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Show Monday, Oct. I, 2007 Page On the lighter side SEASON0 Not all of ihc fall and holiday films • contain serious messages. Here's a roundup of some humorous {we hope) alternatives. Amanda Bynes goes to college in "Sydney White" (Sept. 21), a reworking of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" set in the Greek system. ... "The Heartbreak Kid" (Oci. 5) reunites "There's Something About Mary" star Ben Stiller with the Farrelly brothers. In ihc remake of ihc 1972 film starring Charles Grodin, Slillcr is a groom who falls for someone else on his honeymoon. ... "The Comebacks" (Ocl. 19) spoofs inspirational ->porls movies. Tom Brady directs. Bui not that Tom Brady. ... In "Dan in Reat Life" lOci. 26), Sieve Care 11 is an advice columnist attracted to a stranger (Juliette Binoche) who lums out to be his brothci \ i1 )anc Cook) new girlfriend. In "Run, Fat Boy, Run" (Oct. 26). Simon Pegg from "Shaun of the Dead" and '"Hot Fuzz" plays a guy who wants to compete in a marathon to impress ihe fiancdc (Thandic Newton) hu abandoned. ... George Clooney directs and stars in "Leatherheads" (Dec. 7). He plays a 1920s football captain vying with the leanVs new star (John Krasinski of "The Office") for ihe affections of a local journalist (Rcnee Zcllweger). x W. Fall films take on serious issues, most noticeably the war in Iraq COURTESY OF TWENTIETH CENTURY FGX "The Darjeeling Limited" NOV. 9 BY CARLA MEYER MfCiutchy Newspapers "Lions for Lambs": Interweaving slory lines from Washington. Afghanistan and California academia, this film stars Tom Cruise as a presidential hopeful, Meryl Slreep as a journalist and Robert Redford as an idealistic college professor. "No Country for Old Men": In the Cocn brothers' ("Fargo") adaptation of the Connac McCarthy novel, Javier Bardcm plays a single-minded killer and Josh Brolin a hunter who makes an ill-advised choice. F M or film lovers, the start of . the fall season represents the I equivalent of going hack to school. And this fall, moviegoers' major will be political science. Iraq and the Middle East figure heavily in fall and holiday films, starting this month with "In the Valley of Elah," inspired by a true slory of a tragedy involving an Iraq war veteran, and *The Kingdom," an action drama centered on a terrorist act in Saudi Arabia. Other films will look at the reverberations of past actions. "Charlie Wilson's War" depicts a real-life lawmaker's (Tom Hanks) efforts to arm Afghan rebels during the 1980s. Because it stars Hanks and Julia Roberts, and because the events in question seem to have occurred safely in the past, "Charlie" is a safe bet at the box office. "The Kingdom," starring Jamie Foxx, can draw from the action crowd. But the Iraq-specific films could face an uphill battle. Moviegoers didn't exactly line up for "United 93" or "World Trade Center." Still, it's heartening to see filmmakers lake on challenging subject matter, especially after a summer season when the liveliest discussions involved the societal implications of "Knocked Up." Here is a selective list of fall's more serious-minded films. (Release dates are subject to change.) SEPT. 21 "Eastern Promises": The death of a young mother leads a midwife (Naomi Watts) lo seek out her baby's family — and lo trouble within a London criminal syndicate. "In the Valley of Elah": In this picture from director Paul Haggis ("Crash"), a crime involving an Iraq war veteran who has returned to the U.S. prompts his father (Tommy Lee Jones) to investigate with the help of a local police detective (Charlize Thcron). COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL STUDIOS Jamie Foxx stars in "The Kingdom," set in Saudi Arabia. SEPT. 28 superstar Tony Leung ("Hero"), Joan Chen and young Chinese actress Tang Wei, is an espionage thriller with strong erolic content. "Rendition": In this thriller, an American woman's (Reese Witherspoon) Egyptian-bom husband vanishes after taking a flight from South Africa lo the United States. Jake Gyllenhaaf plays a CIA analyst unsettled by the manner in which the husband is interrogated at a secret facility. "The Kingdom": Foxx plays an FBI agent who gathers a special team lo find the man responsible for a deadly attack on a housing compound in Saudi Arabia. OCT. 5 "Into the Wild": Directed by Scan Penn and based on the Jon Krakuuer book about real-life wanderer Christopher McCandlcss, the film explores the young man's (Emilc Hirsch) decision to chuck all he had and live in the Alaskan wilderness. "Grace Is Gone": John Cusack plays an Iraq war widower who lakes his daughters on a road trip, partly, so he can avoid telling them their mother is dead. OCT. 26 "Reservation Road": Terry George ("Hotel Rwanda") directs this drama, featuring the intense trio of Mark Ruffalo, Joaquin Phoenix and Jennifer Connelly, in which the lives of two families intersect after a tragedy. "Things We Lost in the Fire": Halle Berry plays a recent widow who lums to her husband's troubled friend (Bcnicio Del Toro) in her grief. OCT. 12 "Michael Clayton": George Clooney plays a fixer of messes at a law firm who encounters a fine one when a top litigator (Tom Wilkinson) goes haywire. NOV. 2 OCT. 19 "The Kite Runner": Marc Forsler ("Finding Neverland") directs this adaptation of Khaled Hosscini's sweeping tale of two Afghan boys from very different backgrounds. "American Gangster": Russell Crowe is a cop and Denzel Washinglon is a drug lord in 1970s Harlem. Ridicy Scott ("Gladiator") directs. "Gone Baby Gone": In Ben Affleck's directorial debut, based on a book by Dennis Lchanc ("Mystic River"), Affleck's brother Casey plays a Boslon private investigator in search of a missing 4-year-old giri. "Lust, Caution": Ang Lee's first film since "Brokeback Mountain," set in World War II Shanghai and starring Hong Kong >--•: NOV. 16 "Love in the Time of Cholera": Expect magical realism in director Mike Newel!'s ("Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire") adaptation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's masterpiece about a man (Javier Bardcm) who holds a torch for half a century. Jason Sen wart/man, Owen Wilson and Aclrien Brody play brothers trying to bond in India in October's "The Darjeeling Limited," directed by Wes Anderson ('The Royal Tcnenbaums")... Noah Baumbach ("The Squid and ihe Whale") showcases Nicole Kidman as Ihe difficult sister of hride-to-bc Jennifer Jason Leigh in December's "Margot at the Wedding." Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play cancer palienls embarking on a series of adventures in "The Bucket List" (December or early 2008). Rob Reiner directs. ... The Nicolas Cage sequel "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" (Dec. 21) is not a comedy. But Helen Mirrcn following her Oscar-winning turn in "The Queen" with a role as Cage's mother is kind of funny. And finally, "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" (Dec. 21) calls out musical biopics on their cliches. Co-written by Judd Apatow ("Knocked Up"), the film stars John C. Rcilly as a hard-drinking musician from a lough background. AIMED AT THE TOTS Jerry Seinfeld lends his voice to Barry B. Benson, a recent college graduate who dreams of a life beyond ihe hive, in "Bee Movie" (Nov. 2). Seinfeld also produced and co-wrote the animated comedy. ... Vincc Vaughn plays Santa's (Paul Giamatti) resentful older brother in "Fred Claus" (Nov. 9)... In the "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"-esquc "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" (Nov. 16), Duslin Hoffman is owner of a magical toy store and Natalie Porlman the store manager to whom lie bequeaths the business. NOV. 21 "I'm Not There": Christian Bale, Hcalh Ledger and Cale Blanchett (!?) are among ihe actors playing Bob Dylan in Todd Haynes' ("Far From Heaven") unusual biopic. NOV. 30 "Cassandra's Dream": This Woody Allen crime drama focuses' on brothers played by Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell. DEC. 14 "I Am Legend": Will Smith is a scientist who finds he's the last man on Earth. DEC. 21 "Atonement": In this adaptation of Ihc 2002 kin McEwan novel, a girl's false accusation about her sister's (Kcira Knighiley) lover changes lives. DEC. 25 "Charlie Wilson's War": A congressman (Tom Hanks) assists the Afghan mujahideen in battling the Soviets — with the help of a Texas socialite (Julia Roberts). Aaron Sorkin ("The West Wing") wrote the screenplay. Mike Nichols directs. , : COURTESY OF DREAMWORKS "Bee Movie" In Disney's "Enchanted" (Nov. 21), Amy Adams ("Junebug") poiirays Giselle, a princess who emerges from animated form into present-day Manhattan and ihe apartment of a divorce lawyer (Patrick Dcmpsey). ... In "The Perfect Holiday" (Dec. 14), a little girl asks a department-store Santa (Morris Chestnut) to help find her divorced mother (Gabricllc Union) a new husband. BLOODY BUSINESS Thai nip in the air means chills on the screen in ihese thrillers and horror films: Milla Jovovich continues her campaign to be America's foremost B actress with "Resident Evil: Extinction" (Sept. 21) ... Jigsaw is dead hut his legacy of creative torture lives on in "Saw IV" (Oci. 26).... "The Mist" (Nov. 21) holds crcepincss in Frank Darabont's ("The Shawshank Redemption") third adaptation of a Stephen King tale. ... The vampire's natural enemy, daylight, unfortunately doesn't factor in the Alaska-set "30 Days of Night" (Oct. 19), based on the graphic novel. ... What's ihat under the Christmas tree? Why, it's "Aliens vs. Predator" (Dec. 25). Don't forget the air holes. |