Everybody’s Fine: B
(Robert De Niro, Kate Beckinsale, Drew Barrymore) A widower (De Niro) visits his grown children (Beckinsale, Barrymore and Sam Rockwell) and learns their lives are not what they’ve described. This nice, thoughtful drama from writer/director Kirk Jones features a solid performance from De Niro and some deft storytelling touches (seeing the children as kids rather than adults, etc.) that make it truthful and heartwarming. Rated PG-13.

Brothers: B
(Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, Tobey Maguire) With his brother Sam (Maguire) presumed dead in Afghanistan, ex-con Tommy (Gyllenhaal) helps Sam’s wife, Grace (Portman), around the house and with her two little girls. Bravura performances (especially Maguire) and a story that’s more complicated than you’d expect overcome the slow pacing in director Jim Sheridan’s (“In America”) latest. Rated R.

The Road: B+
(Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Guy Pearce) In a post-apocalyptic world in which Earth is slowly destroying itself, a father (Mortensen) and son (Smit-McPhee) seek food, shelter and warmth as they struggle to survive. Plausible and logical drama, an atmosphere of impending doom and great performances from Mortensen and Smit-McPhee make this a movie you will not soon forget. Based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy. Rated R.

Fantastic Mr. Fox: C
(Voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray) Writer/director Wes Anderson (“The Royal Tennenbaums”) ventures into stop-motion animation with this story of a sly fox (Clooney) who defies his wife’s (Streep) wishes and raids the homesteads of three nasty farmers. Clooney and Streep are good, but the animation is clunky and the story is never captivating. Based on the novel by Roald Dahl. Rated PG.

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