Oscar Buzzes Around Holiday Films

Jess Cagle Looks At The Hot Ones

(CBS)  The holiday season is one of the best times of the year to go to the movies.

Hollywood rolls out some of its biggest films of the year, headlining some of the biggest stars.

Early Show contributor and People magazine Executive Editor Jess Cagle took a look Tuesday at what's in theaters -- and what's to come -- that's generating Oscar talk, since the Golden Globe nominations were announced.

The following descriptions were prepare in part with information from Yahoo.com.

OSCAR-WORTHY SELECTIONS

ATONEMENT: In 1935, 13-year-old fledgling writer Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) and her family live a life of wealth and privilege in their enormous mansion. On the warmest day of the year, the country estate takes on an unsettling hothouse atmosphere, stoking Briony's vivid imagination. Robbie Turner (James McAvoy), the educated son of the family's housekeeper, carries a torch for Briony's headstrong older sister, Cecilia (Kiera Knightley). Cecilia, he hopes, has comparable feelings; all it will take is one spark for this relationship to combust. When it does, Briony, who has a crush on Robbie, is compelled to interfere, going so far as accusing Robbie of a crime he didn't commit. Cecilia and Robbie declare their love for each other, but he is arrested and, with Briony bearing false witness, the course of three lives is changed forever. Briony continues to seek forgiveness for her childhood misdeed. Through a terrible and courageous act of imagination, she finds the path to her uncertain atonement, and to an understanding of the power of enduring love.

SWEENEY TODD: Story about a grisly revenge by Benjamin Barker, a man unjustly imprisoned by a lecherous judge. Barker returns as barber Sweeney Todd and exacts revenge. Stars Johnny Depp.

THE GREAT DEBATERS: Inspired by a true story, "The Great Debaters" chronicles the journey of Professor Melvin Tolson, a brilliant but volatile debate team coach who uses the power of words to shape a group of underdog students from a small African American college in the deep South into a historically elite debate team. A controversial figure, Prof. Tolson challenged the social mores of the time and was under constant fire for his unconventional and ferocious teaching methods, as well as his radical political views. Directed by and stars Denzel Washington. Produced by Oprah Winfrey.

CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR: Based on the true story of how Charlie Wilson, an alcoholic womanizer and Texas congressman, persuaded the CIA to train and arm resistance fighters in Afghanistan to fend off the Soviet Union. With the help of a rogue CIA agent, Gust Avrakotos, the two men supplied money, training and a team of military experts that turned the ill-equipped Afghan freedom-fighters into a force that brought the Red Army to a stalemate and set the stage for conflicts in the Middle East that rage to this day. Stars Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

JUNO: Juno is a whip-smart teen confronting an unplanned pregnancy by her classmate, Bleeker. With the help of her hot best friend Leah, Juno finds her unborn child a "perfect" set of parents: an affluent suburban couple, Mark and Vanessa, longing to adopt. Luckily, Juno has the total support of her parents as she faces some tough decisions, flirts with adulthood, and ultimately figures out where she belongs. Stars Ellen Page.

[p-syrus]

That one of the best film translations of a stage musical, a film made by some of the finest creative film makers alive today, a musical which is openly acknowledged to be a masterpiece by a man who is widely considered a GENIUS of musical theater, that such a film gets 3 modest sentences from this film critic is a SCANDAL!

Admittedly, this movie musical is one which many people might be very uncomfortable viewing. The music & story are emotionally dissonant. Burton''s film adaptation relies on a vivid hyper-realistic & gory portrayal of the storied violence, violence which is usually rendered on stage in a abstract & symbolic fashion. Also, Burton emphasizes and reinforces the horrific & dark elements of the story throughout with his visual imagery. The darkly comedic elements of the play are reduced somewhat in the interests of "tightening" the show.

Nevertheless, the film of "Sweeney Todd" is a magnificient achievement. All connected with it are rightly proud of their efforts in bringing this major master work of modern theater to film.

Especially worthy of note are the efforts of Mr. Sondheim, Mr. Burton, Mr. Depp, Ms. Bonham Carter, and the young Mr. Edward Sanders.

Kudos all.

[mbcsmith]

BOYCOTT Hollywood! If a LIB actor (which is most of them) is in a movie, don''t go. If you see a LIB actor promoting LIB agenda, boycott. If you see a LIB actor promoting a LIB candidate, don''t promote by paying your hard earned dollar. BOYCOTT HOLLYWOOD!

[allunknowing]

United States news broadcasting companies and hollywood producers owe a lot of thanks to Saddam.

[egresor]

well.....entertainment aside--- *
we are seeing TODAY the true results of "Charlie Wilson''s War".

i''ve not yet seen the movie, so cannot comment on it''s entertainment value, but we shouldn''t go away with a good feeling about what he introduced into policy.
we''re paying the price for that right now!
''(

[pressenter1]

I SAW CHARLIE WILSON`S WAR TODAY. IT`S ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES OF THE YEAR,AND SHOULD DESERVE SEVERAL OSCAR NOMINATIONS. ESPECIALLY FOR TOM HANKS,JULIA ROBERTS, AND PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN. IT WAS A KNOCKOUT.