The Best of Me If Hollywood has taught me anything, it’s that the funeral of a friend is a great opportunity to get laid. Seen The Big Chill lately? I mean, once Costner’s uncredited body was in the box, it was, like, P for miles. Now Nicholas Sparks contributes to the proud tradition, with the story of two former sweethearts (James Marsden and Michelle Monaghan) who seize on their buddy’s death as a chance to rekindle their long-dormant attraction. Coming next: Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson in Funeral Crashers! (PG-13)
The Book of Life Ever notice that Guillermo del Toro “presents” a lot more movies than he actually makes? While we wait for his Haunted Mansion, or Pinocchio, or Hellboy 3 – or even last year’s goddamn del Toro family Christmas card – Mexico’s most famous procrastinator has slapped his name on yet another product. This one is an animated conflation of Greek mythology, Mayan legend and the Dia de los Muertos, and director/co-writer Jorge R. Gutierrez is the guy whose name you’re gonna forget in four months as you assign The Book of Life to your mental list of “Guillermo del Toro movies.” Don’t worry: Alex Trebek will accept the answer! (PG)
Fury Ask any product of America’s school system to name something that happened during the last few months of World War II, and the likely answer will be “Captain America got frozen in a block of ice.” (Hell, it’s all I could name off the top of my head. Sorry, Bono!) Apparently, Brad Pitt also got in a spot of trouble, risking his life to command a tank crew on a dangerous mission into the heart of the collapsing Nazi empire. But really, how tough was Germany by April 1945 anyway? As I recall from my studies, that Twilight Zone guy who wished to be made the ruler of a great nation was already cooped up tight in his bunker, realizing he was Hitler and getting ready to eat a bullet. Not very tough competition there, amirite? (Now let me tell you what the Discovery Channel has taught me about haunted houses.) (R)
Men, Women & Children Filmmaker Jason Reitman ponders how the Internet has influenced the lives of today’s teenagers and their parents. The kids are gonna have the answer first, because they’ll all have downloaded this movie to their phones by Sunday. (R)
St. Vincent In filmmaker Theodore Melfi’s first feature, Melissa McCarthy plays a single mom who has to leave her son in the care of new neighbor Bill Murray. Hey, how much of a risk is that? The guy is on window decals now. (PG-13)
