Opening Films

by INLANDER STAFF & r & & r & THE COMEBACKS & r & Washed-up coach takes over the football program at Heartland State. His team's hopeless and populated by stereotypes: the klutz, the egomaniac, the runt, the nerd, the girl. Naturally, they hone their skills, win games improbably and get to play in a big postseason game: the Toilet Bowl. Which tells you all you need to know about the humor quotient in The Comebacks. (MB) Rated PG-13





GONE BABY GONE


Ben Affleck makes a solid directing debut in this gritty thriller about the kidnapping of a 4-year-old girl. Based on the Dennis Lehane (Mystic River) novel, it stars little bro Casey Affleck (in a terrific performance) and Michelle Monaghan as a private detective couple. With Ed Harris, and featuring a breakout role by Amy Ryan as the mom. (ES) Rated R





INTO THE WILD


Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) has lived a normal, unhappy, unremarkable suburban life. When he takes off to hitchhike across America -- the eventual destination being Alaska -- he, you know, learns some things about himself. Sean Penn writes and directs. Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener and Kristen Stewart make appearances. (LB) Rated R.





RENDITION


When an Egyptian-born American is taken into custody at an American airport, he vanishes, leaving his wife (Reese Witherspoon) confused, frightened and angry. An old friend in the State Department (Peter Sarsgaard) tries to help. A CIA analyst (Jake Gyllenhaal), upon seeing the torture the man is put through, begins to question everything. A tense, riveting film. With Meryl Streep and Alan Arkin. (ES) Rated R





SARAH LANDON AND THE PARANORMAL HOUR


Newcomer Rissa Walters stars as a teen in a small town who "finds herself in the middle of a haunting mystery that involves two brothers, the local psychic and an evil spirit" (according to the Website) in what's billed as "the first in a series of Sarah Landon mysteries." Who Sarah Landon is -- or where they'll get the money for a sequel, considering the low budget and cast of amateur actors -- is the more haunting mystery. (JS) Rated PG





THE TEN COMMANDMENTS


Charlton Heston kept it secret for nearly 50 years that his was the voice of God in the Cecil B. DeMille epic. Now, for this new animated version, we know up front that Yahweh will sound a lot like ... Elliott Gould. With the vocal talents of Christian Slater as Moses, Alfred Molina as Ramses, and Sir Ben Kingsley as the narrator. (MB) Rated PG





THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE


When Steven, the husband of Audrey Burke (Halle Berry) is killed, she forms a close bond with Jerry Sunborne (Benicio Del Toro), the childhood friend with whom Steven had recently reconnected. She eventually asks Jerry to move in with her and her two children, and the four create an odd family unit. (LB) Rated R





30 DAYS OF NIGHT


A small Alaskan town, going through its annual month of darkness, is visited by a gang of vampires who, of course, thrive in the dark and, in this case, don't have to worry about any sunlight for a long time. In other words, a double-fortnight feast! Josh Hartnett plays the local sheriff, and Ben Foster takes the "Renfield" role. Vicious and bloody, but not disgustingly so. (ES) Rated R