Ruth Maleczech

The Crucible -- A teenage girl's accusation that she was bewitched wrecks havoc and hysteria in a small town in 17th-century New England; based on the celebrated Arthur Miller play.

The Salem witch trials of 1692 are brought vividly to life in this compelling adaptation of Arthur Miller's play, directed by Nicholas Hytner ("The Madness of King George"). A group of teenage girls meet in the woods at midnight for a secret love-conjuring ceremony. While the other girls attempt to cast love spells, Abigail Williams (Winona Ryder) wishes for the death of her former lover's (Daniel Day-Lewis) wife. When their ceremony is witnessed by the town minister, the girls suddenly find themselves accused of witchcraft. Soon the entire village is consumed by cries of witchcraft, and as the hysteria grows, blameless victims are torn from their homes, leading to a devastating climax.

A top-notch cast headlines this Oscar-nominated drama about four boys from Hell's Kitchen who grow up in a world where loyalty means everything. A teenage prank gets them thrown in reform school, where they suffer harrowing abuses at the hands of the guards. Once out, their lives take radically different paths, but the quartet intersect again when one of the brutal guards is murdered. With Oscar-nominee Brad Pitt ("Ocean's Eleven," "The Mexican"), Oscar-winner Robert De Niro ("Analyze That," "Showtime"), Kevin Bacon ("Mystic River," "Hollow Man"), Oscar-winner Dustin Hoffman ("Moonlight Mile," "Shpere"), Jason Patric ("Narc," "The Lost Boys"), Oscar-nominee Minnie Driver ("Good Will Hunting," "Tarzan"), Bruno Kirby ("When Harry Met Sally," "City Slickers"), and Brad Renfro ("Apt Pupil," "The Client"). Written and directed by Oscar-winner Barry Levinson ("Liberty Heights," "Disclosure").

A top-notch cast headlines this Oscar-nominated drama about four boys from Hell's Kitchen who grow up in a world where loyalty means everything. A teenage prank gets them thrown in reform school, where they suffer harrowing abuses at the hands of the guards. Once out, their lives take radically different paths, but the quartet intersect again when one of the brutal guards is murdered.