Fall films not gun-shy
By Scott Bowles
USA Today
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Ah, autumn. The kids return to school, and a sense of tranquility finally returns to the air. Unless, of course, you go to movies. Then Hollywood wreaks havoc with your calendar.
Take this summer: Instead of the steady diet of bombast, studio executives peppered the calendar with fall-like films — including a few downright wintry movies the honchos are convinced will be Oscar bait. So it should come as no surprise that this fall, Hollywood loves things that go bang. Over the next couple of months, we'll see the return of the Western, violent video-game adaptations and some vigilante justice.
Lately, Clive Owen has been finding himself with a gun in one hand and a baby in the other.
"I've either been fighting mankind or saving a child," says Owen, who did plenty of both in "Shoot 'Em Up," opening today (review on Page 35), and last year's "Children of Men."
A lot of other film characters also are either firing bullets or trying their best to avoid them this fall.
"People love to proclaim certain genres are dead," says Peter Fonda, who stars in "3:10 to Yuma," also opening today. "But nothing dies. Good movies are good movies. And let me tell you, if you make a good Western, people will be proud to say they're part of one."
Well, not everyone. "I hesitate to even call this a Western," Brad Pitt says of his movie "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (Sept. 21) in which he plays the country's most famous gunslinger. "This is a psychological dissection of people at this time in history."
For those stars who do see their films as trigger-happy, there's more to the gun than meets the eye.
"I think everyone has a dark side," says Jodie Foster, who stars in "The Brave One" (Sept. 14). "And when you choose to pick up a weapon, you're exploring it. Good movies do that."
USA Today's Anthony Breznican, Susan Wloszczyna and Luz Elena Avitia offer capsule looks at this fall's major movies. (Dates subject to change; some independent films might not open in Hawai'i or might open on a delayed basis.)
SEPT. 14
Jodie Foster is a radio host who wants revenge against the criminals who killed her fiance and almost killed her. Local connection: Naveen Andrews of filmed-in-Hawai'i TV's "Lost" is the fiance.
Viggo Mortensen and filmmaker David Cronenberg team up again after "A History of Violence" for another mob-related thriller, starring Mortensen as a Russian gangster pursued by a midwife investigating the murder of a young mother. Also starring: Vincent Cassel, Naomi Watts
A young man tries to stop his mother from marrying his high-school gym teacher. Stars: Seann William Scott, Susan Sarandon, Billy Bob Thornton
A 19th-century silkworm trader leaves behind his wife for a smuggling expedition to Japan, only to fall in love with a local aristocrat's concubine. From director Francois Girard ("The Red Violin"). Stars: Michael Pitt, Keira Knightley
A strong-willed teenage daughter tries to rein in her father, who was just released from a mental hospital and is now obsessed with finding a Spanish treasure he believes is buried beneath a modern-day Costco. Stars: Evan Rachel Wood, Michael Douglas
A road-trip comedy about a young law intern who tries to score points with his boss by agreeing to drive his moving truck across the U.S., along with the boss's niece and her pet pig. Stars: Ben Gourley, Rutger Hauer, Mila Kunis, Jon Heder
SEPT. 19
An oil company penetrates the protected Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and unleashes a nightmare buried beneath the ice in this thriller. Stars: Ron Perlman, James LeGros
SEPT. 21
Brad Pitt stars as the former, Casey Affleck as the latter.
Chuck has a curse: Once he sleeps with a girl, she discovers her true love — and it ain't him. He has to figure out a way to short-circuit the curse so he doesn't lose Jessica Alba. Also starring: Dane Cook
Sean Penn directs this story of a young man (Emile Hirsch) who takes off in a run-down bus on a quest to get back to nature — even if it kills him. Based on the true-life book by Jon Krakauer. Also starring: Hal Holbrook, William Hurt, Vince Vaughn, Marcia Gay Harden
A contemporary Snow White set in the college Greek system with Amanda Bynes as the title character, trying to find her prince while stuck living with seven nerds. Also starring: John Schneider
An investigator trying to destroy an international sex-trafficking enterprise joins forces with a Mexican teen who wants to save his young sister from the same criminals. Stars: Kevin Kline, Cesar Ramos
What would Jane do? This is the question asked by a group of modern readers of the British romantic novelist. They use her work to negotiate their own love lives. Stars: Maria Bello, Kathy Baker, Emily Blunt, Maggie Grace
A good ol' boy (writer/director Ray McKinnon) gets in trouble with organized crime in this comedy. Stars: Burt Reynolds, Bill Nunn
SEPT. 28
A star quarterback's season is complicated by the discovery that he's the father of a cute little girl who needs his attention for ballet and other girlie things. Stars: Former Honolulan Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Kyra Sedgwick, Madison Pettis
Fans of Ang Lee may be intrigued by this Shanghai-based World War II espionage thriller from the "Brokeback Mountain" Oscar winner. Stars: Tony Leung, Tang Wei, Joan Chen
A group of friends becomes tangled up in a web of romances and heartbreaks in this comedic drama from "Kramer vs. Kramer" Oscar winner Robert Benton. Stars: Morgan Freeman, Selma Blair, Greg Kinnear
A soccer star (Kuno Becker), who was an aspiring professional in the first film, gets his big break — a chance to play for Spain's Real Madrid. Also starring: Alessandro Nivola, Nick Cannon
A teen falls in love while his religious South Boston family begins to fall apart after his brother gets involved in street crime. Stars: Michael Angarano, Brendan Gleeson, Emily VanCamp
SEPT. 29
Three estranged brothers set off on a journey through India in this comedy from "Rushmore" filmmaker Wes Anderson. Stars: Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody
OCT. 5
Ben Stiller-izing of the 1972 comedy classic about a just-wed guy who discovers his dream girl while on his honeymoon. Also starring: Malin Akerman, Michelle Monaghan
George Clooney is a "fixer" at a large corporate law firm who must mop up the mess caused by potential whistleblower Tom Wilkinson. Also starring: Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack
John Cusack copes with life without his soldier wife, who dies in Iraq. Also starring: Marisa Tomei
An ordinary teen lad (Alexander Ludwig) learns he is a time-traveling warrior who must fight evil while not getting too far behind in his homework. Also starring: Ian McShane, Christopher Eccleston
Controversial documentary examines whether a 4-year-old artistic whiz is real or a fraud. Stars: Marla Olmstead
Jake Paltrow directs his sis Gwyneth Paltrow in a comedy-drama about a former pop star turned jingle-writer who is in a midlife crisis. Stars: Penélope Cruz, Martin Freeman, Danny DeVito
R&B singer Omarion Grandberry stars as an aspiring rapper whose run-in with thugs forces him to hide out in Puerto Rico with his estranged father. Also starring: Giancarlo Esposito
OCT. 10
A profile of Ian Curtis, the enigmatic singer of Joy Division whose personal, professional and romantic troubles led him to commit suicide at age 23. Stars: Sam Riley, Samantha Morton
OCT. 12
Cate Blanchett boasts a new array of fright wigs, alongside a goateed Clive Owen as Sir Walter Raleigh, as she revisits the Virgin Queen. Also starring: Geoffrey Rush, Samantha Morton
Post-"Alfie," Jude Law steps into another Michael Caine role in a redo of the 1972 cat-and-mouse thriller. Caine returns, this time as the elder rival.
Niche filmmaker Tyler Perry drops his Madea drag act as part of four vacationing couples who are forced to examine their relationships. Also starring: Janet Jackson
Ryan Gosling is a shy guy who dates a life-size plastic doll. Also starring: Patricia Clarkson, Emily Mortimer
Kent Stock (Sean Astin) disrupts his life to become coach of the Norway High School baseball team and try to lead them to victory. Also starring: Rachael Leigh Cook
An American journalist on assignment in the Australian outback encounters a man-eating crocodile. Stars: Michael Vartan, Radha Mitchell
OCT. 19
When an Egyptian-born terrorism suspect is pulled off a plane and disappears, wife Reese Witherspoon and CIA analyst Jake Gyllenhaal join forces to seek answers. Also starring: Meryl Streep, Alan Arkin
Expect emotional wreckage when hit-and-run driver Mark Ruffalo crosses paths with the parents of his victim. Also starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Jennifer Connelly, Mira Sorvino
Halloweentown will pop off the screen as 1993's ghoulish stop-motion slay ride returns. Stars: The voices of Catherine O'Hara, Chris Sarandon, Paul Reubens
Ben Affleck directs this Boston-based drama about the search for a missing child. Stars: Casey Affleck, Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman
Shivers are guaranteed as vampires attack in a sunlight-free Alaska. Stars: Josh Hartnett, Ben Foster
OCT. 26
Tortuous tricks 'n' treats return as sadist supreme Jigsaw, who died in the last outing, somehow revives. Stars: Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith
Recovering drug addict Benicio Del Toro moves in with Halle Berry, who is his best friend's grief-stricken widow. Also starring: Sarah Dubrovsky, David Duchovny
Widower Steve Carell unexpectedly falls for Juliette Binoche — who just happens to be the girlfriend of his brother. Also starring: Dane Cook, John Mahoney
John Cusack, once more a lonely widower, befriends a child who believes he is an alien. Also starring: Amanda Peet
Second-banana David Koechner goes first-string as a coach in this underdog sports-team comedy. Also starring: Matthew Lawrence, Melora Hardin
A couple deals with illness and a child who unexpectedly comes into their life. Stars: Kevin Bacon, Marcia Gay Harden
In David Schwimmer's feature-directing debut, a corpulent Simon Pegg decides to run a marathon and win back old love Thandie Newton. Also starring: Hank Azaria
Remake of the 1997 Austrian thriller in which two psychotic young men take a vacationing family hostage in their cabin. Stars: Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, Michael Pitt
A 17-year-old girl has mysterious encounters with paranormal activity in the small town of Pine Valley. Stars: Rissa Walters
The true story of Richard Pimentel, a Vietnam veteran who returns home with severely impaired hearing and fights for the rights of disabled Americans. Stars: Ron Livingston, Melissa George
"Grace is Gone"
"Lars and the Real Girl"
"30 Days of Night"
"Lust, Caution"
"My Kid Could Paint That"
"Mr. Woodcock"
"Trade"
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