Opening in theaters on May 11th, just in time for Mother's Day, is the new film Girl in Progress from director Patricia Riggen (Lemonade Mouth). The film stars Eva Mendes (Ghost Rider), Cierra Ramirez (TV's The Suite Life of Zach and Cody), Patricia Arquette (Bringing Out the Dead), Matthew Modine (Full Metal Jacket), Russell Peters (New Year's Eve) and Brenna O'Brian (X-Men: The Last Stand). 

IAR's Managing Editor Jami Philbrick recently had a chance to sit down with director Patricia Riggen to discuss her work on Girl in Progress. The director talked about her new film, its unique premise, balancing the tone, making entertainment for young girls, what Eva Mendes brings to a project, mothers and daughters, and casting her young lead actress. 

Opening in theaters on May 11th, just in time for Mother's Day, is the new film Girl in Progress from director Patricia Riggen (Lemonade Mouth). The film stars Eva Mendes (Ghost Rider), Cierra Ramirez (TV's The Suite Life of Zach and Cody), Patricia Arquette (Bringing Out the Dead), Matthew Modine (Full Metal Jacket), Russell Peters (New Year's Eve) and Brenna O'Brian (X-Men: The Last Stand). 

IAR's Managing Editor Jami Philbrick recently had a chance to sit down with Eva Mendes and Cierra Ramirez to discuss their work on Girl in Progress. The two actresses talked about their new film, it's unusual premise, Ramirez's audition tape; why she wanted to work with Mendes, how the two actresses formed their on-screen mother/daughter bond, Grace's lack of parenting skills, and director Patricia Riggen's vision for the tone of the film. 

Synopsis: Grace (Eva Mendes) is a single mom. She is too busy juggling work, bills, and the very married Dr. Hartford (Matthew Modine), to give her daughter, Ansiedad (Cierra Ramirez) the attention she desperately needs. When Ansiedad's English teacher, Ms. Armstrong (Patricia Arquette), introduces her students to classic coming-of-age stories, Ansiedad is inspired to skip adolescence and jump-start her life without mom. While Grace becomes preoccupied with the increasing affections of her co-worker (Eugenio Derbez), Ansiedad enlists the help of her loyal friend, Tavita (Raini Rodriguez), to plot her shortcut to "adulthood". But as her misguided plan unravels, Ansiedad and Grace must learn that sometimes growing-up means acting your age.

Last year, Derek Cianfrance earned a whole lot of accolades for Blue Valentine, a drama that devastatingly juxtaposed the sweet beginnings of a relationship with its inevitable deterioration.  It's the sort of film that does exactly what it wants to, providing a cinematic approximation of the emotional clusterfuck that accompanies the cessation of a formerly loving relationship.  The leads were perfectly played by Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling, and for his follow-up,The Place Beyond the Pines, Cianfrance is reteaming with former Mouseketeer Gosling.  The first images from the film have made their way online, and they provide the first look at Gosling rocking bleached blond hair, and fellow lead Bradley Cooper getting his run on in a police uniform.

Netflix's streaming Watch Instantly service is fast becoming America's favorite way to watch movies. The library of available titles is so vast and mutable that you, the avid instant watcher, could no doubt use a guide as you navigate the streaming frontier.

Luckily for you, we'll be here every Tuesday to update you on the latest titles available for instant-watching, as well as bringing attention some gems and even some enjoyable calamities out there in the instantly watchable wilds.

Unlike, say, the Golden Globes, the annual MTV Movie Awards are in no way dressed up in self importance, pomp, or circumstance.  The fact that the awards themselves are cups of golden popcorn is a tacit admission of their irrelevance, and the awards-show trappings are really just a structure within which a lot of fun can be had.  This year's Movie Awards were hosted by Jason Sudeikis last night, and the big winner was definitely The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, taking five of the viewer-voted awards.  The film won every category in which it was nominated, but Chloe Grace Moretz, the pint-sized ass-kicker of Kick-Ass, also won two buckets of shiny popcorn. 

In writer-director Massy Tadjedin's debut feature, Sam Worthington will take a break from clashing with Greek gods and acting as white messiah to naive aliens in order to play one half of a married couple in a quiet, personal drama.  In Last Night, Worthington and Keira Knightley are a married couple who both face potential infidelity in separate circumstances on a single night.  Eva Mendes and Guillaume Canet appear as respective objects of temptation.  Take a look at all those good-looking people in the latest trailer for Last Night. 

If you are a fan of Robert Rodriguez, it is hard to imagine not being excited about the recent Blu-ray release of three of his classic films. The first release is a double feature of El mariachi and Desperado, the second is the third and final adventure of “El Mariachi” himself (Antonio Banderas) in Once Upon a Time in Mexico.

I saw The Other Guys over the weekend, and though it was mostly just your standard, reasonably funny Will Ferrell/Adam McKay flick, the part we ended up discussing most after it was over was the closing credit sequence.  Conveniently, that sequence is now online courtesy of Moviefone (don’t watch it if you consider a credit sequence that reveals nothing about the plot a spoiler). 

With just days away from opening at the box office on August 6th, The Other Guys extended movie trailer is making the rounds since premiering at Comic Con 2010 from director Adam Mckay, who is resposible for such comedies as Step Brothers and The Landlord.