Tuesday’s Top Trailer: Welcome to the Rileys

Welcome to a weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Tuesday's Top Trailer. One of my favorite parts about going to see movies is the series of trailers that airs beforehand and, more often than not, the trailer is far better than the actual film. Each week, I'll be sharing a trailer I've recently seen. Please chime in with comments on what you think of the trailer and how you think the movie is going to be.

Welcome to the Rileys – Opening November 5, 2010



The trailer for this harrowing drama was featured on the IMDB home page last week and caught my eye. It showcases two powerhouse television stars that have turned in outstanding lead performances on HBO shows. James Gandolfini starred as the patriarch of “The Sopranos” for almost a decade while Melissa Leo is just starting out as a hard-working lawyer in New Orleans on “Treme.” Kristen Stewart rounds out the cast as a troubled young girl who Gandolfini’s mourning father meets during a trip to New Orleans. It seems that Stewart still hasn’t learned how to keep her arms by her sides since the first shot of her in the trailer has her executing her signature move, running her fingers through her hair. Stewart may be whipped into shape by her costars here, however, considering how up for the task they are. Leo buckled down and immersed herself in a difficult role in “Frozen River” two years, earning a very deserved Oscar nomination for her efforts. Gandolfini played a conflicted, depressed man on “The Sopranos,” and he has three Emmys to show for it. While Stewart may spend most of her time these days dating vampires on screen, this should hopefully be a more promising role than March’s “The Yellow Handkerchief.” Even if Stewart doesn’t do a great job, this seems like a moving, enriching story. The trailer starts to give away too much, but the good thing about that is that I want to see the film to find out what hasn’t been given away already. November is along time away, but that time in the fall is just when some of the truly good Oscar contenders start coming out, so it’s possible that Gandolfini and Leo, and most likely not Stewart, will end up on that list if this film is a success. I’m looking forward to it – how about you?