Boxoffice-September.1997

stars, calling it "a boy's coming-of-age story
on the order of '400 Blows'" and crediting
Sexton with "a powerful authenticity that
shines through in a complex performance."
Freeman tells BOXOFFICE he wants to see this
at New York's Angelika, and indeed "Hurricane
Streets" will likely play best at such
art-house venues, though its "Romeo and Juliet"
element could draw mainstream youths.
Swept From the Sea
Aka "Amy Foster"
and "To Love and Be
Loved," this romantic drama is adapted from
a Joseph Conrad novella. Vincent Perez ("The
The Twilight of the Golds
In this drama, pregnant mother Suzanne
(Jennifer Beals), father Rob (John Tenney),
grandparents-to-be Walter (Carry Marshall)
and Phyllis (Faye Dunaway) and brother
David (Brendan Eraser) learn the son Suzanne
is carrying has a gene present in almost all gay
men. Though the liberal folks have adjusted
to David's homosexuality, the news throws all
into turmoil. Ross Marks ("Homage") directs;
apparent H.L. Mencken fan Jonathan Tolins
and Seth Bass adapt Tolins' play. (CFP, 1 0/24)
Exploitips: Although "The Twilight of the
Colds" isn't a studio release, the subject matter
could generate extra media attention, and
both heterosexual and homosexual audiences
could find this a specialized draw.
Time" grossed barely $8 million, and his four
films before that averaged just $26 million.
Key plus: This is the date's only studio opener.
OCTOBER UNDATED
Critical Care
In this satirical drama, director Sidney Lumet
("Night Falls on Manhattan") takes a darkly
Crow: City of Angels") stars as a Ukrainian
emigrant trapped in England who falls for a
young woman ("Chain Reaction's" Rachel
Weisz) and is helped by a local doctor ("Richard
Ill's" Ian McKellen). Kathy Bates ("Dolores
Claiborne") co-stars. Beeban Kidron ("To
Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar")
directs; Tim Willocks scripts; Polly Tapson,
Charles Steel and Beeban Kidron
produce for Phoenix. (TriStar, 10/24 ltd)
Exploitips: If lacking A-list stars, this has the
feel of a prestige production (TriStar is billing
it as an "epic drama"); its best demo is literate
females who like a romantic story and would
know the Conrad name. A bookstore tie-in
thus would help this one not be a "Foster"
freeze, and the platformed release could let
word-of-mouth build wider interest.
Deconstructing Harry
In this Woody Allen comedy set in New
York (now there's a change), Kirstie Alley,
Richard Benjamin, Billy Crystal, Judy Davis
("Husbands and Wives"), Mariel Hemingway
("Manhattan"), Amy Irving, Julie Kavner
("Shadows and Fog"), Julia Louis-Dreyfus,
Demi Moore, Elisabeth Shue, Stanley. Tucci
and Robin Williams star along with the Woodman,
who plays a writer experiencing eroticlife
turmoil (now there's a change). Allen
directs and scripts; Jean Doumanian produces.
(Fine Line, 10/24 NY/LA, 10/31 exp)
Although Miramax handled
Exploitips:
Allen's last three films, Fine Line acquired
North American rights to this at Cannes, with
part of the $10.5 million pact being that the
distributor would release Barbara Kopple's
documentary about Allen's jazz band's European
tour. In the '90s, Allen 's seven films have
averaged just $8.75 million domestically, but
Fine Line is likely to toil extra hard here.
Eve's Bayou
A 1 0-year-old tells the tale of her eccentric
family in Louisiana in this drama. Samuel L.
Jackson ("A Time to Kill") and Lynn Whitfield
("A Thin Line Between Love and Hate") star.
Actress Kasi Lemmons ("Fear of a Black Hat")
directs and scripts; Samuel L. Jackson produces
with Caldecot Chubb ("The Crow").
(Trimark, 10/24 NY/LA, 1 1/7 exp)
Exploitips: Although with "Meet Wally
Sparks" and "Chairman ofthe Board" it's now
a wide-release player, Trimark continues to
handle specialized fare, and this one sounds
promising. Expect the Jackson and Whitfield
names to attract black auds, and (rating allowing)
even urban families might give this a try.
OCTOBER 31
Incognito
An art forger decides to make one final copy
and then go straight. When his associates
frame him for stealing the "original" artwork,
he must flee for his life. Jason Patric ("Speed 2:
Cruise Control"), Irene Jacob ("Othello") and
Rod Steiger star. John Badham directs; Jeannie
Dominy (Warner's coming "Courtesan")
scripts; Morgan Creek's James G. Robinson
produces. (Warner Bros., 10/31 wide)
Exploitips: "Incognito" has better ticket potential
than last Halloween's Morgan Creek
effort, "Bad Moon. " Still, though it's a genre
Morgan Creek likes ("White Sands, " "Trial by
jury," "Diabolique"), it's one it hasn't
cracked. Despite recent casting missteps,
Patric and Jacob can deliver onscreen; the
question is, can Badham f His 1 1/95 "Nick of
comic look at the state of the health-care
industry. James Spader, Kyra Sedgwick, Helen
Mirren, Anne Bancroft and Albert Brooks star.
Steven Schwartz scripts, and he produces
with Lumet. (Live, Oct. wide undated)
Exploitips: New distributor Live has advanced
this from November, perhaps a good
move to avoid the holiday crush. The cast is
promising and should attract audience interest;
given Lumet's recent track record—
his four films in the '90s have
averaged only a $14 million gross—
highlight the Spader and Brooks names
and this release's audience-friendly comedic
underpinnings.
Year of the Horse
This rockumentary chronicles the life
and music of rocker Neil Young and his
band. Crazy Horse. Live performances,
behind-the-scenes footage and interviews
from 1 996's Europe and LJ.S. four
are featured. Jim Jarmusch ("Dead
Man") directs; L.A. Johnson produces.
(0( tobor Films, Oct. undated)
Exploitips: New Universal subsidiary
October acquired worldwide rights to this at
Cannes and plans to show the film at several
fests before it opens in theatres. That exploitable
strategy gives stateside reviewers time to
come on board, so look for positive notices.
To pull Young fans, hold a drawing for a set
of Young's recordings with Crazy Horse.
Tokyo Fist
In this sweaty and kinetic Japanese-language
actioner, a corporate executive
("Tetsuo: The Ironman" filmmaker Shinya