Inspired by a larger-than-life true story, Dallas Buyers Club stars Matthew McConaughey as AIDS-stricken Texan Ron Woodroof, who wages war with big pharma and the feds in the ‘80s. McConaughey famously lost more than 30 pounds for the role, and his performance has been lauded as another masterwork in his line of recent home runs.
Nov. 1
The Wolf of Wall Street is based on the true story of Long Island penny stockbroker Jordan Belfort (played by Leonardo DiCaprio), who lived the high life until crime, corruption and the feds marked his fall in the 1990s.
Dec. 25.
An all-star cast including Tom Hanks, Colin Farrell and Emma Thompson star in Saving Mr. Banks, the story of how Walt Disney courted author P.L. Travers in his quest to option the rights to Mary Poppins.
Dec. 13
A modern adaptation of Langston Hughes' play, the musical drama Black Nativity centers on a street-smart teen raised by a single mom (played by Jennifer Hudson). He travels to New York City to spend Christmas with estranged relatives Reverend Cornell and Aretha Cobbs (played by Forest Whitaker and Angela Bassett).
Nov. 27
Prepare to be transported to another place and time in Inside Llewyn Davis, as an aspiring singer-songwriter navigates the 1960s folk music scene in the famous Greenwich Village section of New York. Carey Mulligan stars in the Coen Brothers' film.
Dec. 6
Amy Adams, Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson star in Spike Jonze's latest, Her, in which a lonesome writer develops a relationship with his computer.
Dec. 18
American Hustle tells the story of a con man (played by Christian Bale) who with his partner (Amy Adams), works for an FBI agent (Bradley Cooper). Jennifer Lawrence also stars.
The lives of two brothers (Emile Hirsch and Stephen Dorff) living on the fringes in Reno takes a turn when one is involved in a deadly accident. Holiday-appropriate messages like hope and the strength of family pervade.
Nov. 8
What's more holiday season than a Charles Dickens tale? Great Expectations is Dickens' coming-of-age story of the orphan Pip (Jeremy Irvine), who has big dreams of becoming a gentleman—and who's in love with a girl outside of his class.
Yup, Dickens again! Only from another angle this time: Invisible Woman is the tale of the author's secret mistress. Felicity Jones and Kristin Scott Thomas star in this Ralph Fiennes picture.
Dec. 25
Labor Day follows a 13-year-old kid who tries to navigate adolescence while being the man of the house in support of his mom. Jason Reitman, Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet star.
At a time when our collective obsession with the royals is as intense as ever, Naomi Watts plays Princess Diana during the last two years of the Princess of Wales' life in the 1990s, including her last love affair with Pakistani heart surgeon Hasnat Khan (played by Naveen Andrews).
Here's another one for Naomi Watts this season: In Sunlight Jr., she plays a cashier at a local convenience store in Florida, living in a shabby motel with her boyfriend (Matt Dillon). An unexpected pregnancy shakes things up.
Nov. 15
This film recounts Jack Kerouac's (Jean-Marc Barr) three visits to a Big Sur cabin owned by the poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti (Anthony Edwards). Look for the striking scenery of the California coastline.The film also stars Kate Bosworth and Josh Lucas.
NEXT GALLERY: 2013 Holiday Movie Guide: Comedies