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"Fall
Back"
by Scott Mantz
The fall is
generally the time of the year when the air gets a little cooler,
the leaves get a little browner and the light fades a little faster
with each passing day. It's also when life slows down just a bit
and things get back to normal after the wild and woolly days of
the summer.
This fall, the
mood will be anything but normal. With Americans pondering the 1st
anniversary of last September's terrorist attacks, you can expect
the fall breeze to be a bit cooler and a little more somber than
usual, which might even affect how Americans see the movies opening
right after Labor Day.
Actually, that
might be a good thing. The Hollywood studios normally use this time
of the year to start pushing deeper films anyway, so for reflective
moviegoers who are craving something more substantial after the
onslaught of mindless summer films, here are twenty movies to fall
back on...
"The
Banger Sisters"
Who's in
it? Goldie Hawn, Susan Sarandon, Geoffrey Rush and Erika Christensen
Who's
behind it? Bob Dolman
What's
the deal? Hawn and Sarandon play former rock groupies who reunite
decades after they were known as the Banger Sisters. Hawn is now
a punked-out waitress who yearns for the old days, while Sarandon
is a happily-married model citizen who would rather forget about
her crazy past.
Why
it's hot: With a premise that sounds like "Beaches"
meets "Almost Famous," the chick flick could strike a
chord with female moviegoers. And call it "like daughter, like
mother," but after Kate Hudson played a groupie in "Almost
Famous" (and got nominated for it), there's something quite
harmonious about mother Goldie Hawn singing the same tune.
Why
it's not: Hawn hasn't had a hit since "The First Wives
Club" in 1996, and first-time director Bob Dolman is an unproven
talent (although he did write for the classic TV series "WKRP
in Cincinnati").
When
can you see it? September 20.
"Secretary"
Who's in
it? Maggie Gyllenhaal, James Spader, Lesley Ann Warren and Jeremy
Davies
Who's
behind it? Steven Shainberg
What's
the deal? An insecure, self-destructive legal assistant (Gyllenhaal)
develops an unusual relationship with her kinky, obsessive-compulsive
boss (Spader).
Why
it's hot: It's a unique love story that proves there's someone
out there for everyone, it features a bravura performance from Maggie
Gyllenhaal (sister of "Moonlight Mile's" Jake Gyllenhaal),
and it's already a critical favorite after winning the Special Jury
Prize at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival.
Why
it's not: As long as he keeps directing movies like this, Steven
Shainberg will never be confused with Steven Spielberg. "Secretary's"
S&M-laden subject matter could turn off mainstream moviegoers,
and after having a fetish for car-accident victims in David Cronenberg's
"Crash," one has to wonder, just what is it with James
Spader anyway?
When
can you see it? September 20.
"Moonlight
Mile"
Who's in
it? Dustin Hoffman, Susan Sarandon, Holly Hunter and Jake Gyllenhaal
Who's behind it? Brad Silberling
What's the deal? Set in Massachusetts in the early 1970's, a
soft-spoken young man (Gyllenhaal) is taken in by the parents (Hoffman
and Sarandon) of his dead fiancee, only to find himself torn when
he falls in love with another woman.
Why it's hot: It's toplined by 3 Oscar-winners (Hoffman, Sarandon
and Hunter), it features a budding up-and-comer who may just be
an Oscar contender himself (Gyllenhaal), and it's inspired by true
events (writer/director Silberling based the story on the 1989 murder
of his then-girlfriend, actress Rebecca Schaeffer of TV's "My
Sister Sam").
Why it's not: It sounds like a manipulative and overbearing
tear-jerker, which could make it scream a little too hard for Oscar
sentimentality (think "Pay it Forward" and "I Am
Sam").
When can you see it? September 27.
"Sweet
Home Alabama"
Who's in
it? Reese Witherspoon, Candice Bergen, Patrick Dempsey and Josh
Lucas
Who's
behind it? Andy Tennant
What's
the deal? A young woman (Witherspoon) from Alabama with a "white-trash"
background runs away from her loser husband (Josh Lucas) and reinvents
herself as a New York socialite. And of course she falls in love.
Why
it's hot: With last year's "Legally Blonde," Reese
Witherspoon's balance of sexuality, comedy, strength and vulnerability
turned what could have been a clunky comedy into a $95 million surprise
hit.
Why
it's not: The premise--about a women reinventing herself--sounds
awfully familiar, which might make this "sweet" film more
like a dumb "blonde."
When
can you see it? September 27.
"The
Tuxedo"
Who's in
it? Jackie Chan, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jason Isaacs and Peter
Stormare
Who's behind it? Kevin Donovan
What's the deal? After trying on a mysterious tux belonging
to an injured playboy millionaire (Isaacs), a cabbie-turned-chauffeur
(Chan) unwittingly becomes a secret agent.
Why it's hot: Coming on the heels of "Undercover Brother,"
"Austin Powers in Goldmember," "XXX," "Spy
Kids 2," and the upcoming Bond flick "Die Another Day,"
spy thrillers are hotter than ever. It was only a matter of time
before Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan got a license to kill,
and thanks to his penchant for pairing off with co-stars who compliment
his comedic chops (like "Shanghai Noon's" Owen Wilson
and "Rush Hour's" Chris Tucker), Chan hasn't made a bad
American movie yet.
Why it's not: Jennifer Love Hewitt isn't exactly a box office
draw, so Chan will have to sell the movie based on his name alone.
What can you see it? September 27.
"Red
Dragon"
Who's in
it? Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Emily Watson and Anthony Hopkins
Who's
behind it? Brett Ratner
What's
the deal? A former FBI agent (Norton) needs the expertise of
the jailed psycho (Hopkins) who almost killed him in order to track
down a serial killer (Fiennes).
Why
it's hot: Like you have to ask? Coming only a year-and-a-half
after 2001's successful, but critically-reviled "Hannibal,"
"Red Dragon"--which is based on the first Thomas Harris
novel to feature the Hannibal character--is not a sequel, nor is
it a remake of Michael Mann's excellent "Manhunter." But
with Anthony Hopkins coming back for thirds to the role that won
him an Oscar, you can count on more of the loose cannon he played
in "The Silence of the Lambs."
Why
it's not: Despite wolfing down $165 million at the box office,
"Hannibal" didn't exactly leave moviegoers hungry for
more. And can Brett Ratner, who scored in action comedies with the
"Rush Hour" films, pump new life into the franchise and
cut the mustard as a master of suspense?
When
can you see it? October 4.
"Heaven"
Who's in
it? Cate Blanchett, Giovanni Ribisi
Who's behind it? Tom Tykwer
What's the deal? After being arrested for seeking revenge on
the drug dealer responsible for her husband's death, a teacher (Blanchett)
falls in love with the meek police officer (Ribisi) overseeing her
custody.
Why it's hot: It's the English language debut from Tom Tykwer,
the innovative director behind 1999's art house hit "Run Lola
Run," and Cate Blanchett is one of the most versatile actresses
working today.
Why it's not: Tykwer's follow-up to "Lola" was the
pretentious "The Princess and the Warrior," which begs
the question, was "Lola" a fluke?
When can you see it? October 4.
"Swept
Away"
Who's in
it? Madonna, Bruce Greenwood, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Jennifer
Aniston
Who's at the helm? Guy Ritchie
What's the deal? A spoiled rich woman (Madonna) and a communist
sailor become stranded on a deserted island, where they fall in
love. (Heck, there's nothing else to do!)
Why it's hot: Stylish Brit filmmaker Guy Ritchie ("Lock,
Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," "Snatch") says "hasta
la vista, baby" to the gangster genre with a quirky love story
that's based on a cult Italian film from the 70's. Madonna's film
career is at the make-or-break point, so this could put her back
in vogue with moviegoers.
Why it's not: Ritchie has already made the same movie twice,
so he's got a lot to prove on his third time out. But can he direct
his demanding superstar wife in a film that people will want to
see?
When can you see it? October 25.
"Frida"
Who's in
it? Salma Hayek, Alfred Molina, Roger Rees and Geoffrey Rush
Who's behind it? Julie Taymor
What's the deal? An intimate portrait of acclaimed Mexican
artist Frida Kahlo.
Why it's hot: Jennifer Lopez and Madonna also had Frida biopics
in the works, but Salma Hayek beat them to the punch. With stylish
director Julie Taymor ("Titus," Broadway's "The Lion
King") calling the shots, Hayek may have a bona-fide Oscar
contender on her hands.
Why it's not: Movies based on iconic figures are a tough
sell (witness Will Smith in "Ali"), and after vamping
it up with sexpot roles in "From Dusk Till Dawn," "Wild
Wild West," and "Desperado," will moviegoers embrace
Hayek in such a serious role?
When can you see it? October 25.
"I
Spy"
Who's in
it? Owen Wilson, Eddie Murphy and Gary Cole
Who's behind it? Betty Thomas
What's the deal? Another long-dead TV series gets resurrected
for the big screen. In this update of the Robert Culp-Bill Cosby
classic from the 60's, an uptight secret agent (Wilson) teams up
with an arrogant boxer (Murphy) to find a missing jet.
Why it's hot: After proving himself in comedies ("Zoolander"),
buddy pics ("Shanghai Noon"), sophisticated fare ("The
Royal Tenenbaums") and action films ("Behind Enemy Lines"),
Owen Wilson has quickly become the "go to" guy for Hollywood
movies. Come to think of it, director Betty Thomas hasn't done too
bad herself ("Private Parts," "Dr. Dolittle,"
the "Brady Bunch" movies).
Why it's not: Lately, the same can't be said for Eddie Murphy,
who merely seems to be rehashing his uninspired bit from the Robert
De Niro dud "Showtime."
When can you see it? November 1.
"Phone
Booth"
Who's in
it? Colin Farrell, Kiefer Sutherland, Katie Holmes and Forest
Whitaker
Who's behind it? Joel Schumacher
What's the deal? A self-absorbed media consultant (Farrell)
answers a call in a New York City phone booth, only to be told that
he'll be shot by a sniper (Sutherland) if he hangs up.
Why it's hot: The white-hot script from Larry Cohen was the
talk of the town, even attracting the likes of Jim Carrey, Will
Smith, Brad Pitt and Mel Gibson before Hollywood's "it boy"
of the moment Colin Farrell picked it up. Shot guerrilla-style over
11 days, the maverick project re-teams Farrell with his acclaimed
"Tigerland" director Joel Schumacher.
Why it's not: Where's all this "it boy" talk coming
from? After box office duds like "American Outlaws" and
"Hart's War," Farrell has yet to prove that he can open
a movie (sure, "Minority Report" did well, but you can
thank Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg for that). As for Schumacher,
he's been hit ("A Time to Kill," "Batman Forever")
or miss ("Bad Company," "Batman and Robin")
for the past decade.
When can you see it? November 8.
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"8
Mile"
Who's in
it? Eminem, Kim Basinger, Brittany Murphy and Mekhi Phifer
Who's
at the helm? Curtis Hanson
What's
the deal? An angry young rapper (Eminem) in Detroit transcends
his meager beginnings to attain worldwide success.
Why
it's hot: It's directed by an Oscar-winning writer (Hanson,
for "L.A. Confidential"), it features an Oscar-winning
actress (Basinger, also for "L.A. Confidential") and it
stars a tremendously popular and controversial rapper who--as fate
would have it--also transcended his meager beginnings to attain
worldwide success.
Why
it's not: Why on earth is Hanson directing a movie about a white
rapper? Didn't he see "Cool as Ice?"
When
can you see it? November 8.
"Harry
Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"
Who's in
it? Daniel Radcliffe, Kenneth Brannagh, Robbie Coltrane and
Richard Harris
Who's
behind it? Chris Columbus
What's
the deal? The second adaptation of J.K. Rowling's phenomenally
successful book series finds the Hogwarts school plagued by a series
of mysterious attacks and strange voices haunting the boy wizard
(Radcliffe).
Why
it's hot: Like the saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't
fix it." The gang's all here, and with a built-in audience
that encompasses the globe, you can count on the sequel to equate
the nearly $1 billion taken in by its predecessor.
Why
it's not: Is it possible that Potter-mania has run its course?
Also, with the over-protective Rowling keeping a watchful eye on
her baby, returning director Columbus can't exactly put his own
spin on the material.
When
can you see it? November 15.
"Die
Another Day"
Who's in
it? Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Judi Dench and Toby Stephens
Who's behind it? Lee Tamahori
What's the deal? Bond, James Bond (Brosnan) is back, this
time squaring off against an opponent (Stephens) who can change
his physical appearance while attempting to (what else?) take over
the world.
Why it's hot: What better way to celebrate Bond's 40th anniversary
than with his 20th film? Brosnan's three movies have been the hottest
of the bunch (grossing a combined $360 million in this country alone),
and with newly crowned Oscar-winner Halle Berry adding fuel to the
fire, all signs point to the most explosive Bond yet. Oh, and there's
that title track performed by Madonna...
Why it's not: Is Bond becoming passé? Between spoofs
("Austin Powers in Goldmember"), spoofs of spoofs ("Undercover
Brother") and an all-out attempt to re-define the spy genre
("XXX"), double-oh-seven could find himself shaken and
stirred at the box office.
When can you see it? November 22.
"Solaris"
Who's in
it? George Clooney, Jeremy Davies and Natascha McElhone
Who's behind it? Steven Soderbergh
What's the deal? An astronaut (Clooney) arrives on a space
station orbiting a distant planet, only to find its commander dead
and the rest of the crew haunted by a mysterious life force.
Why it's hot: Not counting the self-indulgent experiment
that was "Full Frontal," director Steven Soderbergh has
been on an incredible roll ("Out of Sight," "The
Limey," "Erin Brockovich," "Traffic," and
"Ocean's Eleven"). He re-teams with George Clooney for
an existential, Kubrickian sci-fi thriller that's produced by Oscar-winner
James Cameron ("Titanic") and based on a little-seen Russian
classic from the 70's.
Why it's not: The plot bears a striking resemblance to burned-out
space turkeys like "Even Horizon" and "Supernova,"
and after directing 7 movies in 5 years, Soderbergh runs the risk
of burning out as well.
When can you see it? November 27.
"Star
Trek: Nemesis"
Who's in
it? Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, Marina Sirtis and Jonathan
Frakes
Who's behind it? Stuart Baird
What's the deal? The Enterprise crew is diverted to the Romulan
home planet for anticipated peace talks, only to discover that hidden
forces are planning a major attack on the Federation.
Why it's hot: The even-numbered "Star Trek" movies
have been much better than the odd-numbered ones. Since this is
the tenth film in the lucrative series, it's already off to a good
start. Judging by the presence of a proven director, Stuart Baird
("Executive Decision," "U.S. Marshalls"), an
Oscar-nominated writer, John Logan ("Gladiator"), and
lots of action, Paramount is pulling out all the stops to ensure
that the latest "Next Generation" adventure is the best
yet.
Why it's not: The most expensive voyage of the Starship Enterprise
will have to win over to non-Trekkers as well, or what's being billed
as "A Generation's Final Journey" will hold true. That
might he hard, since the film is coming out right in the middle
of box office behemoths like "Harry Potter and the Chamber
of Secrets," "Die Another Day," and "The Lord
of the Rings: The Two Towers."
When can you see it? December 13.
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"The
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers"
Who's in
it? Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Sean Astin and Sean Bean
Who's behind it? Peter Jackson
What's the deal? The second film based on JRR Tolkien's massive
opus finds Frodo Baggins (Wood) and his band of hobbits continuing
their quest to destroy the all-powerful Ring.
Why it's hot: New Line's gamble to film the entire trilogy
at once (for the bargain price of almost $300 million) paid off
big-time. Last year's "The Fellowship of the Ring" grossed
more than $860 million worldwide and picked up 13 Academy Award
nominations (including Best Picture), and at nearly three hours
long, it still left die-hard True Believers hungry for more.
Why it's not: After September 11, the title "The Two
Towers" seems a little ominous, but otherwise, the film stands
alongside "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" as
the surest bet of the year.
When can you see it? December 18.
"Catch
Me if You Can"
Who's in
it? Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Jennifer Garner and Christopher
Walken
Who's behind it? Steven Spielberg
What's the deal? Talk about a real master of disguise, "Catch"
is based on the true story of Frank Abagnale (DiCaprio), the youngest
person to ever make the FBI's most-wanted list after impersonating
a doctor, a lawyer, a pilot and an FBI agent.
Why it's hot: Spielberg. DiCaprio. Hanks. 'Nuff said.
Why it's not: The movie is being touted as an Oscar contender,
but with these A-listers already appearing in other films this year,
they run the risk of competing against themselves come awards time
(with Spielberg for "Minority Report," DiCaprio for "Gangs
of New York," and Hanks for "Road to Perdition").
When can you "catch" it? December 25.
"Gangs
of New York"
Who's in
it? Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Daniel Day-Lewis and Liam
Neeson
Who's behind it? Martin Scorsese
What's the deal? Set in 1863 against the backdrop of New York's
bloody Civil War Draft Riots, a young Irish immigrant (DiCaprio)
seeks vengeance against the anti-immigrant gang leader (Day-Lewis)
who killed his father.
Why it's hot: Martin Scorsese returns to his favorite genre
with this long-in-the-works labor of love. Leonardo DiCaprio drives
another huge wedge into his Titanic-sized pretty-boy image. The
film cost anywhere between $90 million and $120 million to make
(depending on what you read), making it Miramax’s most expensive
production ever.
Why it's not: Delays, delays, delays. The film was pushed
back for a full year, but then again, the same thing happened to
"Titanic" (which also starred DiCaprio). Perfectionist
Scorsese went head-to-head with Miramax topper Harvey Weinstein
over its original 3-hour-plus running time (it has since been trimmed
down to 2 hours and 40 minutes), and DiCaprio returns with not one,
but two films competing against each other on the same day (the
other, of course, being Spielberg's "Catch Me if You Can").
When can you see it? December 25.
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"Chicago"
Who's in
it? Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere and
Queen Latifah
Who's behind it? Rob Marshall
What's the deal? Two former chorus girls (Zellweger and Zeta-Jones)
are jailed for murder, only to wind up fighting for the attention
of their shared lawyer (Gere).
Why it's hot: It's based on the Bob Fosse Broadway musical
of the same name, and after the critical and commercial success
of "Moulin Rouge," musicals are hotter than ever. In the
six short years since she broke out with "Jerry Maguire,"
Oscar-nominee Renee Zellweger continues to re-define herself with
new challenges.
Why it's not: "Moulin Rouge" had its share of passionate
fans, but it also had its share of passionate detractors. "Chicago"
has a modest budget (reported at $40 million), but can it cross
over to mainstream audiences? Also, doesn't Richard Gere look a
lot like the character he played in the 1984 flop "The Cotton
Club?"
When can you see it? December 25.
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