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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Wednesday's movie capsules

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

High school teacher Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank) reaches out to students, including Marcus (Jason Finn), in "Freedom Writers," on TMC.

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6 a.m. AMC "The Hot Rock" 3 1/2 stars (1972, Comedy) Robert Redford, George Segal. Thief and gang botch N.Y. diamond caper. (AL, N, V)

fX "The Assignment" 2 stars (1997, Suspense) Aidan Quinn, Donald Sutherland. A naval officer is recruited to set a trap for a terrorist. (AL, AS, GV)

6:05 a.m. TMC "The Limey" 2 1/2 stars (1999, Crime Drama) Terence Stamp, Peter Fonda. An ex-con investigates his daughter's death. (AL, V)

6:15 a.m. IFC "The Year of the Yao" 3 stars (2004, Documentary) Shaquille O'Neal, Colin Pine. Chinese-born Yao Ming joins the Houston Rockets basketball team. (AL, AS)

MAX "The Good Shepherd" 2 1/2 stars (2006, Drama) Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie. A founding member of the CIA places duty above family. (AL, AS, V)

TCM "The Devil at 4 O'Clock" 3 stars (1961, Adventure) Spencer Tracy, Frank Sinatra. Convicts and fallen priest race volcano to save leper children.

6:45 a.m. HBO2 "Loser" 2 stars (2000, Romance-Comedy) Jason Biggs, Mena Suvari. A nerdy college student pines for a pretty classmate. (AL, AS)

7 a.m. FLIX "Music From Another Room" 3 stars (1998, Romance) Jude Law, Gretchen Mol. A man believes he must marry an acquaintance from long ago. (AL, AS)

7:50 a.m. IFC "The Castle" 2 stars (1997, Comedy) Michael Caton, Anne Tenney. A tow-truck driver refuses to sell his home to the airport. (AL)

8 a.m. fX "The Missing" 3 stars (2003, Western) Tommy Lee Jones, Cate Blanchett. A woman and her estranged father seek her kidnapped child. (AL, AS, V)

8:15 a.m. AMC "Red Corner" 2 stars (1997, Suspense) Richard Gere, Bai Ling. A visiting American is framed for a brutal murder in China. (AS, V)

8:30 a.m. HBO2 "Rendition" 2 stars (2007, Suspense) Jake Gyllenhaal, Reese Witherspoon. A CIA analyst witnesses an unorthodox interrogation. (AL, AS, V)

TCM "I'll Cry Tomorrow" 3 stars (1955, Biography) Susan Hayward, Richard Conte. 1930s singer/actress Lillian Roth hits bottom, joins AA.

8:45 a.m. FLIX "Queen of the Stardust Ballroom" 3 stars (1975, Drama) Maureen Stapleton, Charles Durning. A widow meets a married mailman at a Bronx dance hall. 'TVPG'

9:05 a.m. MAX "Greedy" 2 stars (1994, Comedy) Michael J. Fox, Kirk Douglas. Avaricious relatives scramble to inherit an uncle's riches. (AL)

TMC "Deep Impact" 2 stars (1998, Drama) Robert Duvall, Tea Leoni. A large comet is on a collision course with Earth. (AL, V)

9:30 a.m. HBOF "Coneheads" 2 1/2 stars (1993, Comedy) Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin. The "Saturday Night Live" aliens adjust to life on Earth. (BN)

IFC "Bruce Lee: His Last Days, His Last Nights" 2 stars (1976, Biography) Betty Ting Pei, Li Hsiu Hsien. Fact-based account of the death of martial artist Bruce Lee.

10 a.m. USA "John Grisham's The Rainmaker" 3 stars (1997, Drama) Matt Damon, Claire Danes. A rookie lawyer goes up against a big insurance company. (AS, V)

10:30 a.m. HBO2 "Charlotte Gray" 2 stars (2001, Drama) Cate Blanchett, Billy Crudup. A Scotswoman goes under cover as a courier in WWII France. (AL, AS, V)

TCM "The Mountain Road" 2 1/2 stars (1960, War) James Stewart, Lisa Lu. Army major blows things up to stop Japanese in China.

11 a.m. AMC "Romancing the Stone" 3 stars (1984, Adventure) Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner. An adventurer helps a novelist find her kidnapped sister. (AL, AS, MV)

HBOF "Kidco" 2 1/2 stars (1984, Comedy) Scott Schwartz, Cinnamon Idles. An ambitious youth enters the corporate world. (AL)

IFC "The Year of the Yao" 3 stars (2004, Documentary) Shaquille O'Neal, Colin Pine. Chinese-born Yao Ming joins the Houston Rockets basketball team. (AL, AS)

12:05 p.m. FLIX "End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones" 3 stars (2003, Documentary) Rodney Bingenheimer, Danny Fields. Michael Gramaglia profiles punk rockers the Ramones. (AS)

12:15 p.m. TCM "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm" 3 stars (1962, Fantasy) Laurence Harvey, Karl Boehm. A fictionalized biography of the famous storytellers.

12:30 p.m. IFC "The Castle" 2 stars (1997, Comedy) Michael Caton, Anne Tenney. A tow-truck driver refuses to sell his home to the airport. (AL)

12:35 p.m. MAX "The Dream Team" 3 stars (1989, Comedy) Michael Keaton, Christopher Lloyd. Four mental patients find themselves loose in Manhattan. (AL, BN, MV)

12:40 p.m. TMC "Party Girl" 2 1/2 stars (1995, Drama) Parker Posey, Anthony DeSando. Wild New Yorker finds niche as library clerk. (AL, AS)

12:45 p.m. HBOF "I.Q." 3 stars (1994, Romance-Comedy) Tim Robbins, Meg Ryan. Albert Einstein tests his theories of romance on his niece. (AL, AS)

1 p.m. fX "Troy" 3 stars (2004, Adventure) Brad Pitt, Eric Bana. Achilles leads Greek forces in the Trojan War. (AS, GV, N)

LMN "Forgotten Sins" 2 stars (1996, Drama) William Devane, John Shea. A man's daughters accuse him of molesting them as children. 'TV14'

1:30 p.m. AMC "Murder by Numbers" 2 1/2 stars (2002, Suspense) Sandra Bullock, Ryan Gosling. Teen-age killers play cat-and-mouse with a detective. (AL, AS, V)

2 p.m. FLIX "The Land Girls" 2 1/2 stars (1998, Drama) Catherine McCormack, Rachel Weisz. During World War II, British women become farm workers. (AS)

HBO2 "The Simpsons Movie" 3 stars (2007, Comedy) Voices of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner. Animated. Homer must save the world from catastrophe. (AS)

2:15 p.m. TMC "Home Room" 2 stars (2003, Drama) Busy Philipps, Erika Christensen. Teens cope with the aftermath of a school shooting. (AL, AS, V)

2:30 p.m. COM "Things Are Tough All Over" 2 1/2 stars (1982, Comedy) Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong. Two men drive an Arab-owned, cash-filled limo to Las Vegas. (AL, N)

MAX "Diplomatic Siege" 2 1/2 stars (1999, Suspense) Peter Weller, Daryl Hannah. Serbian terrorists capture the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest. (AL, V)

2:45 p.m. HBOF "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" 3 stars (1986, Comedy) Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck. A brash teen and his friends have an adventure in Chicago. (AL)

3 p.m. IFC "Wassup Rockers" 3 stars (2006, Drama) Jonathan Velasquez, Francisco Pedrasa. Latino skateboarders cut loose in Los Angeles. (AL, AS, V)

TCM "Operation Mad Ball" 2 1/2 stars (1957, Comedy) Jack Lemmon, Kathryn Grant. GI and pals try to fraternize with off-limits nurses.

4 p.m. FLIX "Bread and Tulips" 2 1/2 stars (2000, Romance-Comedy) Licia Maglietta, Bruno Ganz. A housewife hitchhikes to Venice. (AL, AS)

4:05 p.m. MAX "The Brave One" 2 1/2 stars (2007, Suspense) Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard. A radio host seeks revenge for a brutal attack. (AL, AS, GV)

4:30 p.m. fX "Superman Returns" 3 1/2 stars (2006, Adventure) Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth. The Man of Steel faces an old enemy. (AS, V)

TMC "The Daytrippers" 2 1/2 stars (1996, Comedy) Hope Davis, Pat McNamara. A wife and her relatives search for her philandering mate. (AL)

4:45 p.m. HBO2 "The Patriot" 3 stars (2000, War) Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger. A man and his son fight side by side in the Revolutionary War. (AS, GV)

5 p.m. HBOF "Coneheads" 2 1/2 stars (1993, Comedy) Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin. The "Saturday Night Live" aliens adjust to life on Earth. (BN)

IFC "Havoc" 2 stars (2005, Drama) Anne Hathaway, Bijou Phillips. Privileged teens socialize with drug dealers in Los Angeles. (AL, AS, N, SSC, V)

TCM "Bell, Book and Candle" 2 1/2 stars (1958, Comedy) James Stewart, Kim Novak. A witch casts a love spell on a San Francisco publisher.

6 p.m. AMC "Constantine" 2 1/2 stars (2005, Fantasy) Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz. A man who sees demons helps a policewoman probe her sister's death. (AL, AS, V)

FLIX "Music From Another Room" 3 stars (1998, Romance) Jude Law, Gretchen Mol. A man believes he must marry an acquaintance from long ago. (AL, AS)

TMC "Factory Girl" 2 stars (2006, Docudrama) Sienna Miller, Guy Pearce. Wealthy Edie Sedgwick becomes Andy Warhol's muse at the Factory. (AL, AS, N, SSC)

TOON "Garfield" 2 stars (2004, Comedy) Breckin Meyer, Jennifer Love Hewitt. Live action/animated. The cat tries to save a kidnapped dog. (AL, AS)

6:15 p.m. MAX "The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising" 2 1/2 stars (2007, Fantasy) Ian McShane, Alexander Ludwig. A boy discovers he is part of a group of immortal warriors. (AS)

6:30 p.m. HBOF "Kidco" 2 1/2 stars (1984, Comedy) Scott Schwartz, Cinnamon Idles. An ambitious youth enters the corporate world. (AL)

6:45 p.m. TCM "It Happened to Jane" 2 1/2 stars (1959, Comedy) Doris Day, Jack Lemmon. A lobster farmer takes a railroad tycoon to court.

7 p.m. IFC "Clerks" 3 stars (1994, Comedy) Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson. Store clerks shoot the breeze during a typical workday. (AL)

7:30 p.m. HBO2 "The Kingdom" 2 1/2 stars (2007, Action) Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper. Federal agents seek a terrorist cell in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (AL, AS, GV)

7:35 p.m. TMC "Freedom Writers" 3 stars (2007, Drama) Hilary Swank, Patrick Dempsey. A teacher inspires at-risk teens to believe in themselves. (AL, AS, V)

7:45 p.m. FLIX "Affliction" 3 stars (1997, Drama) Nick Nolte, Sissy Spacek. A small-town sheriff becomes unhinged. (AL, V)

8 p.m. DIS "Air Bud" 2 1/2 stars (1997, Comedy-Drama) Michael Jeter, Kevin Zegers. A boy's new dog is a basketball whiz. (AL)

FAM "The Family Man" 3 stars (2000, Romance-Comedy) Nicolas Cage, Tea Leoni. A Wall Street playboy wakes to an alternate suburban existence. (AL, AS)

MAX "Be Kind Rewind" 2 1/2 stars (2008, Comedy) Jack Black, Mos Def. Two friends re-create a video store's obliterated inventory. (AS)

8:15 p.m. HBOF "The Net" 2 1/2 stars (1995, Suspense) Sandra Bullock, Jeremy Northam. Software makes computer nerd a target. (AL, AS, V)

8:30 p.m. TCM "The Notorious Landlady" 3 stars (1962, Suspense) Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon. A man sets out to prove his landlady is innocent of murder. (AS, V)

8:35 p.m. IFC "Wassup Rockers" 3 stars (2006, Drama) Jonathan Velasquez, Francisco Pedrasa. Latino skateboarders cut loose in Los Angeles. (AL, AS, V)

9 p.m. LMN "Echo" 2 stars (1997, Suspense) Jack Wagner, Alexandra Paul. A jealous twin plots revenge against his unwary brother. 'TVPG'

9:25 p.m. HBO2 "Rendition" 2 stars (2007, Suspense) Jake Gyllenhaal, Reese Witherspoon. A CIA analyst witnesses an unorthodox interrogation. (AL, AS, V)

9:40 p.m. TMC "The General's Daughter" 2 1/2 stars (1999, Suspense) John Travolta, Madeleine Stowe. Army investigators probe an officer's brutal slaying. (AL, AS, GV, N)

9:45 p.m. FLIX "The Passion of Ayn Rand" 2 1/2 stars (1999, Drama) Helen Mirren, Eric Stoltz. Married writer Ayn Rand has an affair with a student. 'TVMA' (AL, MV, N, SSC)

10:15 p.m. AMC "Thunderheart" 3 stars (1992, Mystery) Val Kilmer, Graham Greene. An agent's heritage is integral to a murder investigation. (AL, AS, V)

HBOF "Home for the Holidays" 2 1/2 stars (1995, Comedy) Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr.. A woman dreads Thanksgiving with her eccentric family. (AL, AS)

IFC "Havoc" 2 stars (2005, Drama) Anne Hathaway, Bijou Phillips. Privileged teens socialize with drug dealers in Los Angeles. (AL, AS, N, SSC, V)

MAX "Marked for Death" 2 stars (1990, Action) Steven Seagal, Basil Wallace. A former DEA agent tries to stop a Jamaican drug ring. (AL, AS, N, V)

10:45 p.m. TCM "Under the Yum Yum Tree" 2 1/2 stars (1963, Comedy) Jack Lemmon, Carol Lynley. An amorous landlord plots to deflower a nubile new tenant. (AS)

11:30 p.m. FLIX "Go Now" 3 stars (1995, Comedy-Drama) Robert Carlyle, Juliet Aubrey. A plasterer copes with multiple sclerosis. (AL, AS)

12 a.m. HBO2 "I Am Legend" 3 stars (2007, Science Fiction) Will Smith, Alice Braga. Bloodthirsty plague victims surround a lone survivor. (AS, V)

HBOF "Tucker: The Man and His Dream" 3 stars (1988, Biography) Jeff Bridges, Joan Allen. An inventor struggles to produce a better, safer auto. (AL)

12:20 a.m. MAX "What Lies Beneath" 2 1/2 stars (2000, Suspense) Harrison Ford, Michelle Pfeiffer. A housewife is swept up in a spirit's supernatural revenge. (AL, AS, V)

12:45 a.m. IFC "Bruce Lee: His Last Days, His Last Nights" 2 stars (1976, Biography) Betty Ting Pei, Li Hsiu Hsien. Fact-based account of the death of martial artist Bruce Lee.

1 a.m. AMC "Mystery Men" 2 1/2 stars (1999, Fantasy) Hank Azaria, Janeane Garofalo. Substitute superheroes battle a nefarious criminal. (V)

FLIX "The Proposal" 2 stars (2000, Suspense) Nick Moran, Jennifer Esposito. An undercover cop's new partner gets too close to the mark. (V)

TBS "Adventures in Babysitting" 2 1/2 stars (1987, Comedy) Elisabeth Shue, Maia Brewton. A Chicago baby sitter is plunged into a comic nightmare. (AL, AS)

1:45 a.m. HBO2 "The Good Son" 2 1/2 stars (1993, Suspense) Macaulay Culkin, Elijah Wood. A boy discovers his young cousin has an evil streak. (V)

2:25 a.m. HBOF "Balto" 2 1/2 stars (1995, Adventure) Voices of Miriam Margolyes, Lola Bates-Campbell. Animated. A half-wolf saves children. Animated/live action.

2:35 a.m. FLIX "Blind Beast" 2 stars (1969, Horror) Eiji Funakoshi, Mako Midori. A kidnapper and his victim explore sadomasochism. (AS, SSC, V)

MAX "The Road to Hong Kong" 2 1/2 stars (1962, Musical Comedy) Bing Crosby, Bob Hope. Two con artists embark on a zany jaunt through Asia.

3 a.m. LMN "Forgotten Sins" 2 stars (1996, Drama) William Devane, John Shea. A man's daughters accuse him of molesting them as children. 'TV14'

TCM "How to Murder Your Wife" 3 stars (1965, Comedy) Jack Lemmon, Virna Lisi. A devout bachelor unknowingly marries an Italian stranger. (AS, V)

TMC "Deep Impact" 2 stars (1998, Drama) Robert Duvall, Tea Leoni. A large comet is on a collision course with Earth. (AL, V)

3:15 a.m. HBO2 "The Fountain" 2 1/2 stars (2006, Science Fiction) Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz. A man searches for immortality. (AL, AS, V)

4 a.m. AMC "Eddie" 2 1/2 stars (1996, Comedy) Whoopi Goldberg, Frank Langella. A basketball fanatic is hired to coach the New York Knicks. (AL, AS)

FLIX "Educating Rita" 3 stars (1983, Comedy-Drama) Michael Caine, Julie Walters. A British professor guides a woman to self-discovery. (AL, AS)

IFC "Passion in the Desert" 2 1/2 stars (1997, Adventure) Ben Daniels, Michel Piccoli. A French soldier lost in the desert bonds with a leopard. (N, V)

4:10 a.m. MAX "A Prairie Home Companion" 3 stars (2006, Comedy) Meryl Streep, Lindsay Lohan. A radio show's cast prepares for the final broadcast. (AS)

5 a.m. HBO2 "Dudley Do-Right" 2 stars (1999, Comedy) Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica Parker. The live-action version of Jay Ward's classic cartoon. (AL, MV)

TCM "Smartest Girl in Town" 2 stars (1936, Comedy) Ann Sothern, Gene Raymond. A wealthy man poses as a model to win a glamorous cover girl.

5:05 a.m. TMC "Lady in White" 3 stars (1988, Horror) Lukas Haas, Len Cariou. An apparition gives a boy clues to a 10-year-old murder. (AL, AS, V)

5:35 a.m. IFC "The New World" 3 stars (2005, Historical Drama) Colin Farrell, Christian Bale. Explorer John Smith lands in 17th-century North America. (AS, V)

5:50 a.m. FLIX "Marine Life" 2 1/2 stars (2000, Comedy-Drama) Cybill Shepherd, Peter Outerbridge. A teen's confusion is compounded by her lounge-singer mother. (AL, AS)