Weekend Movies: 'Rock Of Ages', 'That's My Boy', And More
Opening this week at a theater near you:
Rock of Ages (2012)
Source: Warner Bros.
Set in 1987 Los Angeles, a small town girl (Julianne Hough) and a city boy (Diego Boneta) meet while trying to make it in the big city. Both work at the hottest bar in LA, The Bourbon Room (think Whiskey Bar), where rock legend, Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise) is scheduled to perform. Will do-gooder, Patricia Whitmore (Catherine Zeta-Jones), who sees the bar as the root of all things evil, succeed in shutting down the bar before Jaxx can perform? Rock of Ages website
What to Watch For: Based on the hit Broadway musical of the same name, this film features an all-star cast singing songs from 1980's hit makers such as Bon Jovi and Def Leppard.
Word on the Street: Tom Cruise does his own singing in the film and practiced five hours a day in preparation for the role.
My Take: The filmmakers are taking a chance on Boneta who, until this film, has mostly been known for his stints on TV's 90210 and Pretty Little Liars.
That's My Boy (2012)
Source: Sony Pictures
As a teenager, Donny (Adam Sandler) has an affair with his high school teacher and she gets pregnant with his child. The teacher goes to jail for seducing Donny, and he has to raise his son on his own. The son, Tom (Andy Samberg), leaves his dad when he turns eighteen and is determined to never see his father again. When Tom is settled in his new life and gets engaged to be married, Donny shows up unexpectedly, and is determined to participate in the wedding plans and get back into his son's life. That's My Boy website
What to Watch For: There are quite a few cameos in this film, including Vanilla Ice, Alan Thicke (Growing Pains), football coach Rex Ryan and Ian Ziering (90210).
Word on the Street: David Caspe, the creator and main force behind the ABC TV show Happy Endings, wrote the script, so expect some wild plot twists.
My Take: After the disaster of 2011's Jack and Jill, Sandler is due for a hit.
Lola Versus (2012)
Source: Fox Searchlight
When Lola (Greta Gerwig) is dumped by her fiancée' three weeks before her wedding day, she decides to go on a series of adventures to prove that she still "has it" before she turns 30.
What to Watch For: Greta Gerwig is an up-and-coming actress who will also be appearing this summer in Woody Allen's much anticipated film To Rome with Love. Lola Versus website
Word on the Street: Bill Pullman and Debra Winger are said to steal the movie as Lola's rather promiscuous parents.
My Take: This may be the film that will get Gerwig noticed by critics and filmgoers alike.
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)
A magazine writer and two interns are sent out to investigate a man who has placed an ad for a travel companion. This isn't any ordinary trip though; it's a trip to travel back in time. Safety Not Guaranteed website
What to Watch For: Mark Duplass, who co-wrote and directed last year's Jeff, Who Lives at Home, plays the man who places the ad. Duplass is acting in quite a few indie films this summer including People Like Us and Darling Companion.
Word on the Street: Aubrey Plaza, who plays one of the interns assigned to the story, is hot off her role as April on NBC's quirky comedy, Parks and Recreation.
My Take: If this film is as creative as its trailer, it's going to be a fun movie to watch.
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