America Ferrera Tagged Articles at Cinematical
DreamWorks Shows Off 'How to Train Your Dragon'
Filed under: Animation », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Family Films », Newsstand », Dreamworks », Movie Marketing », Trailers and Clips »
DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon has been on my radar due to its literary roots (it's based on a 2003 book by Cressida Cowell) and its large and charming cast. But we all know that doesn't necessarily make a memorable animated movie. Too many kid flicks end up flimsy, and feel like extended fast food commercials. I figured Dragon would be one of them.
Happily, I might be wrong. A surprisingly charming trailer for Dragon has debuted at Yahoo! Movies. While I'm an easy mark thanks to a weakness for Scottish accents and Viking villages, the trailer is refreshingly free of Shrek's self-conscious hipness . Why, there's barely any snark to be found! It's all about a gentle lad (you'll recognize the voice of Jay Baruchel immediately) and the most adorable dragon you've ever seen. His limpid eyes and froggy mouth immediately makes the Viking-on-dragon violence rather horrific, and may cause you to feel hatred towards the brogue of Gerard Butler. (I know, I didn't think it was possible either.) Plus, there's a young Viking lass who wields an axe! If this could inspire a few girls to don Viking berserker costumes next Halloween, I will praise it no matter what its flaws and Burger King tie-ins.
The trailer is below the jump thanks to an embed from Yahoo! Movies. Watch it, share your thoughts, and squee over that squishy dragon. If there's a plush version that has that skeptical expression, I want it for my desk.
America Ferrera Leaves the Fashion World for Post-War Drama
Filed under: Drama », Casting », Scripts », War »
Will it be tragic or inspiring to see another Iraq war-centric film up on the big screen?The Hollywood Reporter posts that America Ferrera is heading to New Mexico this February to star in a new film from writer/director Ryan Piers Williams called American Tragic, which she will also executive produce. The story focuses on a young soldier (Ryan O'Nan) who finds that it's hard to readjust to normal life after serving in Iraq. Unable to cope, he leaves his small hometown and hits the road "in search of redemption." Ferrera will play the wife he leaves behind while Melissa Leo plays his mother and June Diane Raphael (Bride Wars co-scribe) plays his sister.
It sounds like Stop Loss without the stop loss, but between Leo and Ferrera, who received acclaim for her work in Real Women Have Curves, this could prove to be an interesting film. Whether it'll be received by the public, that's another story. Iraq-centric films haven't done so well at the box office, so I'm always amazed when another gets added to the list.
For All Those Who Still Believe in Fairies: 'Tinkerbell' on DVD
Filed under: Animation », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », New Releases », Disney », Family Films », Movie Marketing », Remakes and Sequels », Trailers and Clips »
The movie looks pretty charming, and the animation is quite lovely -- I'm hypnotized by the leaves and the sparkles of Queen Clarion's dress. And it boasts a very talented cast: Angelica Huston, America Ferrera, Jane Horrocks, Kristen Chenoweth, Lucy Liu, and Kathy Najimy are among the actresses who lent their voices to the fairy cast. Angelica Huston, people. If she can admit she believes in fairies, then the rest of us can too.
You can visit the official site to check out the trailer and the first six minutes of the film. There's plenty of girly goodies to be found -- you can make your own fairy, explore Pixie Hollow, meet its pixie inhabitants, and much more. If you have a young daughter, niece, little sister, or are stuck babysitting, just call this site up. You'll be extremely popular for the day, especially if you're a good sport and find out which fairy you are. (I'm Fawn, and I'm not afraid to admit it.)
Knowing Tinkerbell's popularity with big and little girls alike (have you ever seen the amount of merchandise she has?), I'm sure this is only the first of many movies to come -- keeping us all children a little longer.
Indies on DVD: 'Smart People,' ' Garcia Girls ... Summer,' 'Orange Thief'
Filed under: Comedy », Drama », Foreign Language », Romance », New on DVD », Home Entertainment », Cinematical Indie »
Comedies don't have an obligation to be particularly insightful, but you'd think an indie aimed at an adult audience would have something to say about its characters. Smart People stars Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page, and Thomas Haden Church; the cast and the multitude of laughs scored at the expense of easy targets might justify a rental, though I liked it much less after I started thinking about it. I'm in the minority -- James Rocchi expressed all kinds of love in his review. The DVD, out on Tuesday, includes an audio commentary by director Noam Murro and writer Jude Poirier, deleted scenes, bloopers / outtakes, and "the smartest people," which I'm guessing is a "making of" feature. It's also out on Blu-ray.
Also out on Tuesday, How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer has been described as "a comedy about three generations of Mexican-American women enjoying their sexuality." I heard all kinds of good things about it when it had some festival play a few seasons ago. America Ferrera, Elizabeth Peña, and Lucy Gallardo star. The DVD looks bare bones, but distributor Maya Entertainment has more about the film on their site.
An appealing romantic comedy set in and around a citrus grove in Sicily, The Orange Thief (pictured) played several film festivals, including Woodstock and AFI Dallas, and is now out on DVD. I'm not going to claim that this low-key charmer is some kind of lost classic, but it's amusing, looks gorgeous, and has the benefit of an incredibly restful, bucolic setting, which make it worth a rental. The DVD from Lightyear appears to feature only the movie.
Review: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
Filed under: Drama », New Releases », Warner Brothers », Theatrical Reviews »
I figure I'm about 20 years older, at least, than the target demographic for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. I understand that there are some movies where I'll always feel a little old or out of touch, because they're just not made with me in mind, no matter how good or bad those movies are. Fortunately, I had no trouble empathizing with the four young women who are bound to friendship through their magical bifurcated nether garment -- more so than I did with the Sex and the City gang, who are much closer to my age.
Like Sex and the City, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 works better if you know the characters already through their previous appearances, because you're already emotionally invested in them. I hadn't read the young-adult novels by Ann Brashares, but my sister, who is a big fan, filled me in and we determined that this movie is based mostly on the fourth book in the series, with a few changes, so even if you've read the books you get some surprises.
America Ferrera is 'Invisible'
Filed under: Drama », Casting », Scripts »
Please, please, please let this be as good as it could be. The Hollywood Reporter posts that America Ferrera has signed on for a new coming-of-age drama, but it sounds like a little bit more than a pair of magical, traveling pants that fit every friend who tries them on. The project is called An Invisible Sign of My Own, and it's Marilyn Agrelo's first film since her documentary, Mad Hot Ballroom.My hopes are stemming from the plot. The film is based on Aimee Bender's novel "about a 20-year-old loner named Mona Gray (Ferrera) who as a child turned to math for salvation after her father became ill. As an adult, Gray now teaches the subject and must help her students through their own crises." Now, it sounds like your typical feel-good school story, but I'm really loving the idea of a popular young woman on the big screen who finds comfort in math, rather than makeovers or the rest of the stereotypical scenarios Hollywood throws at us. As long as it's put together in a solid film, this could be really great. That aside, the story is not without its quirks -- this girl has a hidden passion for soap eating and a habit for knocking on wood, but maybe that will come together in a charming manner.
However, I'm not as comforted by the thought that the adaptation comes from Wedding Planner scribes Michael Ellis and Pamela Falk. Please, please, please let this be better than that!
It Takes a Butler to Tame a Dragon
Filed under: Animation », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », Family Films », Dreamworks »
I tried not to make that joke -- but hey, everyone else is using McLovin' ones!The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Gerard Butler joins America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel and Christopher Mintz-Plasse to voice How to Train Your Dragon. Get your minds out of the gutter -- this is a children's comedy about a scrawny Viking teenager who must capture and subdue a wild dragon. Based on the Cressida Cowell book, the story centers on the timid son of a Viking chief who must capture and train a dragon in order to be initiated into his tribe.
Baruchel will voice the boy, named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, who is saddled with an undersized and uncooperative dragon. Butler is the father and chief of the tribe, Stoick the Vast (how appropriate for a former Beowulf), while Ferrera voices Astrid, who partners with Hiccup for the initiation. Hill will play Snotlout, a bully who thinks he should be the next chief, and Mintz-Plasse portrays Fishlegs, a Viking big in size but small in brains.
AFF Review: Under the Same Moon
Filed under: Drama », Foreign Language », Theatrical Reviews », Fox Searchlight », The Weinstein Co. », Austin », Cinematical Indie »
Earlier this year, Under the Same Moon (originally titled La Misma Luna) was bought at Sundance by Fox Searchlight and The Weinstein Company for a surprisingly high amount of money. It's understandable because underneath the film's unsubtle messages about undocumented Mexican workers working to survive in the U.S., it's essentially an old-fashioned family melodrama. I caught the film at Austin Film Festival this year, and it's currently scheduled to hit theaters in March 2008.
Rosario (Kate del Castillo) is a young immigrant from Mexico living and working in Los Angeles to support her nine-year-old son Carlitos (Adrian Alonso), who lives with Rosario's mother in Mexico. He hasn't seen his mother in four years and misses her terribly. Meanwhile, Rosario is trying to scrape up enough money for a lawyer to help her bring Carlitos to America legally. When his grandmother dies, Carlitos decides to cross the border himself and travel to Los Angeles to find his mother, because he's scared she'll forget about him. He encounters an unlikely lot of helpers and companions during his attempt, including American college students (America Ferrera and Jesse Garcia) who want to make extra money smuggling children over the border, and Enrique (Eugenio Derbez), a migrant worker who has no desire to deal with a small child on his hands.
America Ferrera Wants Nothing to Do With 'Pants' Sequel
Filed under: Comedy », Drama », Casting », Deals »
You just know you need a sequel when you're talking about magical jeans. There's so many stories to be told when you have pants that can fit 4 girls, of varying sizes, perfectly. There's always more boys to pick up, life lessons to learn, strength to be found. Heck, they could find a new piece of clothing for a sequel -- perhaps a shape-changing bra, or pair of super-stretchy socks. Now that America Ferrera is starring in a hit television show, the powers behind the pants want to cash in and make The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants... Part Two!When the original came out, you might think that either Alexis Bledel or Amber Tamblyn would be the ones shying away from a sequel. They were the first-billed girls with their big shows and notoriety. Then, out of nowhere, America becomes Ugly Betty, and suddenly her third-billed character is in hot demand. According to sources for The Hollywood Reporter, while Ferrera has no interest in reprising her role, Alcon Entertainment is exercising its sequel option and forcing her to the negotiating table. The plan is to start shooting this June, during her Betty hiatus, with Sanaa Hamri directing Elizabeth Chandler's script (the woman who wrote the original screenplay). Do we need a sequel? Of course not. The original was cute and all, but the shtick has been done. So, the next question: Will Ferrera's new notoriety catapult the sequel to success, or will it be a waste of time and money? I kind of hope it succeeds, because what's worse than starring in a sequel? Starring in a sequel that sucks.
Original Cast In Talks To Return For 'Traveling Pants' Sequel
Filed under: Comedy », Casting », Deals », Warner Brothers », Family Films », Remakes and Sequels »
The girl-empowerment flick Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants was a mild hit at the box office, pulling in $37 million and received warm reviews from some critics and from fans of the original teen novel series by Ann Brashares. The film also helped launch the career of America Ferrera (TV's Ugly Betty). Variety recently confirmed that Warner Bros. is now putting together a sequel to the 2005 film, with an early shooting date planned. The original cast (Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, Blake Lively, and Alexis Bledel) is currently in talks to return, and set to direct is Sanaa Hamri, who is known for helming music videos by Mariah Carey and Jay-Z, among others; she also made her feature directing debut on the film Something New. The film is being penned by co-writer of the original, Elizabeth Chandler.
The story will be based on the fourth book of Brashare's series (Forever in Blue) and meets up with the four girls, now in their college years, as a pair of jeans sees them through some tough times. Since the girls are growing up, the film is planning on a PG-13 rating this time around -- while still keeping the subject matter family-friendly I'm sure. WB hopes to start shooting on location this June in locations around the world including New York, Turkey, Greece, Providence, and Vermont but WB is apparently willing to accommodate the TV shooting schedules of the principle cast. Ferrera is returning to another season of Ugly Betty, Bledel is apparently going to be coming back for another year of Gilmore Girls, and Tamblyn is working on a drama pilot for CBS. That seems like quite a few schedules to co-ordinate so it might take some time before they can finally agree on a date.
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Discuss: The Movies That Haunt You
