September 3, 1999
The Fall Movie Preview, no. 2 - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
Here now, are the movies that are opening in November and December. The Oscar race heats up...
SLEEPYHOLLOW is Tim Burton’s new picture that boasts, Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Casper Van Dien and Christopher Walken. Sleepy’ opens November 19.
Two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster teams up with Chow Yun-Fat in a remake of the movie that was remade into The King and I. ANNA AND THE KING opens November 24.
Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are back. They, at least their voices do, return to the big screen with TOY STORY 2. Along for the ride are Kelsey Grammer, the best ever, Don Rickels, Joan Cusak, Wayne Knight and Laurie Metcalfe, among others. Story opens November 24.
If Tom and Tim can do it, then James Bond can too. THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, Bond’s 19th flick co-stars Denise Richards, Sophie Marceau and my fave, Judi Dench. It also includes a number of cameos from former Bond Girls, Jane Seymour, Ursula Andress and more. Bond is back, November 19.
This is the movie I’m waiting for, THE INSIDER. Starring Al Pacino and directed Michael Mann, it tells the story behind Mike Wallace’s failed then resurrected expose of the tobacco industry. Mike is played by Christopher Plummer. Insider opens November 5th, giving 60 Minutes a taste of its own medicine.
MAN ON THE MOON, the Milos Forman directed bio on the late Andy Kauffman, stars the Jim Carrey. It also co-stars folks like Danny DeVito, Judd Hirsch, Carol Kane, Christopher Lloyd, Jerry Lawler and Marilu Henner, who essentially play themselves. Man opens November 5th.
Milla Jovovich resurrects the tale of Joan of Arc in THE MESSENGER: THE STORY OF JOAN OF ARC. Luc Besson, who directed The Fifth Element, helms this one which also co-stars John Malkovich, Oscar winner Faye Dunaway and 2-time Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman. They too open November 5th.
DOGMA is the latest reteaming of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Directed by Kevin Smith, who wrote Chasing Amy, it co-stars Linda Fiorentino, Chris Rick, Selma Hayek, Alanis Morisette and George Carlin. Ben and Matt play angels, and they appear in movie theatres sometime in November.
Joel Schumacher directs 2-time Oscar Winner Robert De Niro in FLAWLESS, a tale about a paralyzed cop who gets rehabilitated by a drag queen. De Niro bows on November 24th.
Get ready for Pokemon, POKEMON: THE FIRST MOVIE opens November 12th. THREE TO TANGO, is a movie about a businessman, played by Dylan McDermott, who’s worried about his mistress, played by Neve Campbell, and asks his pal, played by Matthew Perry, to watch her. Perry falls in love, thus giving the films title some merit. Tango opens on November 12th.
Two Cannes Prize winning films, ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER and ROSETTA open mid-November.
Following the heels of the success of an Italian fellow named Roberto Benigni, Radu Mihaileanu, a French-Romanian actor stars in TRAIN OF LIFE, a dramatic comedy set during the Holocaust. Maihaileanu wrote and directed this film that opens in November.
THE GREEN MILE, is an adaptation of Stephen King’s best-selling novel. Directed by Frank Darabont, it stars Tom Hanks and David Morse. Mile opens December 17th.
Diane Keaton, Meg Ryan, Lisa Kudrow and Walter Matthau star in HANGING UP. It opens Christmas Day, and is directed by Oscar-winner Keaton herself.
Matt Damon returns on Christmas Eve, with Gwyneth Paltrow and Cate Blanchett, in a film directed by Academy Award winner Anthony Mighella, who helmed The English Patient. THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY, boasts Oscar winners in Damon and Paltrow and with Minghella are gunning for more Oscars.
Scott Hicks’ film directorial debut was Shine. He returns with SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS starring Ethan Hawke, this film opens December 22nd.
MAGNOLIA is director Paul Thomas Anderson’s follow-up to Boogie Nights. Starring William H. Macy, his wife Felicity Huffman, Julianne Moore, Jason Robards and a cameo by Tom Cruise. It opens Christmas Day.
With Diane Keaton directing her own film, Angelica Huston directs herself in AGNES BROWNE, a film version of Brendan O’Carroll’s best-selling novel. With a supporting role for Tom Jones, Agnes opens December 5th.
What a cast, with 2-Oscar winners in Susan Sarandon and Vanessa Redgrave with 2-time Oscar nominee Emily Watson, Tim Robbins directs CRADLE WILL ROCK. EW calls it Tim Robbins’ Reds. And we all know what Reds did for Warren Beatty, don’t we?
The last time Robin Williams and director Chris Columbus teamed up together, they earned $219 Million at the box office, with Mrs. Doubtfire. They are set to do that again, with BICENTENNIAL MAN, which bows sometime in December. It also stars that little girl in those Pepsi commercials and her shows on cable, Hallie Eisenburg,
Don’t forget SCREAM 3 and Denzel Washington in THE HURRICANE, a bio on boxing champ Rubin Carter. It’s directed by Norman Jewison, who received this year’s Thalberg Award. Scream 3 opens on December 10, and Hurricane blows through on the 29th.
ANY GIVEN SUNDAY is another Al Pacino picture, and it also happens to be directed by Oliver Stone. Sunday opens on Christmas Day.
Questions and comments may be sent to: editor@thecommentary.ca
An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .