A light-hearted romp about a precocious kid who uses his magic powers to help his fellow students? Brace yourself for a heavy drama about a disturbed boy who uses NRA-sanctioned firearms to blow away his classmates.
Clearly, there are many of those in the film community who didn't get the word that Christmas is generally a time of peace and goodwill and cute reindeer with red schnozzes. Instead, take a look at the schedule for the remainder of 2003, and it's obvious that many of the titles are hell-bent on taking audiences to dark places, internal areas far away from the hearty ho-ho-ho's we usually associate with Yuletide. Dysfunctional families are at the center of over a half-dozen upcoming features, while others spend their time exploring such unsavory topics as murder, racism, child abuse, dementia, and whether Ben Affleck's career can be saved.
Of course, for those who can't handle the truth (Hollywood's version of it, anyway), there are enough light-hearted romps to go around as well, warm-and-fuzzies featuring cheerful elves, beloved cartoon characters and Steve Martin's mild-and-crazy shtick. So even though cynicism reigns, Hollywood's got you covered regardless of your mood this season.
NOVEMBER 5
THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS
PLOT: It's the ultimate showdown between the humans (led by Keanu Reeves' Neo) and the machines (represented by Hugo Weaving's Agent Smith) in the final installment in this influential sci-fi trilogy.
THE LOWDOWN: This past summer's The Matrix Reloaded made $281 million, even better than the first film's $171 million haul; still, there's no denying that another current trilogy has stolen some of this series' thunder. . . Warner has decided to immediately go global with their cash cow by premiering it all over the world on the same day.
NOVEMBER 7
ELF
PLOT: A human (Will Ferrell) who was adopted and raised by elves bids adieu to his North Pole home and travels to New York City, where he's forced to remind everyone of the true meaning of Christmas.
THE LOWDOWN: Ferrell gained plenty of new fans with his scene-stealing supporting turn in this past spring's Old School, so this is clearly time for him to be making this sort of leading-man move. .. The innocuous PG rating aside, this sounds like the sort of lowest-common-denominator drivel that Rob Schneider usually foists upon us at this time of year. . . Ed Asner, one of those "we thought he was dead" celebs, pops up as Santa Claus.
LOVE ACTUALLY
PLOT: The British Prime Minister (Hugh Grant), a kindly widower (Liam Neeson) and a neglected wife (Emma Thompson) are just three of the many characters who find romance in London during the holiday season.
THE LOWDOWN: The trailer includes scenes from scripter Richard Curtis' past hits (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones's Diary), which actually isn't a bad way to market this. . . The gargantuan ensemble cast also includes Colin Firth, Alan Rickman, Rowan Atkinson, Pirates of the Caribbean's Keira Knightley, and, as the US president, Billy Bob Thornton.
PIECES OF APRIL
PLOT: An independent young woman (Katie Holmes) invites her estranged family to her New York apartment for Thanksgiving; needless to say, not much goes right.
THE LOWDOWN: This was one of the most-discussed films at Sundance this year, and Far From Heaven's Patricia Clarkson, who plays Holmes' bitter mother, won a special award for her performances in three festival films (including this one).
NOVEMBER 14
ELEPHANT
PLOT: An ordinary day at a Portland high school turns into a nightmare after a boy opens fire on his fellow students.
THE LOWDOWN: After selling out with Finding Forrester and the ill-advised Psycho remake, director Gus Van Sant has been trying to get back to smaller, more experimental pictures with the barely seen Gerry and now this. . . Inspired by the Columbine killings, this gritty endeavor beat out some reportedly formidable competition to take the Palme d'Or (as well as the Best Director prize) at the Cannes Film Festival, amid plenty of protests.
LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION
PLOT: Humans (Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, Steve Martin) and toons (Bugs, Daffy, Porky) team up for a wild adventure that carries them across the globe in search of treasure.
THE LOWDOWN: Joe Dante (Gremlins, The Howling) seems like a good choice for director. . . This has to be better than the execrable Space Jam, which was basically 90 minutes of legendary animated characters worshipping at the altar of Michael Jordan.
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
PLOT: British naval hero Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) and his crew pursue the French across 19th century seas in this adaptation of Patrick O'Brian's multi-book swashbuckling saga.
THE LOWDOWN: Director Peter Weir has an above-average track record, so this should emerge as an early year-end Oscar contender. . . Crowe is reunited with A Beautiful Mind co-star Paul Bettany, who plays the ship's doctor.
TUPAC: RESURRECTION
PLOT: This documentary uses home movies, concert footage and excerpts from Tupac Shakur's own diaries to present a comprehensive portrait of the rap artist who was gunned down in his prime.
THE LOWDOWN: It's brave of Paramount Pictures to give a nonfiction feature a fairly wide release; then again, the medium has enjoyed tremendous success as of late, thanks to last year's Bowling for Columbine. . . Tupac's mother, former Black Panther Afeni Shakur, serves as an executive producer.
NOVEMBER 21
THE CAT IN THE HAT
PLOT: For the three of you out there who never read Dr. Seuss's book, this is about a talking feline (Mike Myers) who drops in on two children (Dakota Fanning and Spencer Breslin) and turns their house upside down.
THE LOWDOWN: Brian Grazer previously produced Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which earned buckets of money but also elicited many of the year's worst reviews. . . Ace production designer Bo Welch (Men In Black, Beetlejuice) makes his directorial debut.
GOTHIKA
PLOT: A criminal psychologist (Halle Berry) finds herself locked up in her own mental asylum for a murder she claims she doesn't remember committing.
THE LOWDOWN: Superhero X-capades aside, this is Berry's first dramatic turn since winning an Oscar for Monster's Ball. . . Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Cruise's post-Kidman squeeze Penelope Cruz also star.
THE MISSING
PLOT: A frontierswoman (Cate Blanchett) reluctantly teams up with her estranged father (Tommy Lee Jones) to track down the psychopath (Eric Schweig) who kidnapped her daughter (Evan Rachel Wood).
THE LOWDOWN: After abandoning The Alamo, director Ron Howard decided to turn his attention to this adaptation of Thomas Eidson's novel The Last Ride. . . Deja vu: Following The Fugitive, U.S. Marshals and this past spring's The Hunted, Jones again plays a rugged maverick tracking down his fellow man. . . Raleigh native Wood is currently earning raves for her lead work in Thirteen.
SHATTERED GLASS
PLOT: This based on fact (and oh-so-timely) drama centers on Stephen Glass (Hayden Christensen), the New Republic writer who fabricated the majority of his published stories before getting caught.
THE LOWDOWN: Christensen, who scored a Golden Globe nomination for My Life As a House before getting hammered by many critics for his Anakin Skywalker in Attack of the Clones, is hoping to reassert himself as an actor worth following.
THE SINGING DETECTIVE
PLOT: While bedridden with a debilitating illness, a mystery writer (Robert Downey Jr.) imagines himself as the hero of his own musically inclined tales.
THE LOWDOWN: The universally acclaimed 1986 miniseries starring Michael Gambon still maintains a feverish following, which may partially explain why this new version received a lukewarm reception at Cannes. . . Mel Gibson, Robin Wright Penn and recent Oscar winner Adrien Brody lead the supporting cast.
THE STATION AGENT
PLOT: A lonely dwarf (Peter Dinklage) living at an abandoned train depot unexpectedly develops a pair of friendships with an artist (Patricia Clarkson) and a hot dog vendor (Bobby Cannavale).
THE LOWDOWN: This was one of the breakout hits at Sundance, where it won an impressive three awards. . . Even with star-studded projects like The Human Stain and Cold Mountain at their disposal, this is more in line with the sort of offbeat indie fare for which Miramax has become renowned -- and with which they've shaken up many an Oscar race.
NOVEMBER 26
THE HAUNTED MANSION
PLOT: A realtor (Eddie Murphy) and his family find themselves stranded in a decrepit mansion that's home to 999 ghosts.
THE LOWDOWN: Movies based on theme park attractions have a record of 1-1 (Pirates of the Caribbean sailed, The Country Bears failed), so we'll see how the scale is tipped by this one. . . Six-time Oscar winner Rick Baker (Men In Black, Terminator 2) is in charge of the effects, so some visual surprises might be in store.
TIMELINE
PLOT: A group of college students manages to travel back in time to the 14th century, whereupon they discover it's impossible to find a good double mocha latte.
THE LOWDOWN: This is based on the novel by Michael Crichton. . . The once-prolific Richard Donner hasn't directed a movie since 1998's Lethal Weapon 4. . . The cast is fronted by Paul Walker, coming off the unexpected success of 2 Fast 2 Furious.
DECEMBER 5
HONEY
PLOT: An aspiring dancer (Jessica Alba) finally gets her big break and then decides to help out other struggling wanna-bes.
THE LOWDOWN: Known primarily for the TV show Dark Angel, Alba takes a crack at big-screen prestige. . . Lil' Romeo and Missy Elliot are among the many hip-hop artists who appear in supporting roles. . . Please, God, don't let this be as torturous as Mariah Carrey's Glitter.
THE LAST SAMURAI
PLOT: In 19th century Japan, an American military officer (Tom Cruise) is summoned to teach the Emperor's army how to fight, only to be drawn instead to the nobility of the outcast Samurai warriors.
THE LOWDOWN: As Glory ably demonstrated, director Ed Zwick knows a thing or two about staging massive combat scenes. . . The story and the visuals (showcased in the trailer) appear solid, meaning that the million dollar question is whether audiences will accept Cruise in this setting and time frame.
DECEMBER 12
LOVE DON'T COST A THING
PLOT: In exchange for a favor, a popular high school beauty (Christina Milian) agrees to a bookworm's (Nick Cannon) request that they pretend to be dating.
THE LOWDOWN: This is an African-American remake of the lackluster 1987 teen comedy Can't Buy Me Love, described in this new film's press material as "the classic 1987 teen comedy Can't Buy Me Love" (amazing how often that word gets tossed around these days). . . Lead Nick Cannon's Drumline was one of the sleeper hits of last Christmas.
SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE
PLOT: A self-satisfied playboy with an eye for young babes (who else but Jack Nicholson?) is surprised when he finds himself attracted to a woman closer to his own age (Diane Keaton).
THE LOWDOWN: The preview is very funny, doubtless marking this as the film of choice for older moviegoers. . . Writer-director Nancy Meyer's past financial goldmines include What Women Want and The Parent Trap. . . The cast also features Frances McDormand and Keanu Reeves.
STUCK ON YOU
PLOT: A house divided cannot stand, and apparently neither can conjoined twin brothers (Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear) who have different ideas on what to do with their lives.
THE LOWDOWN: This arrives courtesy of writer-director siblings Bobby and Peter Farrelly, whose films (Shallow Hal, There's Something About Mary) have a habit of stirring small puddles of controversy. . . Cher returns to the screen in a small role; um, does anybody really care?
DECEMBER 17
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
PLOT: In the third and final chapter in the J.R.R. Tolkien trilogy, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) must take his rightful place as ruler, Frodo (Elijah Wood) contends with a treacherous Gollum while attempting to destroy the Ring, and epic battles are waged left and right.
THE LOWDOWN: Who wants to bet that this will topple Finding Nemo as the year's top moneymaker?. . . The bigger question is whether director Peter Jackson and company will be able to snag some major Oscars rather than just the technical ones.
DECEMBER 19
IN AMERICA
PLOT: Irish immigrants arrive in New York hoping to start a new life.
THE LOWDOWN: Writer-director Jim Sheridan (In the Name of the Father) has stated that this tale is somewhat autobiographical. . . Samantha Morton (Minority Report) plays the family's mom.
MONA LISA SMILE
PLOT: An enlightened college professor (Julia Roberts) in the early 1950s lands a job at an all-female university and is shocked to discover that the students are primarily being groomed to land high-status husbands.
THE LOWDOWN: Three terrific young actresses -- Kirsten Dunst, Julie Stiles and Maggie Gyllenhaal -- co-star as students, with Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden (Pollock) on board to add further luster. . . Get ready for an avalanche of Dead Feminists Society blurbs.
DECEMBER 25
BAD SANTA
PLOT: Two con men (Billy Bob Thornton and Tony Cox) pose as, respectively, a department store Santa and his elf assistant in order to facilitate their heists.
THE LOWDOWN: The trailer is packed with laughs. . . Director Terry Zwigoff earned raves for Crumb and Ghost World, and here he has the blessing of the Coen Brothers (who serve as executive producers). . . The cast also includes Bernie Mac, Cloris Leachman and, in his final role before his shocking death, John Ritter as a store manager.
CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN
PLOT: After his wife (Bonnie Hunt) lands an important job, a father of 12 (Steve Martin) has his hands full staying home and keeping the kids in line.
THE LOWDOWN: The 1950 original (with Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy) was a box office hit and even inspired a sequel (1952's Belles On Their Toes). . . One of the brood is played by Hilary Duff, testing the waters outside the Lizzie McGuire universe.
COLD MOUNTAIN
PLOT: This Civil War saga focuses on a wounded Confederate soldier (Jude Law) who attempts to make it back to his North Carolina home.
THE LOWDOWN: This adaptation of Charles Frazier's wildly popular novel is clearly one of Miramax Films' most ambitious efforts to date, with The English Patient's Anthony Minghella directing a heavyweight cast that also includes Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger and Philip Seymour Hoffman. . . Although the story is primarily set in North Carolina, most of the filming took place in Romania (with a handful of scenes shot in Virginia and South Carolina).
PAYCHECK
PLOT: An engineer (Ben Affleck) who had his memory erased while working for a shady corporation tries to piece together what occurred during that time frame.
THE LOWDOWN: The last movie based on a Philip K. Dick short story was Steven Spielberg's stunning Minority Report. . . Action director John Woo needs a hit after burning wads of cash on the WWII flop Windtalkers. . . Uma Thurman figures in a supporting role.
PETER PAN
PLOT: Peter Pan (Jeremy Sumpter) and his Lost Boys cavort with Wendy Darling (Rachel Hurd-Wood) and clash with Captain Hook (Jason Isaacs).
THE LOWDOWN: After Hook and Return to Never Land, the legend has nowhere to go but up. . . French actress Ludivine Sagnier, who raised art-house temperatures in Swimming Pool, plays Tinker Bell.
DECEMBER 26
HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG
PLOT: A former addict (Jennifer Connelly) loses her house through a bureaucratic screw-up and then can't get it back because an Iranian immigrant (Ben Kingsley) and his family have bought the place -- a development that threatens to send her over the edge.
THE LOWDOWN: The preview makes this look quite promising -- if the movie doesn't cop out by turning a gray situation into a black-and-white one, then this might be provocative as well as pulse-quickening.
21 GRAMS
PLOT: Three people (Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro and Naomi Watts) are brought together in the aftermath of a fatal car accident.
THE LOWDOWN: Director Alejandro Gonzalez-Inarritu and writer Guillermo Arriaga previously collaborated on the Oscar-nominated indie hit Amores Perros. . . Between this and Mystic River, Penn seems likely to pick up a couple of year-end awards.
NO DATE SET
The following are scheduled to open in New York and Los Angeles over the course of the next few months, but no dates have been finalized for the rest of the country. That means that Charlotte will see some of these in 2003, some in early 2004, and some not at all.
BIG FISH
PLOT: A colorful individual (Albert Finney) who's led an unusual life (or so he claims in his many tall tales) seeks to be reunited with his estranged son (Billy Crudup).
THE LOWDOWN: The promising trailer for Tim Burton's latest makes it look like a more whimsical Forrest Gump (if that's possible). . . Ewan McGregor plays the Finney character in the flashback sequences. . . The terrific cast also includes Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Carter, Danny DeVito and rising Alison Lohman (Matchstick Men, White Oleander).
CALENDAR GIRLS
PLOT: Based on a true story, this centers on a group of middle-aged British women who, in the name of charity, decide to pose nude for their annual calendar, which typically has always featured pretty flowers and rolling hills.
THE LOWDOWN: I wasn't the biggest fan of director Nigel Cole's previous film, the dopey dope comedy Saving Grace, but this one seems more likely to be a breakout hit on the order of The Full Monty. . . Reliables Helen Mirren and Julie Walters head the cast.
THE COMPANY
PLOT: The members of a dance troupe contend with personal issues and professional routines.
THE LOWDOWN: Those expecting the latest from Robert Altman to feature his usual all-star cast might be disappointed: Aside from Neve Campbell (who also produced), James Franco and Malcolm McDowell, most of the cast is comprised of members of Chicago's Joffrey Ballet.
GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING
PLOT: Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth) finds his muse in his young maid (Scarlett Johansson).
THE LOWDOWN: This has already been showcased at a handful of international film festivals, snagging a couple of awards along the way. . . Johansson is riding a rash of great reviews for her work in Lost In Translation.
THE HUMAN STAIN
PLOT: After being wrongly accused of making a racial remark, a college professor (Anthony Hopkins) finds his entire life falling apart.
THE LOWDOWN: Philip Roth's bestseller is given the complete "prestige" push, with a to-die-for cast (Hopkins, Nicole Kidman, Ed Harris, Gary Sinise) in the service of a top-notch director (Kramer vs. Kramer's Robert Benton). . . This just opened in the top markets, meaning that Miramax is gauging its appeal before deciding how to handle its national expansion.
Also: THE COOLER stars William H. Macy as a born loser whose bad luck wears off on the patrons of a Vegas casino savvy enough to employ him. . . Highly revered documentarian Errol Morris returns with THE FOG OF WAR: ELEVEN LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF ROBERT S. MCNAMARA, which takes a candid look at the career of Kennedy's Secretary of Defense. . . Snagging Best Actress (Marie Josee-Croze) and Best Screenplay awards at Cannes, Canadian filmmaker Denys Arcand's THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS centers on a dying husband and father trying to square matters with his often ignored family. . . Loosely based on a true story (as was director Norman Jewison's previous film, The Hurricane), THE STATEMENT casts Michael Caine as a Nazi collaborator who was protected for decades by members of the Catholic Church until a resurgent investigation brought his crimes to the surface.