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• Akeelah and the Bee (2006) (PG: Mildly questionable language). A young South Central girl catches the National Spelling Bee championships on ESPN and is hooked. She studies hard and sets her sights on winning the next year's competition. Angela Bassett plays the girl's mother and Laurence Fishburne is a helpful professor. Reviewed by Christian Toto.

• The Devil and Daniel Johnstone (2006) (PG-13) -- A documentary feature about the struggle of a songwriter to function despite severe manic-depressive tendencies. Directed by Jeff Feuerzeig.

• Hard Candy (2006) (R) -- A psychological suspense melodrama about a teenage girl, Ellen Page, who begins to suspect the worst of an attractive man, Patrick Wilson, who appears intent on seduction. Directed by David Slade from a screenplay by Brian Nelson.

• Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont (2006) (PG) -- A sentimental comedy about the friendship that evolves between an elderly Scottish woman, Joan Plowright, and a young writer, Rupert Friend, who meet in London. Directed by Dan Ireland from a screenplay by Ruth Sacks.

• R.V. (2006) (PG) -- A road comedyA starring Robin Williams as a dad who conceals troubles at work by promoting a vacation trip in a rented recreational vehicle. His itinerary puzzles wife Cheryl Hines and their two adolescent kids. While on the road they meet a seasoned RV family headed by Jeff Daniels and Kristin Chenoweth. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld from a screenplay by Geoff Rodkey, also responsible for "Daddy Day Care" and the recent remake of "The Shaggy Dog."

• Stick It (2006) (PG-13) -- The feature directing debut of Jessica Bendinger, a former model who broke through belatedly as a screenwriter with the exuberant "Bring It On." This variant, also written by Miss Bendinger, revolves around Missy Peregrym as a high school rebel who suddenly emerges as a gymnastics prodigy. With Jeff Bridges as her coach, Jon Gries as her dad and Vanessa Lengies, Nikki Soohoo and Maddy Curley as teammates who have to deal with her attitude.

• Three Times (2005) (No MPAA rating: Adult subject matter). An acclaimed romantic triptych from the Taiwan filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien, who casts Shu Qi and Chang Chen as characters attracted to each other in scattered time frames: 1966, 1911 and 2005. In Mandarin and a Taiwanese dialect with English subtitles. One week only, exclusively at the American Film Institute Silver Theatre.

• United 93 (2006) (R: Mature themes, adult language and bloody violence). The fateful flight that missed its target on September 11 is the subject of this harrowing thriller. A cast of unknowns play the passengers of United 93, who find themselves on the front lines of the war on terror when their plane is hijacked by terrorists. Writer-director Paul Greengrass based his vision on flight transcripts and interviews with the passengers of loved ones.