November 15, 2002

It really is a wonderful time of year…

It’s easy to forget how much of this job is more than pleasant, but is a real joy.  I’m just a handful of films away from seeing the entire year’s worth of quality product.  This is the time of year when I see some movies over and over because they enrich my life.  Even the failures, this time of year, can bring a feeling of joy, simply for the sincere efforts and high aspirations of those involved.

The longer I do this, the more I realize that this business is one of my families.  There is my real family… and my personal friends… and a bunch of you who participate in The Hot Button each day… and the business.  Like any family, there are those members who you never see enough of, but are thrilled to get a few minutes with over Thanksgiving dinner… and the ones you make fun of when you know you are going to have to see them soon… and the ones you really hate… and the ones who you would fall in love with if morality allowed it…. and on and on. 

It’s much easier to get along with your family when there is good news to share.  And so it is right now.  Relationships feel warmer, otherwise iffy relations seem close and the bumps in the history are forgiven… because almost everyone has some good news this holiday.  Warner Bros. has Potter.  MGM has Bond.  New Line not only has another Lord of the Rings, but a great art film in About Schmidt as well.  DreamWorks has got to be thrilled with The Ring and excited about Catch Me If You Can.  Fox will fly high with Solaris and Universal is high on a big opening weekend for 8 Mile… a weekend so big that some are now hypothesizing that awards crossover can occur.  Sony has Adaptation for the heart and J-Lo for the cash box.  Disney’s had a good year and has Treasure Planet and a Spike Lee Joint coming.  Paramount has Narc and The Hours and The Wild Thornberrys and an even numbered Star Trek to celebrate. And Miramax, like the stingy uncle who will eventually cough up a gift, but only after you agree to wash his car, is hiding its gifts, which has inspired everyone to talk them up even more.

But there is more for guys like me to feast on… Far From Heaven and Bowling For Columbine and The Pianist and Talk To Her and The Quiet American and Morvern Callar and Antwone Fisher and Max and City of God and on and on.

Movies are so exciting that going back feels like second nature.  I’m heading to see the original Solaris this morning and will see the new one again on Saturday.  I’m back to the Terry Gilliam doc, Lost in La Mancha, tonight.  I saw About A Boy and The Pianist again earlier this week, happily.  Both are exceptional films.  I can’t wait to meet Fernando Meirelles today (and hopefully, his co-director Katia Lund as well).  I’ll get a word or two with Soderbergh this weekend and sooner or later, I’ll catch up with Charlie Kaufman. 

I don’t really like being close to celebrity… but damned if chatting with directors and writers and actors about the work… the joyous work… doesn’t thrill me beyond belief.   I am high on my work right now.  I am running to Kurosawa films that I have never seen on a big screen (and Solaris too) thanks to Landmark Theaters.  The disappointments are sharp, but the possibilities are endless.

Of course, there is stuff to bring anyone down to earth.  And I have a devil or two, always anxious to pop up on my shoulder and whispers dark nothings in my ear.  But with such a buffet of goodness, why complain about the 20-minute wait in line to get a table?  And with so short life, why would you work around the arts – and think about the form this season… Soderbergh, Spike Jonze, Polanski, Almodovar, Payne, Carnahan, Spielberg, Scorsese, Jackson, Haynes, Noyce (twoyce)… all these guys are delivering and delivering smart, interesting work. 

But I digress…

Why would you choose to work in the arts when it doesn’t bring you this joy?  Why would you choose anything that doesn’t bring you this joy at least some of the time?

Ho Ho Ho!  Merry Hollywood.  And screw all the rest.  For the next few weeks, we feast.  I’m fortunate to be allowed to dig in a little earlier than most… but I’ll keep that plate warm.  The table is set.  We’re just waiting for you.

WEEKEND PREVIEW

It’s a great weekend for exclusive and limited releases, with The Crime of Father Amaro, Standing In The Shadows Of Motown, Ararat, Interview With The Assassin and The Way Home all joining such quality product as Bowling For Columbine, Roger Dodger, Far From Heaven, 8 Women, Secretary, The Grey Zone, One Hour Photo, Mostly Martha and How I Killed My Father, among many others.

A little perspective on the indie world.  The new Sayles… just over $2 million in tickets.  The Trials of Henry Kissinger… under $300,000.  Heaven won’t break $1 million and The Grey Zone won’t break half a million.  As big a hit as Mostly Martha is, it still won’t pass the $5 million mark domestically.  Secretary and 8 Women could creep to $4 million.  Roger Dodger is one of the best, best-reviewed films of the year and is struggling to get to $1 million.

On the other hand, celebrity-driven art films are still good business.  The Good Girl will do a little over $14 million.   Punch Drunk Love is losing a third of their screens, but will still top $20 million.  One Hour Photo is over $30 million. 

What does it mean?  Well, let’s hope that $5 million hits are still enough to keep those movies getting made. 

Oh yeah… and there is this little movie… Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.  Just how big can Potter get?  They opened with $90 million last year.  Spider-Man raised the bar again with $115 million.  And 8 Mile just drew $54 million with an R-rated drama. 

The other wide release is Sony’s Half Past Dead, which seems to describe its star’s career.  Maybe Anita Busch should leave a fish with a rose in its mouth for Steven Seagal… except that she knows he would cook it, eat it and ask for seconds.  But however much fun of him I’m willing to make, his last film, Exit Wounds, opened to  $18.5 million.  What difference will Morris Chesnut subbing for DMX make?  I don’t know.  All I do know is that every Steven Seagal movie seems to be the same as the last… except for that one where he wore a cowboy hat and they tried to rope and hogtie him at the rodeo. 

The other big question this weekend is how 8 Mile will hold up.  The weekday numbers were a little flat, though Monday looked okay with the holiday as support.  But those weekday numbers will end up being pretty close to Panic Room – I was looking for a non-summer, non-holiday-weekend film for comparison – even though Panic Room opened with 40 percent less over its opening 3 days.  Signs, which opened to $10 million more than 8 Mile, more than doubled 8 Mile’s take in it’s first four weekdays.  But all of this is guess work.  There is no truly comparative film in recent box office history.  So only history will tell us the future for 8 Mile.

Finally, My Big Fat Greek Wedding may pass the $200 million mark this weekend… if not, they will pass it by Tuesday of next week.  A great story… even if I still haven’t seen the movie.

WEEKEND GUESSTIMATES

1. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – 3682 venues – new - $94 million
2. 8 Mile - 2499 venues – off 52 percent - $24.6 million
3. The Santa Clause 2 – 3346 venues – off 28 percent - $17.8 million
4. Half Past Dead - 2113 venues – new - $12.8 million
5. The Ring – 2882 venues – off 22 percent - $12.3 million
6. My Big Fat Greek Wedding - 1812 venues – off 12 percent - $5.2 million
7. I Spy -2611 venues – off 45 percent - $4.8 million
8. Jackass: The Movie – 2413 venues – off 55 percent - $3.19 million
9. Frida - 519 venues – up 15 percent - $3.17 million
10. Sweet Home Alabama - 1469 venues – off 39 percent - $2.3 million
11. Femme Fatale – 1066 venues – off 43 percent - $1.6 million

YOUR WEEKEND: FRIDAY: Look for Ray Pride at Movie City News.

SATURDAY:  Look for the rare Saturday edition of The Hot Button this Saturday…

SATURDAY A.M.: Look for Friday box office numbers on Movie City News.

SUNDAY:  Look for Len Klady’s Box Office Analysis at MCN.

READER OF THE DAY:  UNDERWIRE writes:  : Samantha Morton's most surprising turn this year would have to be her appearance as a mermaid in the new U2 music video for "Electrical Storm". She is carried out of the ocean under a stormy sky by Larry Mullen, Jr., who is playing a hunky hero in the video, and the two go on to portray the emotional highs and lows of a tempestuous relationship, from vicious spats to sensual and tender tumbles in a tub. In the end, the little drummer boy carries her back to the ocean, where her mermaid tail reappears and she swims into oblivion. A gorgeous video - shot by Anton Corbijn, who took those iconic U2 pictures in the late 80s - that is almost campy but at times looks like clips from the latest Dogme entry from Lars Von Trier. Not to be missed.

Oh, and who's missing from your list? I'd say with "Punch-drunk Love", Emily Watson takes a firm stand at the top of my list of favorite actresses. I've always thought she played too extreme, but it was her quiet strength in "Gosford Park" and her irresistibly sexy and complicated Lena Leonard in "Punch-drunk" that has revealed just how far

she can reach in either direction — extreme or understated. I can't take my eyes off her.”

And GODZILLA’S PAL writes:  “Well, surely Renee Zellweger deserves to be on the list; no explanation required. And while she was very nice in SPIDER-MAN, Kirsten Dunst was flat-out remarkable in THE CAT'S MEOW. A real shame she's got zero chance at a nomination. I suppose we should give props to Nia Vardalos--when a picture like that gets to $200 million, there has to be a really good reason, and what else could it be but the woman who's in virtually every scene? And while they didn't exactly have showcase roles this year, Robin Wright Penn and Maria Bello did their usual solid work.

I didn't even realize the woman in SOLARIS was the same woman who was in FAR FROM HEAVEN. You're right; Davis is a keeper. And speaking of FFH, isn't it time Patricia Clarkson got her due? She's always splendid. And Wanda DeJesus in BLOOD WORK was truly excellent in an extremely difficult role.

Moment of silence for the AWOLs: Anne Heche, Tea Leoni, Jennifer Jason Leigh (two minutes in PERDITION doesn't count), Glenn Close, Susan Egan (onscreen, anyway). And say what you will about YA-YA SISTERHOOD, but that was one peerless ensemble.

What about TV? Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel on GILMORE GIRLS! Doesn't get any better than this. And with Kim Delaney leaving CSI: MIAMI, maybe Emily Procter will now get more than four lines per show. Maybe one or two of them will even be interesting.

Finally, if you wanna see the star of tomorrow, trundle over to Pacific Resident Theatre and see BIG LOVE. There's a new sheriff headed to town, and her name is Katy Selverstone.”

E ME:  I was on the Katy Silverstone thing back when she was in those commercials.  I said she had “it” then and I’m sure she still has it.