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Mud
Who: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Sam Shepard, Reese Witherspoon
What: A coming of age drama starring McConaughey and two boys. Set on the Mississippi River in Arkansas, two teenage boys meet and befriend a homeless man named Mud. Mud, they find out, is a fugitive who killed a man for hurting his girlfriend Juniper (Witherspoon). The boys decide to help Mud while dealing with their own adolescent issues.
When: August 6th - DVD and online on demand
Why: There are a handful of movies each year that are released well before the fall awards consideration season and get some critical approval, and Mud is one of those movies this year. McConaughey has frequently appeared in light romance and comedy roles, but delivers a serious performance in this movie that got the attention of many critics.

On the Road
Who: Sam Riley, Garret Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Amy Adams, Tom Sturridge, Elisabeth Moss, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, director Walter Salles.
What: Adapted from the 1957 road trip novel by Jack Kerouac, Sam Riley stars as Sal Paradise, a young man from New Jersey who goes on a year-long road trip with Dean Moriarty, played by Garrett Hedlund. Together they meet a variety of characters during their travel across the United States.
When: August 6th - DVD and online on demand
Why: I've known about the cultural impact of the novel but I've never read it. It surprises me to find out that this is the first successful film adaptation of the famous novel, which was written over five decades ago. Director Walter Salles seems like a good choice, since he also directed another period road trip movie, The Motorcycle Diaries. Riley has been in some British movies I haven't seen, but Hedlund is more well known, for starring in Tron: Legacy and the film version of Friday Night Lights.

The Sapphires
Who: Chris O'Dowd, Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy, Shar Sebbens, Miranda Tapsell, Tory Kittles, Eka Darville
What: A musical comedy biopic, based on a play by Tony Briggs, based on a true story about a girl group with a Motown sound in the 1960s. In this version, four Aboriginal women in Australia are discovered by an Irish talent scout (O'Dowd) who sends them to entertain U.S. troops in Vietnam. They become popular on the outside but struggle with infighting and issues in their own lives.
When: August 6th - DVD and online on demand
Why: Musical biopics like this are always enjoyable experiences. I especially like that this is an Australian production with Australian actresses. O'Dowd is probably best known for playing the police officer and love interest to Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids, and to British audiences for starring in The IT Crowd.

The Story of Luke
Who: Lou Taylor Pucci, Seth Green, Cary Elwes, Kristin Bauer
What: A light drama starring Pucci as a young man with autism naked Luke, cared for by his aunt (Bauer). Luke decides he will set out for a normal life by getting a job and looking for a girlfriend, with the drama and humor coming out of his awkward but sincere interpersonal interactions.
When: August 6th - DVD and online on demand
Why: Pucci's one of those names I know from some movie, but can never figure out which one. He first gained attention from starring in Thumbsucker in 2005. In this movie, Seth Green, who normally takes obnoxiously funny roles, seems to have his own emotional spectrum issues. I'm a Cary Elwes fan, though he seems to have a small role as an adult male role model. This looks like a movie for a thoughtful evening, and possibly a good date movie.

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