Mike Hall

The hard-ball gamesmanship and casual character assassination of American politics sets the stage for this thriller from writer and director Rod Lurie. When the Vice President of the United States unexpectedly dies, all eyes in Washington D.C. are on President Jackson Evans (Jeff Bridges) as he chooses a new VP. Sen. Jack Hathaway (William Petersen), a respected career politician enjoying a new swell of popularity after a well-publicized attempt to save a drowning woman, is expected to be Evans' choice, but instead he picks Sen. Laine Hanson (Joan Allen), a decision that raises eyebrows on both sides of the political fence. Veteran power broker Shelly Runyon (Gary Oldman) is vehemently opposed to Hanson's appointment, in part because the Democratic senator was once a Republican, and vows to do everything in his power to prevent her from being confirmed. Runyon and his staff start digging for dirt on Hanson, and soon make a surprising discovery her personal morality is called into question when it's alleged that she took part in a group sexual liaison while she was a college student. The Contender also stars Mike Binder as one of Hanson's advisors, Mariel Hemingway as an old friend with a surprising secret, Christian Slater as an ambitious congressmen assisting Runyon, and Philip Baker Hall as Hanson's father; it was the second feature from former film critic Rod Lurie.

Working class New York bus driver Ralph Kramden (Cedric the Entertainer) is a man with big dreams that never work out. His friend, sewer specialist Ed Norton (Mike Epps) is always around to help him get in (and out of) trouble. Standing by their husbands are devoted wives Alice (Gabrielle Union) and Trixie (Regina Hall) who make ends meet by waitressing at a neighborhood diner. Throw in a stray dog named Iggy who runs like the wind (when he's motivated) and you have a comical underdog story for the whole family.

For almost 90 years, the Chicago Bears have truly proved themselves to be among the fiercest, unforgiving defenses of the National Football League. A Tradition of Defense: The Chicago Bears begins with George Halas dominating the NFL with a strong defense that never truly disappointed. Watch highlights from the greatest defensive players in Chicago Bears history along with the Bears all-time starting 11 defensive legends. Witness Hall of Famer Doug Atkins leading the 'Monsters of Midway' to the 1963 NFL Championship. See how Mike Singletary and Gary Fencik carried out the '46 Defense' under the coordination of Buddy Ryan. Relive again and again why the Chicago Bears defensive line-up is unstoppable beyond belief.

May 25: With a record number of people expected to travel for Memorial Day weekend, MSNBC s Tamron Hall and NBC s Mike Viqueira talk about how gas prices are actually dropping.