Movie Nights Screening Selections June 2025

Proposed Movies for Branch Screenings
by our patrons’ selection

Dear Members and Friends of the Branch,

The Lounge Committee is seeking feedback for our 3rd round of future Branch Movie Nights.

We invite you to complete this short survey, and help us decide which films to show next for the remainder of the year and into 2026, providing the films are available.

Please read the synopsis of each of the films below and complete the survey located here.

Thank-you on behalf of the Lounge Committee!

Curated Selections:

1. THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (1992) Western; War; Literary Adaptation; Romance; Social Studies;
Director:   Michael Mann
Cast:   Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Jodhi May, Eric Schweig, Madeleine Stowe
Writer: James Fenimore Cooper (novel), John L. Balderston (adaptation)
Synopsis: In the American Colonies, England and France, aided by Native American allies, wage a fierce and savage war for a continent neither is destined to control. Amidst the conflict, Hawkeye, a frontiersman raised by Mohicans, and Cora Munro, the daughter of a British officer, fall desperately in love, in Michael Mann’s retelling of the classic James Fenimore Cooper novel.

2. THE AVIATOR (2004) 165 minutes Drama
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, Gwen Stefani, Adam Scott, Kelli Garner, Ian Holm, Alan Alda
Writer: John Logan
Synopsis: The script begins as a young Hughes directs one of Scorsese’s favorite films, Hell’s Angels. Hughes was so obsessed with perfection in the aerial sequences that he waits forever for perfect conditions, right down to cloud formations. The Aviator ends in 1946, when Hughes was still a dashing young man and romancing actresses like Ava Gardner and Katharine Hepburn.

3. WE WERE SOLDIERS (2002) 138 minutes Drama
Director: Randall Wallace
Cast: Mel Gibson, Barry Pepper, Greg Kinnear, Sam Elliott, Chris Klein
Writer: Randall Wallace
Synopsis: In a place soon to be known as The Valley of Death, in a small clearing called landing zone X-Ray, Lt. Colonel Hal Moore (Mel Gibson) and 400 young fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons, all troopers from an elite American combat division, were surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers. The ensuing battle was one of the most savage in U.S. history. We Were Soldiers Once…And Young is a tribute to the nobility of those men under fire, their common acts of uncommon valor, and their loyalty to and love for one another.

4. THE FOUR FEATHERS (2002) 125 minutes Adventure; Drama; Literary Adaptation
Director:  Shekhar Kapur
Cast:  Heath Ledger, Wes Bentley, Kate Hudson, Djimon Hounsou, Michael Sheen, Alek Wek, Kris Marshall
Writer:  A.E.W. Mason (novel), Michael Schiffer (screenplay)
Synopsis: Set in 1898 Sudan, this fifth film to be adapted from the A.E.W. Mason novel follows a British officer who resigns his post right before his regiment ships out to battle the rebels. Perceiving his resignation as cowardice, his friends and fiancee give him four white feathers, the symbol of cowardice, but little do they know he’s actually going undercover and plans to redeem his honor.

5. THE TAMING OF THE SHREW (2016) 156 minutes Drama
Director:  Chris Abraham
Cast:  Ben Carlson, Deborah Hay, Sarah Afful, Peter Hutt, Cyrus Lane, Gordon S. Miller, Tom Rooney, Mike Shara
Writer:  William Shakespeare
Synopsis:Courtship or conquest? The breakdown of a defiant spirit or a breakthrough that liberates a heart deprived of love? The Stratford Festival production of Shakespeare s boisterous comedy will stir your emotions with the love story of Katherina and Petruchio, the feisty couple at the centre of this fierce and funny battle of wills.

6. SONG OF THE THIN MAN (1947) Comedy; Musical; Mystery; Romance; Crime
Director:  Edward Buzzell
Cast: William Powell, Myrna Loy, Keenan Wynn, Dean Stockwell
Writer: Steve Fisher, Nat Perrin
Synopsis: Nick and Nora Charles are asked by Phil Brant and Janet Thayar, who have just eloped, to help them after band leader Tommy Drake is killed at a society dance which Nick and Nora also attended. The police are looking to arrest Brant for the murder and while he claims he’s innocent, Nick isn’t too keen on having him in the house and turns him over to the police. As they look into the case, Nick and Nora learn that Drake wasn’t very well liked and there are actually several people who benefited from his death. Drake owed money to loan shark Al Amboy, and Janet’s father disliked Brant and may have set him up. Drake’s girlfriend may have been having a fling with clarinetist Buddy Hollis, and he and Drake had a fist fight on stage during the festivities. Nick arranges for another party on the same boat where Nora notices something quite peculiar about one of the guest’s jewelry.

7. THE ENGLISH PATIENT (1996) 150 mins Drama; Literary Adaptation
Director:  Anathony Minghella
Cast: Juliette Binoche, Colin Firth, Ralph Fiennes, Kristin Scott Thomas,Willem Dafoe, Lothaire Bluteau
Writer:  Michael Ondaatje (novel), Anthony Minghella (screenplay)
Synopsis: Based on the novel by Michael Ondaatje. An epic of romance, mystery and adventure, intricately weaving the histories of five stray souls into one powerful story of the triumphs and failures of the human spirit, The heart of this tale lies with the “English Patient”, a mysterious and unrecognizable stranger whose very presence will forever change the destinies of those around him.

8. TESTAMENT OF YOUTH (2015) 129 minutes Drama; War; Biography
Director:  James Kent
Cast:  Colin Morgan, Georgina Bennett, Emily Bevan, Anna Chancellor, Teresa Churcher, Laura Elsworthy, Amanda Fairbank-Hynes
Writer:  Vera Brittain (autobiography), Juliette Towhidi
Synopsis: Testament of Youth is a powerful story of love, war and remembrance, based on the First World War memoir by Vera Brittain, which has become the classic testimony of that war from a woman’s point of view. A searing journey from youthful hopes and dreams to the edge of despair and back again, it’s a film about young love, the futility of war and how to make sense of the darkest times.

9. LONE SURVIVOR (2014) 122 minutes Drama; Action; Thriller
Director:  Peter Berg
Cast:  Mark Wahlberg, Eric Bana, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, Alexander Ludwig, Sammy Sheik, Scott Elrod, Ali Suliman
Writer: Peter Berg 
Synopsis: Based on the failed June 28, 2005 mission “Operation Red Wings.” Four members of SEAL Team 10, were tasked with the mission to capture or kill notorious Taliban leader, Ahmad Shahd. Marcus Luttrell was the only member of his team to survive.

10. FURY (1936) 94 minutes Drama; Thriller; Crime
Director: Fritz Lang
Cast: Sylvia Sidney, Spencer Tracy, Walter Abel, Bruce Cabot, Edward Ellis, Walter Brennan
Writer:  Bartlett Cormack, Fritz Lang 
Synopsis: Based on the story “Mob Rule” by Norman Krasna. Joe Wilson and Katherine Grant are in love, but he doesn’t have enough money for them to get married. So Katherine moves across the country to make money. But things go disastrously wrong for Joe when he stops in a small town and is mistaken for a wanted murderer. Through the course of the movie, Fritz Lang shows us how a decent and once civilized man can become a ruthless and bitter man.

11. EMPIRE OF THE SUN (1987) 152 minutes Drama; War
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers, Joe Pantoliano
Writer: Tom Sheppard, J.G. Ballard
Synopsis: An epic drama of World War II as seen through the eyes of a young boy interned in a prison camp for three years.

12. THE IMITATION GAME (2014) 114 minutes Drama; Thriller; Literary Adaptation; Biography
Director:Morten Tyldum
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear, Allen Leech, Matthew Beard, Charles Dance
Writer: Andrew Hodges (book), Graham Moore
Synopsis: Based on the real life story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, the film portrays the nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team of code-breakers at Britain’s top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II.

13. THE THIN RED LINE (1998) 170 minutes Drama; War
Director: Terrence Malick
Cast: Sean Penn, Adrien Brody, Jim Caviezel, Ben Chaplin, George Clooney, John Cusack, Woody Harrelson, Elias Koteas, Jared Leto, Dash Mihok, Tim Blake Nelson, Nick Nolte, Bill Pullman, John C. Reilly, Larry Romano, John Savage, John Travolta, Arie Vereen
Writer:  James Jones (novel), Terrence Malick (screenplay) 
Synopsis: Set during World War II, the story follows an Army rifle company during several months of one of the fiercest struggles of the twentieth century — the battle of Guadalcanal Island. “The Thin Red Line” marks a much-anticipated return to the director’s chair by Malick, whose two previous efforts, “Badlands” and “Days of Heaven” were hailed by critics worldwide.

14. BRAVEHEART (1995) 178 minutes Adventure; Drama; Literary Adaptation
Director: Mel Gibson
Cast: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Catherine McCormack, Sean Lawlor
Writer: Randall Wallace
Synopsis: In the late 13th century, William Wallace returns to Scotland after living away from his homeland for many years. The king of Scotland has died without an heir and the king of England, a ruthless pagan known as Edward the Longshanks, has seized the throne. Wallace becomes the leader of a ramshackled yet courageous army determined to vanquish the greater English forces. Wallace’s courage and passion unite the people in “Braveheart”.

15. GRUMPY OLD MEN (1993) 102 minutes Comedy; Romance
Director:Donald Petrie Jr.
Cast: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret, Burgess Meredith, Daryl Hannah, Kevin Pollack
Writer: Mark Steven Johnson
Synopsis: Engagingly performed but mostly malnourished comedy about two mate less Minnesota retirees, rabid ice-fishermen, whose lifelong feud escalates when an attractive widow moves in across the street.

16. THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (2012) 118 minutes Comedy; Drama; Evaluate Your Life Day;
Director: John Madden
Cast: Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel
Writer: Ol Parker, Deborah Moggach
Synopsis: THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL follows a group of British retirees who decide to “outsource” their retirement to less expensive and seemingly exotic India. Enticed by advertisements for the newly restored Marigold Hotel and bolstered with visions of a life of leisure, they arrive to find the palace a shell of its former self. Though the new environment is less luxurious than imagined, they are forever transformed by their shared experiences, discovering that life and love can begin again when you let go of the past.

17. THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1948) 126 minutes Adventure; Drama Black and White/Monochrome; Sound;
Director: John Huston
Cast: Walter Huston, Humphrey Bogart, Tim Holt
Writer: B. Traven (novel), John Huston 
Synopsis: Three gold prospectors in Mexico are destroyed by greed. Huston won Oscars for his script and direction, and his father Walter took Best Supporting Actor for his role as a grizzled, crotchety old adventurer.

18. THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH (1955) 105 minutes Comedy; Drama
Director: Billy Wilder
Cast: Marilyn Monroe, Tom Ewell, Evelyn Keyes
Writer: George Axelrod (play), Billy Wilder
Synopsis: Like many other Manhattan husbands, Richard Sherman sends his wife and son to the country for the summer, while he stays behind to toil. Though reveling in temporary bachelor freedom of lifestyle, he’s resolved not to carouse and philander like some others. But his overactive, over-vivid imagination goes into overdrive when a delightfully unconventional, voluptuous blonde moves in upstairs.

19. THE BRUTALIST (2024) 215 minutes Drama
Director: Brady Corbet
Cast: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin
Writer: Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold 
Synopsis: When visionary architect László Toth and his wife Erzsébet flee Europe to rebuild their legacy and witness the birth of modern America, their lives are changed forever by a mysterious and wealthy client. The seemingly charming industrialist Harrison Van Buren offers László and his family the American Dream on a silver platter, commissioning him to design a grand modernist monument and help shape the landscape of the country he now calls home. It will be the most ambitious project of his career, one that will take László and Erzsébet to both monumental heights and devastating lows.

20. A COMPLETE UNKNOWN (2024) Drama; Musical; Biography
Director:  James Mangold
Cast:  Timothée Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Edward Norton, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook, Scoot McNairy, Dan Fogler, Charlie Tahan
Writer: James Mangold, Jay Cocks, Elijah Wald
Synopsis:  Set in the influential New York music scene of the early ’60s, A Complete Unknown follows 19-year-old Minnesota musician Bob Dylan’s meteoric rise as a folk singer to concert halls and the top of the charts — his songs and mystique becoming a worldwide sensation — culminating in his groundbreaking electric rock and roll performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965.

21. BARBIE (2023) 114 minutes
Director:  Greta Gerwig
Cast:  Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Helen Mirren, Nicola Coughlan, Will Ferrell, Emma Mackey, Michael Cera, Marisa Abela, Rhea Perlman, Kate McKinnon
Writer:  Noah Baumbach, Greta Gerwig 
Synopsis: Barbie leads a dream life in Barbieland, until one day, she suddenly starts having dark thoughts. So she goes to the weird Barbie to get advice. She explains to her that a breach has been created between the real world and their universe and that she must go to Los Angeles in order to find the person responsible for her troubles. Accompanied by Ken, Barbie will go to the Los Angeles, and will discover there that the Barbie doll is not the model of confidence, assurance and fulfillment that she believed. In addition, Ken will discover the patriarchy, which does not bode well for the future.

22. GLADIATOR II (2024) 148 minutes Adventure; Drama; Action
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Pedro Pa scal, Paul Mescal, Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, Derek Jacobi, Fred Hechinger, Rory McCann, Matt Lucas
Writer: David Scarpa, Peter Craig, David Franzoni 
Synopsis: After his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now lead Rome, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum and must look to his past to find strength to return the glory of Rome to its people.

23. TIN CUP (1996) 135 minutes Sport; Comedy
Director:  Ron Shelton
Cast:  Kevin Costner, Rene Russo, Don Johnson, Cheech Martin, Linda Hart
Writer:  John Norville, Ron Shelton 
Synopsis: Ron Shelton, Kevin Costner and Rene Russo team up on this comedy-drama about love, risk and golf. Costner plays a driving range pro and golfer hustler from West Texas whose legendary ball-striking skills are matched only by his self-destructive nature and lowlife charm. His comfortable life of failure is turned upside down when he’s smitten by a woman who comes in for golf lessons; he then sets out to qualify for the U.S. Open to prove to himself (and to her) that he’s capable of heroic achievements.

24. GANGS OF NEW YORK (2002) Drama; Crime
Director:  Martin Scorsese
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Cameron Diaz, Jim Broadbent, John C. Reilly, Henry Thomas, Liam Neeson, Brendan Gleeson, Gary Lewis, Stephen Graham
Writer:  Jay Cocks (story), Jay Cocks (screenplay)
Synopsis: 1863. America was born in the streets. In this movie, we see Amsterdam Vallon returning to the Five Points of America to seek vengeance against the psychotic gangland kingpin Bill the Butcher who murdered his father years ago. With an eager pickpocket by his side and a whole new army, Vallon fights his way to seek vengeance on the Butcher and restore peace in the area. However this is more said than done.

25. THE LAST SAMURAI (2003) 144 minutes Adventure; Drama; War; Action
Director: Edward Zwick
Cast: Tom Cruise, Billy Connolly, Seizo Fukumoto, Tony Goldwyn, Masao Harada, Togo Igawa, Sosuke Ikematsu, Shin Koyamada, Koyuki, Aoi Minato
Writer:  Marshall Herskovitz, John Logan 
Synopsis: A civil war veteran turned Winchester guns spokesman, the captain Woodrow Algren, arrives in Japan in the late 1870s to train the troops of the emperor Meiji, as a part of break away from the long-held tradition of relying on employed samurai warriors to protect territories, as Meiji´s new army prepares to wipe out the remaining samurais. When Algren is injured and captured by the samurai, he learns about their warrior honor code from Katsumoto, the samurai´s leader and decides which side of the conflict he wants to be on…

26. ANY GIVEN SUNDAY (1999) 157 minutes Drama; sport
Director:  Oliver Stone
Cast:  Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, Lauren Holly, James Woods, Jamie Foxx, LL Cool J
Writer:  Daniel Pyne, John Logan 
Synopsis: The machinations of professional football provide the basis for this gridiron drama featuring Al Pacino as the coach of a national team. The action turns on the character played by Dennis Quaid, a legendary quarterback on the downside of his career who’s pressured to play hurt by his coach. Complicating matters is the fact that he is also facing the spector of being replaced by a hot-shot young phenomenon (Jamie Foxx).

27. SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (1994) 140 minutes Drama
Director: Frank Darabont
Cast:  Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Gill Bellows
Writer:  Stephen King, Frank Darabont 
Synopsis: Tim Robbins is a banker questionably convicted of murder and Morgan Freeman is a seasoned lifer in this extraordinary tale of hope, survival and friendship inside a maximum security prison.

28. MILLION DOLLAR BABY (2005) 132 minutes Drama; Romance; Sport
Director:  Clint Eastwood
Cast: Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Jay Baruchel, Marcus Chait, Mike Colter, Kimberly Estrada
Writer:  F.X. Toole (stories), Paul Haggis (screenplay)
Synopsis: In the wake of a painful estrangement from his daughter, boxing trainer Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) has been unwilling to let himself get close to anyone for a very long time – then Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) walks into his gym. In a life of constant struggle, Maggie’s gotten herself this far on raw talent, unshakable focus and a tremendous force of will. But more than anything, she wants someone to believe in her. The last thing Frankie needs is that kind of responsibility – let alone that kind of risk – but won over by Maggie’s sheer determination, he begrudgingly agrees to take her on. In turns exasperating and inspiring each other, the two come to discover that they share a common spirit that transcends the pain and loss of their pasts, and they find in each other a sense of family they lost long ago. Yet, they both face a battle that will demand more heart and courage than any they’ve ever known.

29. GARDEN STATE (2004) 102 minutes Comedy; Drama
Director:  Zach Braff
Cast:  Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Ian Holm
Writer:  Zach Braff 
Synopsis: When Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff) returns to his hometown for his mother’s funeral, he reconnects with old friends and – since he’s gone off his depression medication – himself. A chance meeting with Sam (Natalie Portman), who is also suffering from various maladies, opens his world to the possibility of rekindling emotional attachments, confronting his psychologist father, and perhaps beginning a new life.

30. THE ISLAND (2005) 135 minutes Drama; Science Fiction; Thriller
Director:  Michael Bay
Cast:  Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johansson, Djimon Hounsou, Steve Buscemi, Sean Bean, Michael Clarke Duncan, Max Baker, Tom Beaver
Writer:  Caspian Tredwell-Owen (story), Alex Kurtzman (screenplay) 
Synopsis: Lincoln Six-Echo (McGregor) is a resident of a seemingly utopian but contained facility in the mid 21st century. Like all of the inhabitants of this carefully controlled environment, Lincoln hopes to be chosen to go to the “The Island” – reportedly the last uncontaminated spot on the planet. But Lincoln soon discovers that everything about his existence is a lie. He and all of the other inhabitants of the facility are actually human clones whose only purpose is to provide “spare parts” for their original human counterparts. Realizing it is only a matter of time before he is “harvested”, Lincoln makes a daring escape with a beautiful fellow resident named Jordan Two-Delta (Johansson). Relentlessly pursued by the forces of the sinister institute that once housed them, Lincoln and Jordan engage in a race for their lives to literally meet their makers.

31. THE FAMILY STONE (2005) 102 minutes Comedy; Drama; Romance; Breast Cancer Awareness
Director:  Thomas G. Bezucha
Cast:  Claire Danes, Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Dermot Mulroney, Craig T. Nelson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson 
Synopsis: The comedy revolves around the annual holiday gathering of a bohemian family that’s thrown into turmoil when the fair-haired son introduces his fiancée, a high strung New York businesswoman whom the family hates.

32. THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946) 170 minutes Drama; Romance
Director: William Wyler
Cast:  Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews 
Synopsis: Three World War II veterans, two of them traumatized or disabled, return home to the American Midwest to discover that they and their families have been irreparably changed.