August 24, 1999
The Fall Movie Preview, no. 1 - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
Well, now that summer is winding down into overtime, the fall and winter are just a stone’s throw away. Besides the falling leaves, pumpkins and tinsel, that time of the year also happens to be the time of the year when Hollywood doles out its big and not so big blockbusters. All in the name for one person, Oscar. It’s no secret, besides the fact of making a good movie, if you release it in during October, November or December, the better your chances. In this edition of The Commentary, we look at the movies that are coming to a cineplex near you in September and October. November and December are another day.
Kevin Costner hasn’t had much success with his latest efforts. The Postman failed to deliver and besides the fact it had Paul Newman and Meg Ryan, Message In A Bottle sank to the bottom of the big buck action flicks of the season. Well come September 17, he’s got a baseball film coming out, called LOVE OF THE GAME co-starring with Kelly Preston (Mrs. John Travolta) and Jena Malone. With his success with his last two baseball flicks, Bull Durham and Field of Dreams, coming back to the roots of his success would do the beleaguered star, good.
Bruce Beresford directed the Oscar-winning Driving Miss Daisy, and now directs Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones in DOUBLE JEOPARDY, which was shot in Vancouver late last year. Entertainment Weekly likens it to The Fugitive and Louise. Double bows on September 24th.
AMERICAN BEAUTY has gotten great buzz, a fine cast and one of the hottest directors in recent memory. Starring Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey and Annette Benning, it’s directed by Sam Mendes who razed Broadway’s Cabaret into one of its hottest revivals in years and directed Nicole Kidman in last seasons The Blue Room. Beauty opens on September 15th.
GET BRUCE! is a documentary on Bruce Vilanch. Vilanch, who usually occupies the square next to Whoppi Goldberg on Hollywood Squares, is one of comedy’s most in-demand writers. He’s written material for The Oscar’s, The Emmy’s and The Tony’s, not to mention the Comic Relief specials he’s helped write. Bruce opens in select cities September 17th.
Brad Pitt and Ed Norton’s FIGHT CLUB, opens on October 15th and is destined to be a big box office success. With Pitt’s box office clout and Norton’s talent, this looks like a hit.
Susan Sarandon, who’s inhabiting Vancouver right now, co-stars with Natalie Portman in a Wayne Wang picture called ANYWHERE BUT HERE. It’s a tale about a dysfunctional family that opens October 22.
Bruce Willis returns to his romantic comedy roots. (Remember he was on Moonlighting?) He and Mrs. David E. Kelley, Michelle Pfeiffer play a married couple in the new Rob Reiner picture, THE STORY OF US, that opens October 15. It co-stars Rita Wilson (Mrs. Tom Hanks) and Paul Reiser. Fans of Saturday Night Live will recognize Molly Shannon as the klutzy Mary Katherine Gallagher, in this the latest film to have been rooted in Saturday Night Live. SUPERSTAR opens October 8th.
Here’s a novel idea, make a movie about a real Hollywood actor, and get him to star in it. Well Spike Jonze directs John Cusak and Cameron Diaz in BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, which stars none-other than John Malkovitch himself.
Martin Scorsese’s latest film after Kundun is BRINGING OUT THE DEAD, which stars Nicolas Cage, John Goodman, Patricia Arquette, Ving Rhames and Tom Sizemore. It’s about a medic who is tormented by the ghosts of those he couldn’t save. Bringing opens October 22nd.
Some have called this the ‘Best Movie of The Year’, THREE KINGS stars George Clooney, Mark Whalberg and Ice Cube. It’s a tale about American soldiers in Kuwait during the Gulf War. Kings opens October 1st.
Sydney Pollack’s RANDOM HEARTS, starring Harrison Ford and Kristen Scott Thomas, is a movie about a husband and a wife who fall for each other after their spouses fall in love with each other. What?, you ask well see for yourself when it opens on October 8.
Denzel Washington plays a bedridden detective who with his partner, played by one of the hottest actresses around, Angelina Jolie, catch a serial killer. THE BONE COLLECTOR which includes Queen Latifah and Al Bundy himself, Ed O’Neill, opens October 1st.
It was supposed to be Madonna, but she bowed out and in came Meryl Streep. The 2-time Oscar winner leads Gloria Estefan, in her film debut and Angela Bassett in MUSIC OF THE HEART. Streep plays an inner city music teacher in this Wes Craven film that opens October 29th.
Harvey Keitel fans listen up, he reteams with director Jane Campion in HOLY SMOKE, which co-stars Kate Winslet. The scenes with Winselt are said to be steamy; it opens October 22.
Questions and comments may be sent to: editor@thecommentary.ca
An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .