Imagine you have a fantasy: to quit your job, sell your house, move abroad, start all over. What if, suddenly, the fantasy becomes possible? Do you follow through? Or do you discover that the dream is only appealing as a what-if—and if so, do you feel relieved? Ashamed? Unsure of who you are?
 
Revolutionary Road
In Theaters: December 26
All these questions—big, scary questions about our identities and desires—are faced head-on in Revolutionary Road, adapted from Richard Yates' 1961 novel.  As the young marrieds who yearn to break free of their suburban doldrums but can't foresee the consequences, Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio (left) are devastating—their Titanic chemistry is as potent, and as heartrending, as ever.


The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
In Theaters: December 25
Revolutionary Road is one of several adaptations in theaters now. F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1922 story The Curious Case of Benjamin Button gets a second act in David Fincher's much-awaited film version, starring Brad Pitt in the Candide-like tale of a man who is born elderly and ages backward. 



Doubt 
In Theaters: December 12
Broadway hit Doubt moves from stage to screen, with Meryl Streep as a nun who suspects a priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) of molesting a student. 



Marley & Me
In Theaters: December 25
Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson lead the cast of Marley & Me, based on John Grogan's best-seller about a dog who's as loyal and lovable as he is cluelessly destructive.

 3 minutes, 26 seconds
Hear Buena Vista Social Club's Omara Portuondo croon "Amame Como Soy" ("Love Me As I Am"), the simmering Cuban dance number that's a highlight of Gracias (World Village), the capstone to her 60-year-long career.

5 minutes
Get a jump on January sales. At ShoppingNotes.com, just paste in the URL for any item you covet, and you'll receive an e-mail alert if the price drops.

15 minutes
Listen to a Yaddocast, from the podcast series about the history of Yaddo, the legendary artists' residence, and its most famous guests. Subjects include Langston Hughes Saul Bellow, and Flannery O'Connor (Yaddo.org).