Five high school students - a Rebel, an Athlete, a Brain, a Princess and a Basketcase - find themselves thrown together serving a Saturday morning detention. They do not have much in common, except giving up their day, sitting in the school library, and writing an essay for the principal. At first, they argue and hate each other, but after smoking some of John's marijuana, they begin to pour their hearts out to each other. They talk about their fears,...

Nim Rusoe is a young girl who inhabits an isolated island with her scientist father and communicates, via e-mail, with the reclusive author of the novel she has been reading. Nim's existence mirrors that of her favorite literary character, Alex Rover, the world's greatest adventurer. But Alexandra, the author of the Rover books, leads a reclusive life in the big city. When Nim's father goes missing from the island, Nim gets Alexandra to come to her...

Eleven year-old Akeelah Anderson's life is not easy: her father is dead, her mom ignores her, her brother runs with the local gangbangers. She is a smart girl, but her environment threatens to strangle her aspirations. Responding to a threat by her school's principal, Akeelah decides to participate in a spelling bee to avoid detention for her many absences. Much to her surprise and embarrassment, she wins. Her principal asks her to seek coaching from...

The moment the Grace family moves into the dilapidated Spiderwick Estate, strange things begin to happen. Jared, a curious, adventurous boy, quickly seeks out and finds the hidden laboratory of his great great uncle Arthur Spiderwick. He unleashes a mysterious force when he locates a field guide full of the secrets of the magical creatures that inhabit the forest surrounding the mansion. His twin brother Simon is calm and reserved but is rapidly drawn...

Roy Eberhardt has moved with his family so often he literally has lost count of the number of times he has had to changed schools. Roy ought to be used to being the new kid at school by now, but making the switch from Montana to Florida proves to be a major challenge. While Roy quickly becomes the target of school bully, he is befriended by Beatrice Leep, a spunky girl with enough nerve to stand up to Dana, and her brother Mullet Fingers. Beatrice...

A jaded former jockey helps a young girl prepare a wild but gifted horse for England's Grand National Sweepstakes.

Only dimly aware of the shadow of World War II somewhere beyond the Castilian plateau, sisters Isabel and Ana must occupy themselves as their preoccupied scientist father and isolated, languishing mother move in their solitary orbits. After attending the screening of James Whale's "Frankenstein" at a makeshift movie theater in town, Ana becomes obsessed with the idea of befriending the imaginary monster. Largely wordless, the film functions as a striking...

A high school teacher with a drug habit finds a friendship in an unlikely source - one of his troubled students. Will their relationship help them or harm them?