A quick preview of the year’s final film releases
By:Kam Williams
Nicholas Cage wakes up married to Téa Leoni in Family Man. |
Traditionally, Hollywood holds off from releasing its best movies until the end of year for a couple of reasons. First, the Motion Picture Academy, which often exhibits long-term memory loss, best remembers recent films at Oscar time. Secondly, attendance is heavy at holiday time, given the combination of extended vacations and inclement weather which make a cozy theater the perfect escape.
An examination of this season’s offerings reveals an impressive array of Oscar hopefuls. But every year has its share of surprises by newcomers both before and behind the camera. Here’s a sneak peek at the movies getting the most buzz so far:
102 Dalmatians: (currently in theaters) Dog added, but Glenn Close takes center stage, reprising her role as Cruella, in sequel to Disney classic.
Quills: (in limited release) Adaptation of historical play with Geoffrey Rush as Marquis de Sade, institutionalized sex addict, who explores issues of freedom and censorship during visits by bawdy maid Kate Winslet and frustrated friend Joaquin Phoenix.
Unbreakable: (currently in theaters) Samuel L. Jackson as the spiritual soothsayer who explains to Bruce Willis why he’s the only survivor of a train wreck. Expect another big twist from Sixth Sense director M. Night Shyamalan.
Finding Forrester: (12/6) Sean Connery as a reclusive, Pulitzer Prize-winner who takes an aspiring homey under his wing.
Dungeons & Dragons: (12/8) The popular board game translated into magical fantasy, starring American Beauty Thora Birch, Marlon Wayans and Jeremy Irons.
Proof of Life: (12/8) Russell Crowe and Meg Ryan in the film that reportedly almost wrecked her marriage to Dennis Quaid. Distraught wife enlists the aid of mercenary to rescue hostage hubby, kidnapped in banana republic.
Vertical Limit: (12/8) Chris O’Donnell as a mountain climber who comes out of retirement to save his sister, who is trapped on K2, because she is there.
Dude, Where’s My Car?: (12/15) Cheech and Chongish marijuana comedy about a pair of potheads who have misplaced their means of transportation.
The Emperor’s New Groove: (12/15) Disney kiddie animation features voices of Eartha Kitt, John Goodman and David Spade in a South American tale about a prince-turned-llama befriended by a bewildered peasant.
What Women Want: (12/15) Romantic comedy with Mel Gibson as a mind-reading executive who discovers that what every girl wants is him.
Thirteen Days: (12/20) Historical drama with Kevin Costner as JFK’s chief of staff during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
Cast Away: (12/22) Tom Hanks’ annual holiday offering about a Federal Express fatso who crash lands on a deserted island and slims down on a four-year crash diet.
Dracula 2000: (12/22) Wes Craven (Scream I, II & III) fright fare updates the classic tale to present-day New Orleans where Jennifer Esposito and others fall under the bloodthirsty Count’s spell.
Family Man: (12/22) Nick Cage as a lonely bachelor who wakes up in a parallel universe married to ex-girlfriend Téa Leoni with kids, dog and all.
Miss Congeniality: (12/22) Comely comedy showcases Sandra Bullock as an undercover FBI agent who dumbs down and boobs up as Miss New Jersey on the trail of a terrorist threatening to detonate a beauty pageant.
O Brother, Where Art Thou?: (12/22) Coen Bros. update of Homer’s Odyssey with George Clooney, John Turturro and John Goodman. Updated as a 1930s epic about a trio of escaped cons trying to make their way back home.
All the Pretty Horses: (Christmas) Matt Damon headlines as a 1940s Texas cowboy who finds trouble and love south of the border in Chicana Penelope Cruz.