Free Fall Film Series Open with “Wendy & Lucy”

Sweet Briar College’s fall film series opens Friday and Saturday, Sept. 4 and 5 with the drama “Wendy & Lucy.” All films in the series begin at 7 p.m. in Tyson Auditorium, the public is welcome and admission is free.

The following films will be screened this fall (synopses courtesy of Swank Motion Pictures):

Sept. 4 and 5, “Wendy & Lucy” – With earnest hopes for a fresh start, Wendy Carroll (Michelle Williams) sets her sights on a high-paying job at an Alaska cannery. But her journey takes a heartbreaking detour when her beloved dog, Lucy, goes missing and her car decides to conk out in Oregon. There was a time when Wendy had nothing to lose, but now she could lose everything. Kelly Reichardt directs this nuanced drama that was nominated for a Best Feature Independent Spirit Award. Rated R.

Sept. 11 and 12, “Sin Nombre” – Fleeing retaliation from the violent Central American street gang he has deserted, young hood Casper boards a northbound train, where he takes refuge on top of the moving freight cars and hopes for a fresh start in a new country. Dodging authorities and other dangers, he finds a new friend in Sayra (Paulina Gaitan), a Honduran girl also making a run for the American border. Cary Fukunaga directs this exciting thriller. Rated R.

Sept. 18 and 19, “Julia” – At an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, Julia Harris (Tilda Swinton) agrees to help her friend Elena (Kate del Castillo) kidnap her son (Aidan Gould) from his industrialist grandfather. But when Julia takes the scheme into her own hands, she quickly descends into a dangerous world of Mexican con men. This Cassavetes-inspired drama from acclaimed French director Erick Zonca screened at the Sundance and Berlin film festivals. Rated R.

Oct. 9 and 10, “Grey Gardens” – Based on a true story, this made-for-TV drama stars Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore as the aunt and cousin of Jackie Kennedy Onassis (Jeanne Tripplehorn) – both named Edie Beale – who retreat from tony Manhattan society to a mansion in East Hampton, N.Y. After years in isolation, the women are thrust into the spotlight when journalists report on a series of health inspections that find the house – and its owners – in shocking disarray. Not Rated.

Oct. 23 and 24, “The Cove” – This riveting documentary (winner of the Audience Award at Sundance) follows a group of animal activists to a scenic cove in Taijii, Japan, where they use surveillance equipment to capture footage of a secretive and heavily guarded operation run by the world’s largest supplier of dolphins. As the daring group risks their lives to expose the horrifying truths behind the capture of dolphins for the lucrative tourist industry, they also uncover an environmental catastrophe. Rated PG-13.

Nov. 6 and 7, “Cheri” – When French courtesan Madame Peloux (Kathy Bates) sets her pampered son, Cheri (Rupert Friend), up with middle-aged fellow courtesan Lea de Lonval (Michelle Pfeiffer), she wants to ensure he learns all about lovemaking from the best. But the affair lasts for years, creating problems when it’s time for Cheri to marry a wealthy woman. Stephen Frears directed this romantic drama, which is based on a novel by Colette. Rated R.

Nov. 13 and 14, “Food, Inc.” – Drawing on Eric Schlosser’s “Fast Food Nation” and Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” director Robert Kenner’s documentary explores the food industry’s detrimental effects on our health and environment. Kenner spotlights the men and women who are working to reform an industry rife with monopolies, questionable interpretations of laws and subsidies, political ties and rising rates of E. coli outbreaks. Not Rated.

Dec. 4 and 5, “The Limits of Control” – An enigmatic stranger (Isaach de Bankolé), with no friends to speak of and no one to trust, is on a shadowy criminal mission. His moves are always marked with the knowledge that the law is never far behind. Acclaimed indie filmmaker Jim Jarmusch (“Broken Flowers,” “Coffee and Cigarettes”) writes and directs this tale, which is set against the backdrop of contemporary Spain. Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt and Gael García Bernal star. Rated R.

Dec. 11 and 12, “The Hurt Locker” – Kathryn Bigelow directs this gripping drama (nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards) following one of the U.S. Army’s elite EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) teams operating in the ferocious war zone of Iraq. As the squad identifies and dismantles improvised explosive devices and other bombs, they also must contend with the frayed nerves and internal conflicts that arise from living in constant peril. Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, Guy Pearce, Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie star. Rated R.