Gods And Monsters

This fictionalized account of the final days of legendary horror director James Whale is one part acting master class, one part mesmerizing blend of memory, hallucination and yearning. Ian McKellan stars as the former Hollywood darling, now out of favor with the studios and left to stare at his own sprawling estate. When a handsome new gardener (Brendan Fraser) shows up to trim the hedges, the pair strike up an unlikely friendship - one that tethers the older man to reality in the midst of his fevered reveries. Writer/director Bill Condon took home the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.