<p>"The Chameleon" is the chilling true story of Frederic Bourdin, a young French con man who was a serial impersonator of missing teenagers. For a time during the mid-1990s, Bourdin lived with a family in San Antonio, Texas under the guise of being their long-presumed missing brother.</p>

<p>The amazing true story of Frédéric Bourdin, who after having plundered all the centers for runaway minors and deliquents in Europe, even thought he has come of age, now passes himself off as Nicholas Barclay, a 13-year-old American who had vanished three years ago. To his astonishment, Nicholas&apos;s family welcomes him like their son, leaving Interpol and the FBI aghast. It is the beginning of a race against time for the investigators, family and Bourdin. But who is manipulating whom? And who is Frederic Bourdin in reality?</p>

<p>Described as being in the vein of a futuristic "Spartacus", "The Champion" tells of a man falsely imprisoned for an act of terrorism who must battle through the prison's gladiator program to regain his freedom.</p>

<p>A stubborn and hotheaded minor league basketball coach is forced to train a Special Olympics team when he is sentenced to community service.</p>

<p>"Champs" challenges the perception of the American Dream through the journeys of heralded boxers Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Bernard Hopkins. Chronicling these three protagonists' painstaking paths to self-discovery, the film reveals their perpetuating battles through today's most prevalent social issues as allegories for the countless Americans that face the same obstacles, including struggling with poverty, broken homes, drug and alcohol abuse, violence and the failures of our educational and prison systems. The film delves into the unique abilities of these fighters to face life's most difficult obstacles and yet highlights how we as a society leave these men without the right tools to succeed outside of the ring. We call them career "Champs," but cannot help but ask the question if they can truly be champions in life.</p>

<p>Peter Chancellor turns in a novel about D.C. power brokers who are blackmailed into altering U.S. policies. When some operatives get hold of the manuscript, they think he has uncovered their actual scheme and try to hunt the author down.</p>

<p>Chandni Chowk to China, the first ever Bollywood Kungfu comedy takes you on a madcap journey from the by-lanes of Chandni Chowk in Delhi, to Shanghai, the Great Wall and rural China, marrying in its wake hilarious gags, breathtaking action, spectacular locations and heart stirring emotions. </p><p>Our protagonist Sidhu (Akshay Kumar) is the lowest on the totem pole, cutting vegetables at a road side food stall in Chandni Chowk in Delhi. He longs to escape his dreary existence and looks for shortcuts - with astrologers, tarot readers, & fake fakirs - basically believing anything except himself, despite his father figure Dada's (Mithun Chakraborty) best efforts. </p><p>His redeeming moment arrives when two strangers from China claim him as a reincarnation of a war hero in the past and take him to China. Sidhu now dreams of wine, women and a princely existence in foreign lands. Thanks to the devious translator, a conman by the name Chopstick (Ranvir Shorey), little does he know that he is being taken to the promised land to rid the Chinese village of the vicious smuggler Hojo (Gordon Liu)! </p><p>So Sidhu blissfully sets forth to China with Chopstick who instigates dreams of a delicious future and forgets to reveal the perils which await him. Along the way he meets Sakhi (Deepika Padukone), Ms. Tele Shoppers Media (Ms TSM) who has embarked on a journey to pay homage to the land of her birth and her dead father and twin. </p><p>Initially Sidhu through a series of lucky coincidences manages to sidestep being beaten by Hojo's men but finally Hojo catches up with him and exposes him as the country buffoon that he really is. Sidhu has the fire of revenge in his belly and finds the one man who will make him a Kungfu expert and set the village free. Armed with his Sifu(master), faith in himself and the love of the fair Sakhi Sidhu sets forth to conquer all!</p>

<p>"Change in the Air" opens in a modest home on a quiet street. An old man, Walter Lemke (M. Emmet Walsh), skips breakfast with his wife, Margaret (Olympia Dukakis), walks outside, and steps in front of an oncoming car. Deliberately. Moody Burkhart (Aidan Quinn), the police officer who responds to the accident, inquires about the woman, Wren Miller (Rachel Brosnahan), who placed the emergency call, but when he knocks on Wren’s door, she hides.</p><p>The following day, Jo Ann & Arnie Bayberry (Mary Beth Hurt and Peter Gerety) return from a bird-watching expedition. Their next-door neighbor, Donna (Macy Gray), tells them Mr. Lemke is in the hospital and that she's found a new tenant to sublet her apartment: Wren. When Mr. Lemke returns home, Jo Ann sees him sitting by himself in his front yard. She drags her lawn chair down the street and sets up beside him – invading his space with the best of intentions. Walter never says a word; Jo Ann never stops talking.</p><p>Meanwhile, Josh (Satya Bhabha), the local mailman, daily delivers a large bag of letters to Wren's door. In the days that follow, Jo Ann's vigil on the Lemke lawn expands along with her fascination with Wren. But now it's not just Jo Ann who is intrigued.</p><P>This story embraces the imperfections that make us human, offers a way to set ourselves free and asks us all to take a good, long look at the wild birds in the sky.</p>

<p>Frustrated with the cards life has dealt him, Hank (James Belushi) is man whose circumstances have driven him to fear diversity, yet his Central Florida town is adhering less and less to the white, straight profile with which he's comfortable. After suffering a heart attack, Hank's life is saved by a transplant-but will Hank's body accept a donation from a Puerto Rican drag queen?</p><p>Playing on both the literal and symbolic significance of that most treasured of organs, "A Change of Heart" conveys the sort of story America needs right now, reminds us that even the most hardened among us can learn to embrace difference, accept love, and move on with life.</p>

<p>Change of Pace follows Jack, a young professional trapped in a monotonous daily routine where each morning unfolds in the exact same way, slowly draining his energy and sense of purpose. As the repetition takes its toll, his movements become dull and mechanical, reflecting the emotional weight of his lifestyle. Over time, however, small moments of awareness begin to surface, leading him to make subtle changes in his routine. These shifts gradually bring back a sense of intention and energy, hinting at a deeper transformation as Jack begins to realize he has the power to break free from the cycle that once defined his life.</p>

<p>Two women meet in prison and plan an escape, with any means necessary.</p>

<p>Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman star in "The Change-Up", from director David Dobkin ("Wedding Crashers"), writers Jon Lucas & Scott Moore ("The Hangover") and producer Neal Moritz ("Fast & Furious", "Click"). The R-rated comedy takes the traditional body-switching movie, ties it up tightly and throws it off a cliff. </p><p>Growing up together, Mitch (Reynolds) and Dave (Bateman) were inseparable best friends, but as the years have passed they've slowly drifted apart. While Dave is an overworked lawyer, husband and father of three, Mitch has remained a single, quasi-employed man-child who has never met a responsibility he liked. To Mitch, Dave has it all: beautiful wife Jamie (Leslie Mann), kids who adore him and a high-paying job at a prestigious law firm. To Dave, living Mitch's stress free life without obligation or consequence would be a dream come true. </p><p>Following a drunken night out together, Mitch and Dave's worlds are turned upside down when they wake up in each other's bodies and proceed to freak the &*#@ out. </p><p>Despite the freedom from their normal routines and habits, the guys soon discover that each other's lives are nowhere near as rosy as they once seemed. Further complicating matters are Dave's sexy legal associate, Sabrina (Olivia Wilde), and Mitch's estranged father (Alan Arkin). With time not on their side, Mitch and Dave comically struggle to avoid completely destroying each other's lives before they can find a way to get their old ones back. </p>

<p>"Changeland" centers on Brandon (Seth Green), an unexceptional guy who prepaid for an exotic second honeymoon to save his failing marriage. On the eve of his anniversary, he discovers his wife's long affair and runs away with his best friend Dan (Breckin Meyer) to avoid conflict and figure out what comes next. As they share breathtaking, once-in-a-lifetime experiences meant for a happy couple, their friendship is exposed as potentially strained as Brandon's marriage. The characters they encounter will impact Brandon's life forever.</p>

<p>Clint Eastwood directs Angelina Jolie and John Malkovich in a provocative thriller based on actual events: Changeling. In the film, Christine Collins' (Jolie) prayers are met when her kidnapped son is returned. But amidst the frenzy of the photo-op reunion, she realizes this child is not hers. Facing corrupt police and a skeptical public, she desperately hunts for answers, only to be confronted by a truth that will change her forever.</p><p>Los Angeles, 1928: On a Saturday morning in a working-class suburb, Christine said goodbye to her son, Walter, and left for work. When she came home, she discovered he had vanished. A fruitless search ensues, and months later, a boy claiming to be the nine-year-old is returned. Dazed by the swirl of cops, reporters and her conflicted emotions, Christine allows him to stay overnight. But in her heart, she knows he is not Walter.</p><p>As she pushes authorities to keep looking, she learns that in Prohibition-era L.A., women don't challenge the system and live to tell their story. Slandered as delusional and unfit, Christine finds an ally in activist Reverend Briegleb (Malkovich), who helps her fight the city to look for her missing boy. Based on the actual incident that rocked California's legal system, Changeling tells the shocking tale of a mother's quest to find her son, and those who won't stop until they silence her.</p>

<p>The story centers on a 16-year-old who lives in a low-rent suburb on the edge of earthquake-scarred Christchurch with her mother and four-year-old brother. When an ancient spirit attacks her brother and slowly drains the life out of him, she discovers her true identity and the supernatural ability within her, which she must harness to save her brother's life.</p>

<p>In the raw and unfiltered world of underground boxing, "Changes: The Story Of Sugar" follows the tumultuous journey of a young fighter grappling with identity and redemption. The film centers on Sugar, a gifted but troubled pugilist whose volatile temper threatens to derail a promising career before it truly begins. Haunted by a troubled past and the weight of expectations from those around him, Sugar must navigate the treacherous landscape of street fights and gym wars while confronting the very demons that fuel his aggression in the ring. As he trains under a weathered but wise mentor, the film explores the thin line between self-destruction and self-discovery, delving deep into the psychological toll of violence and the quest for personal transformation. Through blistering fight sequences and intimate character moments, the story examines whether true change is possible when every instinct screams to fight back. With a gritty, visceral tone that captures the sweat and sacrifice of the sport, this drama offers a poignant look at a man fighting not just for victory, but for his very soul.</p>

<p>Politics and planning collide in the struggle to redesign Brooklyn&apos;s notoriously dangerous McGuinness Blvd.</p>

<p>An audio-based radio anthology in the Channel 9 universe featuring work from Jake Hirsch, Jack McMillan, Richard Roberts, Lorna Ryan, Quin Terry, and Talissa Wright.</p>

<p>In Seattle, detective Quentin Conners is unfairly suspended and his partner Jason York leaves the police force after a tragic shooting on Pearl Street Bridge, when the hostage and the criminal die. During a bank heist with a hostage situation, Conners is assigned in charge of the operation with the rookie Shane Dekker as his partner. The thieves, lead by Lorenz, apparently do not steal a penny from the bank. While chasing the gangsters, the police team disclose that they planted a virus in the system, stealing one billion dollars from the different accounts, using the principle of the Chaos Theory. Further, they find that Lorenz is killing his accomplices.</p>

<p>Frank Allen (Ryan Reynolds), celebrated author of the bestseller "The Five Minute Efficiency Trainer", has perfected the art of living via a foolproof system of timetables and index cards. In fact, his daily "to do" lists are legendary. A man known for playing it safe, Frank doesn't believe in spontaneity. Every choice he makes is deliberate--designed to contribute to a well-ordered, predictable life.</p><p>But life, as he soon learns, never adheres to a strict schedule. </p><p>Frank's wife, Susan (Emily Mortimer), and seven-year-old daughter, Jesse (Matreya Fedor), find his obsession charming in small doses, but as a steady diet it can be very frustrating. One morning, Susan attempts to loosen her husband's scheduling stranglehold by adding ten minutes to his day. But, by setting the clock backward instead of forward, she inadvertently unleashes a series of mishaps that turn his meticulously ordered life upside down. A belligerent ferryman, a ruthless seductress, a reluctant mother-to-be and the secret amor of his best friend, Buddy (Stuart Townsend), combine to send his life into complete chaos.</p><p>As his life unravels in several directions simultaneously, however, a stunning family revelation forces Frank to look fate squarely in the eye. Shaken to his core, he starts living entirely "in the moment," allowing him to defy the conventions that have heretofore defined him. Those carefully coordinated index cards that had once kept his life in perfect order now become a deck of chance as Frank scribbles spontaneous ideas on random cards, shuffles, chooses and follows the luck of the draw...with unexpected results.</p><p>Frank is about to discover that not even an efficiency expert armed with timetables and index cards can change the serendipitous nature of family and friendship, love and forgiveness.</p>

<p>Two unlikely companions embark on a perilous adventure through the badlands of an unexplored planet as they try to escape a dangerous and disorienting reality, where all inner thoughts are seen and heard by everyone.</p>

<p>Louise Brooks, the 1920s silver screen sensation who never met a rule she didn't break, epitomized the restless, reckless spirit of the Jazz Age. But, just a few years earlier, she was a 15 year-old student in Wichita, Kansas for whom fame and fortune were only dreams. When the opportunity arises for her to go to New York to study with a leading dance troupe, her mother (Victoria Hill) insists there be a chaperone. Norma Carlisle (Elizabeth McGovern, "Downton Abbey"), a local society matron who never broke a rule in her life, impulsively volunteers to accompany Louise (Haley Lu Richardson) to New York for the summer.</p><p>Why does this utterly conventional woman do this? What happens to her when she lands in Manhattan with an unusually rebellious teenager as her ward? And, which of the two women is stronger, the uptight wife-and-mother or the irrepressible free spirit? It's a story full of surprises--about who these women really are, and who they eventually become.</p>

<p>All that former getaway-driver Ray Bradstone (WWE Superstar Paul "Triple H" Levesque) wants is to start a new life and patch things up with his daughter Sally (Ariel Winter, Modern Family). Unable to find honest work, he reluctantly agrees to do one last job with his old bank-robbing crew, led by Phillip Larue (Kevin Corrigan, Superbad). But when the opportunity arises to be a "chaperone" on Sally's school field trip, Ray resolves not to repeat his past mistakes and leaves the crew in the lurch. </p><p>When the robbery goes awry and the money ends up on the school bus, Larue chases them all around New Orleans, with the police in hot pursuit. Now Ray must stay one step ahead of Larue, the cops and 30 out-of-control teenagers all whilst trying to spend a little bit of quality time with his daughter on one of the craziest field trips ever!</p>

<p>Ted Kennedy&apos;s life and political career become derailed in the aftermath of a fatal car accident in 1969 that claims the life of a young campaign strategist, Mary Jo Kopechne.</p>

<p>Every child comes into the world full of promise, and none more so than Chappie: he is gifted, special, a prodigy. Like any child, Chappie will come under the influence of his surroundings&#8212;some good, some bad&#8212;and he will rely on his heart and soul to find his way in the world and become his own man. But there&apos;s one thing that makes Chappie different from any one else: he is a robot.</p>

<p>After serving eight years in prison, reformed gang leader S. Lance Ingram re-enters society and struggles to adapt to a changed Harlem. Living under the tough supervision of a parole officer in a halfway house, he is unable to find a job that will let him use the technological skills he gained in prison. </p><p>Lance is forced to take a job delivering for a food pantry where he befriends Ms. Maddy (Loretta Devine), a strong and spirited grandmother, and assumes responsibility for her 15-year-old grandson Ty, a promising student who is pulled into a dangerous street gang. When gang members decide to punish Ty for disobeying the "law of the streets," Lance risks sacrificing his "second chance" at freedom so that Ty can have a "first chance" at a better life.</p>

<p>On December 8, 1980 Mark David Chapman shocked the world by murdering the beloved purveyor of peace, 40-year old musician and activist, John Lennon, outside The Dakota, his New York apartment building. Chapman's motives were fabricated from pure delusion, fueled by an obsession with the fictional character Holden Caulfield and his similar misadventures in J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye. In one instant, an anonymous, mentally unstable 25-year old, socially awkward Beatles fan who had fluctuated between idealizing Lennon and being overcome with a desire to kill him - altered the course of history.</p><p>Jared Leto, 60 pounds heavier for the role, bears an uncanny physical resemblance to the real Chapman, who to this day, is incarcerated in Attica Prison, on a guilty plea. Aside from a Larry King interview in 1992, he has not spoken with the media. However, Chapman did reveal the mechanics of his unraveling during those three fateful days in New York City, to crime journalist Jack Jones. The interviews were published in 1992 as Let Me Take You Down: Inside the Mind of Mark David Chapman, a book of Chapman's recollections of his unthinkable act of violence. From this text, the film CHAPTER 27 is based. The film takes its title from the idea that through his actions in New York, Chapman was attempting to "write" his own additional, 27th chapter to Catcher in the Rye (which ends with chapter 26).</p><p>Leto's embodiment of a man whose painfully restless mind thrashes about uncontrollably between paranoia, socio-pathic lying and delusion is summed up in such character revealing comments as "I'm too vulnerable for a world full of pain and lies" and "Everyone is cracked and broken. You have to find something to fix you. To give you what you need. To make you whole again."</p><p>From his lies to cab drivers (identifying himself as the Beatles sound engineer) to his socially unacceptable behavior around Jude (Lindsay Lohan) a young fan he meets outside the Dakota -- to his argument with paparazzi photographer Paul (Judah Friedlander), Leto's Chapman keeps the psychoses bubbling below the surface as his grasp on reality deteriorates into a completely misguided rage.</p>

<p>An elusive serial killer known as the Hollywood Killer turns a high-profile film production into a grisly crime scene, murdering three actresses and casting a dark shadow over the troubled project. As fear, speculation, and chaos spread behind the cameras, the production becomes forever linked to a case that shocks Hollywood and remains unresolved. Years later, former FBI agent Thomas Scott reopens the cold case, revisiting the events surrounding the murders and uncovering secrets that refuse to stay buried.</p>

<p>"Charge It to the Game" follows four best friends (Julian Broadus, Curtis Young, Nasir Dean) as they navigate the trials and errors of their adolescence.</p>

<p>Charles Fort was an early-twentieth-century American researcher and writer whose focus was "anomalous phenomena" and the unexplained.</p>

<p>Seeking solace in music during the COVID-19 pandemic, global pop star Charli XCX asks her fans to help her make an album while quarantined at home. Charli embarks on a creative and emotional journey as she confronts mental health issues, rekindles her relationship with her boyfriend, connects with her fans, and ultimately produces the music for how I'm feeling now.</p>

<p>Acclaimed director Tim Burton brings his vividly imaginative style to "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," about eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka, and Charlie, a good-hearted boy from a poor family who lives in the shadow of Wonka's extraordinary factory. Long isolated from his own family, Wonka launches a worldwide contest to select an heir to his candy empire. Five lucky children, including Charlie, draw golden tickets from Wonka chocolate bars and win a guided tour of the legendary candy-making facility that no outsider has seen in 15 years. Dazzled by one amazing sight after another, Charlie is drawn into Wonka's fantastic world in this astonishing and enduring story.</p>

<p>Among the classic high-school rebels of American movies, there have been truants, delinquents, pranksters and con artists - but there has never been anyone quite like Charlie Bartlett. An optimist, a truth-teller and a fearless schemer, when Charlie slyly positions himself as his new school's resident "psychiatrist," dishing out both honest advice and powerful prescriptions, he has no idea the ways in which he will transform his classmates, the school principal and the potential of his own life. This is the premise of the provocative, Prozac-era comedy, CHARLIE BARTLETT, in which a wealthy teenager's foray into bathroom-stall psychiatry becomes a smart, funny and touching one-man battle against the loneliness, angst and hypocrisy of the modern world.</p><p>Anton Yelchin ("Alpha Dog") stars as Charlie Bartlett, who has been kicked out of every private school he ever attended. And now that he's moved on to public school, he's simply getting pummeled. But when Charlie discovers that the kids who surround him - the outcast and the popular alike - are secretly in desperate need, his entrepreneurial spirit takes over. Hanging up his shingle in the Boys' restroom, Charlie becomes an underground, not to mention under-aged, shrink who listens to the private confessions of his schoolmates, and makes the imprudent decision to hand out the pills he's proffered from his own psychiatric sessions. Meanwhile, at home, Charlie keeps charming his way out of an inevitable confrontation with his adoring but utterly overwhelmed mother Marilyn (Hope Davis.)</p><p>Then, Charlie Bartlett makes his big mistake: falling in love with the beautiful and bold daughter (Kat Dennings) of the school's increasingly disenchanted Principal (Robert Downey, Jr.), who is hot on his trail. As Charlie Bartlett's world and fledgling psychiatric practice unravel, he begins to discover there's a whole lot more to making a difference than handing out pills.</p><p>CHARLIE BARTLETT marks the directorial debut of Jon Poll - a world-class film editor with deep comic roots who has collaborated with Jay Roach on both the blockbuster "Meet the Parents" and "Austin Powers" series, among others - and the screen debut of writer Gustin Nash. The producers are David Permut, Barron Kidd, Jay Roach and Sidney Kimmel. The executive producers are William Horberg, Jennifer Perini, Trish Hofmann and Bruce Toll. Steve Longi and Gustin Nash co-produced.</p>

<p>The story centers on the granddaughter of the fictional Chinese-American detective.</p>

<p>Charlie Countryman (LaBeouf) was just a normal guy....until he fell in love with the one girl who will probably get him killed. When Charlie meets the absolutely irresistible Gabi she's already been claimed by Nigel, an insanely violent crime boss with a gang of thugs at his disposal. Armed with little more than his wit and naive charm, Charlie endures one bruising beat down after another to woo Gabi and keep her out of harm's way. Finally his exploits of blind valor create such a mess that he's left with only one way out; to save the girl of his dreams, must Charlie Countryman die?</p>

<p>Charlie is Not a Boy is the tale of a hushed soul, bound to a crumbling household in an allegorical America. With a perverted butcher for a father and a mother frozen in a quiet, catatonic spell, Charlie seeks solace in the whimsical world of his eccentric grandmother. As his safe haven unravels, Charlie navigates the hostile worlds of home and the military, caught between his authentic self and the masks he must wear.</p>

<p>"Charlie Paris" centers on a middle school genius of the same name who finds himself transported via his missing father's mysterious invention into the midst of an intergalactic conflict. Recruiting a small staff of his friends, the young ambassadors will have to navigate galactic politics, and each other, as they find a way to save their universe.</p>

<p>Years after the shocking murders that made the name Charles Manson synonymous with pure evil, the three women who killed for him—Leslie Van Houten (Hannah Murray), Patricia Krenwinkel (Sosie Bacon), and Susan Atkins (Marianne Rendon)--remain under the spell of the infamous cult leader (Matt Smith). </p><p>Confined to an isolated cellblock in a California penitentiary, the trio seem destined to live out the rest of their lives under the delusion that their crimes were part of a cosmic plan—until empathetic graduate student Karlene Faith (Merritt Wever) is enlisted to rehabilitate them. Convinced the prisoners are not the inhuman monsters the world believes them to be, Karlene begins the arduous process of breaking down the psychological barriers erected by Manson. But are the women ready to confront the horror of what they did? Boundary pushing auteur Mary Harron (American Psycho, I Shot Andy Warhol) presents a provocative new perspective on one of the most notorious crimes of the 20th century.</p>

<p>Based on an acclaimed novel, Charlie St. Cloud is a romantic drama starring Zac Efron as a young man who survives an accident that lets him see the world in a unique way. In this emotionally charged story, he begins a romantic journey in which he embraces the dark realities of the past while discovering the transformative power of love.</p><p>Accomplished sailor Charlie St. Cloud (Efron) has the adoration of mother Claire (Oscar winner Kim Basinger) and little brother Sam (newcomer Charlie Tahan), as well as a college scholarship that will lead him far from his sleepy Pacific Northwest hometown. But his bright future is cut short when a tragedy strikes and takes his dreams with it.</p><p>After his high-school classmate Tess (Amanda Crew) returns home unexpectedly, Charlie grows torn between honoring a promise he made four years earlier and moving forward with newfound love. And as he finds the courage to let go of the past for good, Charlie discovers the soul most worth saving is his own.</p>

<p>Nine-year-old Danny teams up with his beloved family dog Charlie, who gets abducted by aliens and returns with superpowers, to thwart a plan by the neighbor&apos;s sinister cat Puddy to destroy humanity.</p>

<p>"Charlie Wilson's War" is the true story of how a playboy congressman, a renegade CIA agent and a beautiful Houston socialite joined forces to lead the largest and most successful covert operation in history. Their efforts contributed to the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, with consequences that reverberate throughout the world today. Oscar winners Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman team with Academy Award-winning director Mike Nichols and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin to bring George Crile's best-selling book to the screen.</p><p>Charlie Wilson (Hanks) was a bachelor congressman from Texas who had a habit of showing up in hot tubs with strippers and cocaine. His "Good Time Charlie" exterior, however, masked an extraordinary mind, a deep sense of patriotism and a passion for the underdog, and in the early 1980s the underdog was Afghanistan-which had just been brutally invaded by the Russians.</p><p>Charlie's longtime friend and patron and sometime lover was Joanne Herring (Roberts), one of the wealthiest women in Texas and a virulent anti-communist. Believing the American response to the Russian invasion was anemic at best, she prods Charlie into doing more for the Mujahideen (Afghan freedom fighters).</p><p>Charlie's partner in this uphill endeavor is CIA Agent Gust Avrakotos (Hoffman), a blue-collar operative in a company of Ivy League blue bloods. Together, the three of them-Charlie, Joanne and Gust-travel the world to form unlikely alliances among the Pakistanis, Israelis, Egyptians, arms dealers, law makers and a belly dancer.</p><p>Their success was remarkable. Funding for covert operations against the Soviets went from $5 million to $1 billion annually. The Red Army retreated out of Afghanistan. When asked how a group of peasants was able to deliver such a decisive blow to the army of a superpower, Pakistani President Mohammad Zia ul-Haq responded simply, "Charlie did it."</p>