage.
Featuring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker.
Three Generations
This film was originally released as “About Ray” when it was shopped around for film festivals. Now that it is getting released, it has been retitled as “Three Generations.” The film follows Ray, a teenage trans man who lives with his mother and grandmother in a New York City apartment. In order to have gender reassignment surgery, Ray’s mother must help him track down his father in order to get parental consent. This is a story of finding identity, acceptance, and understanding.
Featuring: Elle Fanning, Naomi Watts, Tate Donovan, and Susan Sarandon
May 12
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Everyone loves a story that features a big sword right? Actor Charlie Hunnam gets his second trip to the big screen this season after a role in “The Lost City of Z” as he plays the most famous of all the British kings. The film follows Hunnam’s Arthur as he finds his famous sword Excalibur and pulls it from the stone. This is Camelot reimagined.
Featuring: Charlie Hunnam, Jude Law, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, and Hermione Corfield.
Snatched
After her boyfriend dumps her on the eve of their exotic vacation, impetuous dreamer Emily Middleton persuades her ultra-cautious mother, Linda to travel with her to paradise. Polar opposites, Emily and Linda realize that working through their differences as mother and daughter – in unpredictable, hilarious fashion – is the only way to escape the wildly outrageous jungle adventure they have fallen into.
Featuring: Amy Schumer, Goldie Hawn, Joan Cusack, Ike Barinholtz, Wanda Sykes, Christopher Meloni.
May 26
Baywatch
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson takes over the role of Head Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in this revamp of what is perhaps the most famous American TV series of all times. Original stars Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff will make cameo appearances in the film that was filmed right here in South Florida. Keep your eyes peeled for local landmarks.
Featuring: Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario, Kelly Rohrbach, and Priyanka Chopra
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell no Tales
Pirate Jack Sparrow is back in what seems to be a never ending cycle of sequels in the Pirates chain. This iteration has Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp on the run from his old enemies and searching for Poseidon’s trident, his only hope to thwart them.
Featuring: Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, Keira Knightley, and Penélope Cruz.
June 9
It Comes at Night
This thriller might have your mind in the gutter based on the title, but it’s not exciting in that way. However, it just might have your blood pumping, if you are in the mood for a fright. The film takes place in a desolate home in the woods and follows a father who is trying to protect his wife and son from an unknown presence outside of their house.
Featuring: Joel Edgerton, Riley Keough, Christopher Abbott, Carmen Ejogo, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Griffin Robert Faulkner.
Megan Leavey
A true story that follows American Marine Corporal Megan Leavey who served two tours in Iraq in 2006 and 2006. Leavey worked for the Marines as a K-9 specialist and she, along with her partner were injured when an IED exploded. While she recovered from her injuries, she fought to bring her four-legged partner home with her.
Featuring: Kate Mara, Edie Falco, Common, Bradley Whitford, Ramon Rodriguez, and Geraldine James.
June 16
Rough Night
Think “The Hangover” meets “Bridesmaids. ” A group of ladies get together for a bachelorette party in when things take a turn for the worse and a stripper ends up dead after a bit too much fun with the ladies. Seeing as how they parade the dead body around Vegas, I guess the film is really “The Hangover” meets “Bridesmaids” meets “Weekend at Bernie’s”
All Eyez on Me
1990s Hip Hop gets a little time in the spotlight as the Tupac biopic finally makes it to the big screen. The film profiles the life of one of the most prolific artists Hip Hop has ever seen, the one who gave us “California Love,” and so many other hits. Tupac Shakur was gunned down in 1996 at the age of 25. It’s hard to imagine what kind of guy a middle aged man Shakur would be, but unfortunately, he was gone too soon.
Featuring: Demetrius Shipp Jr., Danai Gurira, Kat Graham, Annie Ilonzeh, Dominic L. Santana, Jamal Woolard, and Keith Robinson
