Boxoffice-November.2001

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Rad< liffe ('The failoi ol
anama") stars as the
precoi ii ius youth; newi
..inns
ipts
lell
make
Windtalkers
Nicolas Cage ("Captain Corelli's
Mandolin") stars in tins period actionei
about Navajo soldiers whose native language
was the basis for an unbreakable
i ode used during World War II. The
codetalkers were accompanied by bodyguards
whose orders were to protect the
at any cost, even it that meant killing
the messenger. Adam Beach ("Smoke
Signals ) and Christian Slater ("The
Contender") co-star. John Woo ("Mission:
Impossible II") directs and produces a script
by John Rice and Joe Batteer; Woo veteran
Terence Chang, Tracie Graham and Alison
Rosenzweig produce. (MCM, 11/9)
Exploitips: Invite a local historical society
to set up a display further educating moviegoers
on World War It's Navajo code talkt rs,
who were honored this year with the
Congressional Medal of Honor. BOXOFFICE
interviewed Cage in last month's cover story.
of events that ends in murder. Frances
McDormand ("Almost Famous"! and lames
Gandolfini ("The Last Castle") co star. |oel
Coen directs; ]oel and Ethan Coen script;
Ethan Coen produces. (USA, 11/9)
Exploitips:
"The Mm Who Wasn't There"
tied with "Mulholland Dr. s" David Lynch tor
the Best Director prize at Cannes this yeai
where BOXOFFICE gave it three stars < it
a woitln a/it/ e\quisitely beautiful heir to the
noir tradition, cony x -II n \ge\ />
,
as it tails short of the dramatic
tension inherent in and requisite
to the genre." See BOX-
OFFICE s interview with Ion
Polito in last month s issue.
King of the Jungle
John Leguizamo ("What's
the Worst That Could
Happen?") stars in this drama
as a young man with the
mental capacity of an adolescent
who vows vengeance
when his activist mother is murdered. Rosie
Perez ("Riding in Cars With Boys"), Michael
Rapaport ("The 6th Day"), Annabella
Sciorra ("What Dreams May Come") and
Marisa Tomei ("What Women Want) costar.
Seth Zvi Rosenfeld ("A Brother's Kiss")
directs and scripts; Bob Potter ("A Brother's
Kiss") and Scott Macaulay ("Julien Donkey-
Boy") produce. (Urbanworld, 11/7 NY/LA)
Exploitips: Urbanworld, the distribution arm
of the Urbanworld Film Festival, previously has
released "The Visit" and "Punks. " The latter was
but uses the lessons he learns in the joint to
reinvent himself as a tough guy at his new
school ac ross town—until, that is, his old
nemesis uncovers his secret identity. Eliza
Dushku ("Bring It On"), Zooey Deschanel
("Almost Famous"), Lyle Lovett ("Cookie's
Fortune") and Eddie Griffin ("Double
Take") co-star. Screenwriter Ed Decter
("There's Something About Mary") makes
his directorial debut with a script by David
Kendall; Todd Garner (an executive producer
on "Tomcats"), Gordon Gray and
Mark Ciardi produce. (Columbia, 11/16)
Exploitips: In a fall and holiday season
packed to the gills, Columbia has gone
where no other studio has dared— up
against "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's
Stone. " The move is a potentially clever one
as the teens in the target demographic for
"The New Guy" may consider themselves
too cool for Hogwart's School of Wizardry.
Banoo (The Lady)
In this Iranian drama, a young woman
named Miriam discovers that her husband
has t.iken another wife, and the shock
inspires a spiritual transformation. Meanwhile,
when a nearby garden is
destroyed, a
gardenei and his wife take refuge with
Miriam and are soon followed by other trou-
i
bled ters. Through caring for others,
Miriam finds her place in the world. Dariush
Mehrjui ("Leila") directs. (First Run, 11/9 NY)
Exploitips: "Banoo" has been banned from
Mehrjui's native Iran and rarely has been
si hi in (/ in North America. Here the pic will
be released in a newly struck 35mm print.
The Man Who Wasn't There
Bob Thornton ("Bandits") stars in this
Billy
Coen brothers ("O Brother, Where Art
rhou?") tilm noir set in the summer of 1949
in
northern California. Thornton plays a barber
who, dissatisfied with his life,
sees breaking
into the dry-cleaning business as a welcome
To raise the cash, he black-
i
mails Ins wife's lover to disastrous results,
putting into motion an uncontrollable series
released last weekend— a potential double bill.
I
Remember Me
In this documentary, director/screenwriter/
producer Kim A. Snyder gathers anecdotal evidence
on the mysterious, debilitating illness
that rendered her
bedridden for
nearly a
year. Documented in
outbreaks since 1934
and striking such personalities
as film director
Blake Edwards ("The
Pink Panther"), Olympic
Cold Medalist and
World Cup soccer star
Michelle Akers and
high school senior
Stephen Paganetti, who
is
determined to attend
his graduation, even if it
is by ambulance and
I gurney, Chronii atigue
Syndrome remains a
medical mv -
geisl
11/9 NY)
Exploitips: ln\ ite Snyder and some ot I in
subjet ts io make an appearam e i
ing weekend and parth ipate in
i
>pen
screening Q&A to furthet discuss then
experiences with this l Quails ("Road
Inp") stars as a soi ial outi asl who gets
himseli expelled and then thrown in jail
Harry Potter and
the Sorcerer's Stone
Based on the best-selling children's novel,
this family adventure tells the story ot a boy
who finds out on his 11th birthday that he is
the orphan of two powerful
wizards. Gifted
with unique magical
powers of his own. the
titular character is summoned
to attend
Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry,
where a couple
of his classmates quickly
become c lose friends
and help him discover
Mlllls
'I'O'
lllls
lul adversary. Daniel
Rupert Grint
and Emma Watson, Richard Hams ("The
( ounl oi Monte ( risto"), Maggie smith .
rea
With Mussolini"), Alan Kic knian ("Blow
Hi\ lan 1
losei You I iel and
I
i
Robbie I I I up the
ensemble suppi irting i ast. ( hris ( olumbus
Bio 'in. 'iniial Man ') direi is Steven Kloves
i
Wondei Boys based on |.K.
I
Rowling's book David I leyman ("Ravenous")
produces. (Warnei Bios., m 16
Exploitips: Muggle families will be out in
full lone hi the opening ot this p
brate the spirit ol the frani hise b)
aging fans to dress the part mui h like the)
did as the) waited in bookstore-sponsored
20 Boxoiiin: