Alan Arkin

Argo

On Nov. 4, 1979, militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran, taking 66 American hostages. Amid the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge with the Canadian ambassador. Knowing that it's just a matter of time before the refugees are found and likely executed, the U.S. government calls on extractor Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) to rescue them. Mendez's plan is to pose as a Hollywood producer scouting locations in Iran and train the refugees to act as his "film" crew.

Little Miss Sunshine

The Hoover family -- a man (Greg Kinnear), his wife (Toni Collette), an uncle (Steve Carell), a brother (Paul Dano) and a grandfather (Alan Arkin) -- puts the fun back in dysfunctional by piling into a VW bus and heading to California to support a daughter (Abigail Breslin) in her bid to win the Little Miss Sunshine Contest. The sanity of everyone involved is stretched to the limit as the group's quirks cause epic problems as they travel along their interstate route.

The Pentagon Papers

Daniel Ellsberg (James Spader) works for a think tank, analyzing data about the escalating Vietnam War, which he ardently supports. Visiting Saigon, he discovers that the situation is more dire than he had been led to believe. Back in Washington, D.C., he gains access to documents detailing the U.S. government's intent to deceive the public about the war's progress. With help from his wife, Patricia (Claire Forlani), and friend Anthony Russo (Paul Giamatti), he leaks the papers to the press.