Boxoffice-April.2001

Exploitips: Reviewing it at Toronto in the
December 2000 issue. BOXOFFICE gave
"Creentingers" two stars, saying it "is
straight out of the Hollywood feel-good
school of filmmaking, with simple homilies,
an upbeat finale and positive values
about making something of oneself. It certainly
has none of the complexity of
'Croupier,' Owen's last film. 'Creentingers'
may be based on a true story, but it feels
inauthentic.
Shrek
In this fractured fairy tale, animated in
CGI, an ornery, smelly Ogre named Shrek
grows annoyed as his secluded swamp is
overrun by fairy tale creatures—blind
mice; a big, bad wolf; homeless pigs; and
the like—who have been banished from
the kingdom by the evil Lord Farquaad.
Determined to regain peace and quiet,
Shrek makes a deal with Farquaad to rescue
Princess Fiona from a fire-breathing
dragon to be his bride with the help of a
wisecracking Donkey. But just when they
think the hard part's over, Fiona reveals a
deep, dark secret she's been hiding. Mike
Myers ("Austin Powers: The Spy Who
Shagged Me"), Eddie Murphy ("Pluto
Nash"), Cameron Diaz ("Invisible
Circus") and )ohn Lithgow (TV's "3rd
Rock From the Sun") voice the characters.
Andrew Adamson and Victoria Jenson
direct; "The Road to El Dorado's" Ted
Elliott and Terry Rossio script based on
William Steig's children's book; Aron
Warner ("Antz") and John Williams
("Seven Years in Tibet") produce.
(DreamWorks, 5/18)
Exploitips: DreamWorks had pacted with
Imax Corp. to release "Shrek" in large-format
3-D six months after its initial theatrical
run, but the deal fell apart when it became
clear that the transfer would be too expensive.
In its biggest promotional campaign
Cheaters
In this comedy, four high school buddies
turn cheating on tests into an art form
but lose their friendship in the process.
Trevor Fehrman, Elden Henson ("O"),
Matthew Lawrence ("Family Tree"),
Martin Starr (TV's "Freaks and Geeks') and
Mary Tyler Moore (TV's "Mary and
Rhoda") star. Andrew Gurland ("Frat
House") writes and directs based on his
own experiences; his managers Chris
Bender and J.C. Spink, who both executive
produced "Cats & Dogs," produce
with A.I. Dix. (New Line, 5/18)
Exploitips:
Host an afternoon screening
for local classrooms. School administrators
may view the film's themes as subversive,
but sell the consequences the boys suffer as
a teaching tool.
American Outlaws
Colin Farrell ("Tigerland")
stars in this Western
as Jesse James, the legendary
American outlaw
who here confronts the corrupt
railroad that has
underhandedly captured
the deeds to Midwest
a
townspeople's homesteads.
The gang ends up wanted
by the law but revered by
the public. Scott Caan
("Gone in 60 Seconds"), AM
Larter ("Final Destination"),
Timothy Dalton (TV's
"Cleopatra") and Kathy
the studio has partnered with Burger
ever,
King, Baskin-Robbins, Heinz, Chevron,
American Licorice and McFarlane Toys, Bates ("Unconditional Love") co-star. Les
which has created 40 different action figures
Mayfield ("Blue Streak") directs a script
by John Rogers; James G. Robinson
in addition to interactive toys, play
("Chill Factor") and Bill Gerber (an executive
sets, stuffed animals and beanies. (A brief
casting note: Chris Farley had been tapped
producer on "Get Carter") produce.
(Warner Bros., 5/18)
to voice Shrek and even completed a 15-
minute test animation but passed away Exploitips: A genre that used to be a staple
in the industry, Westerns today are few
before completing the film, so Myers
stepped in.)
and far between— probably for good reason
(except in the case of
"Wild Wild West," which
was a hybrid between an
oater and sci fi and so not
necessarily a fair comparison).
The $45 million-budgeted
"All the Pretty
Horses," for example,
earned just $15 million.
Ironically, then, "American
Outlaws" bows just two
weeks after Miramax's longon
-the-shelf
"Texas
Rangers " also starring a
young, hip cast. Have your
employees resurrect their
i haps and spurs from that
release to dress up for this
one as well.
Petits Freres
In this French drama by "Ponette" writerdirector
Jacques Doillon, a 13-year-old girl
runs away from home and befriends some
adolescent boys she meets in the tough
projects near Paris. Stephanie Touly, Hies
Sefraoui and Mustapha Goumane star.
Marin Karmitz ("Blue," "White," "Red")
produces. (First Run, 5/18)
Exploitips: Double-bill "Petits Freres"
with "Ponette," Doillon's 1996 tragicomedy
about a little girl whose mother dies.
Bread and Roses
Documentarian Ken Loach ("My Name
Is Joe," "Carta's Song") directs this drama
set in Los Angeles about a Mexican immigrant
who cleans office buildings downtown.
A charismatic union organizer convinces
her to form a union for janitors, but
her peers are hesitant to join, fearing losing
their jobs or, worse, deportation. Mexican
theatre actress Pilar Padilla, Adrien Brody
("Liberty Heights") and Elpidia Carrillo
("Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at
Her") star. Loach collaborators Paul Laverty
and Rebecca O'Brien script and produce,
respectively. (Lions Gate, 5/18)
Exploitips: "Bread and Roses" was nominated
for a Palme d'Or at Cannes, where
BOXOFFICE gave it 3.5 stars in the August
2000 issue, calling it "powerful, occasional
Iv didactic but deeply resonant."
MAY 25
Pearl Harbor
Ben Affleck reunites with his
"Armageddon" director Michael Bay and
producer Jerry Bruckheimer in this war
romance set in the months leading up to the
bombing of Pearl Harbor, which marked the
United States' entry into World War II.
Affleck is Rafe McCawley, a daring young
pilot in the Army Air Corps who learned to
fly in crop-dusting planes with his buddy
Danny Walker ("O's" Josh Hartnett). Rafe
falls in love with Navy nurse Fvelyn Stewart
("The Golden Bowl's" Kate Beckinsalc) but
is soon separated from her when he leaves
to fight on the European front. When Evelyn
and Danny, now stationed in sunny Hawaii,
receive word that Rafe has been killed, they
find solace in each other's arms. But on the
eve of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Rafe
returns. Cuba Gooding Jr. ("Men of Honor"),
Tom Sizemore ("Red Planet"), Jon Voight
("Varsity Blues"), Colm Feore ("Caveman's
Valentine"), Dan Aykroyd ("The House of
24 Bo.\oi-M( i