War epic, spy thriller and family comedy arrive in theaters this weekend
The new motion pictures opening today at a theater near you include: – “The Bourne Identity”: A young man (Matt Damon of “Ocean’s Eleven”) is found floating at sea by the crew of an Italian fishing boat and doesn’t remember anything when he awakens from a coma.
The man of mystery soon discovers that he had numerous enemies in his past when assassins start hunting him through Europe. The PG-13 spy thriller, based on the novel by Robert Ludlum, co-stars Franka Potente (“Run Lola Run”), Chris Cooper (“American Beauty”), Julia Stiles (“Save the Last Dance”) and Clive Owen (“Croupier”). Doug Liman (“Go”) directed.
– “Chelsea Walls”: Actor-turned-filmmaker Ethan Hawke (“Training Day”) directed this R-rated ensemble tale that intermixes fives separate stories happening in a single day at New York’s Chelsea Hotel. Hawke’s real-life wife, Uma Thurman (“Pulp Fiction”), co-stars with Vincent D’Onofrio (“The Salton Sea”), Kris Kristofferson (“Blade II”), Steve Zahn (“Joy Ride”) and Rosario Dawson (“Josey and the Pussycats”).
– “Cherish”: A woman (Robin Tunney of “Vertical Limit”) falsely accused of murder falls in love with a parole officer (Tim Blake Nelson of “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”).
This 102-minute comedy thriller, rated R, co-stars Jason Priestly (TV’s “Beverly Hills 90210”) and Nora Dunn (TV’s “Saturday Night Live”). Nelson (“O”) also directed.
– “Late Marriage”: Set in Tel Aviv, this unrated comedy drama concerns parents who are embarrassed because their 31-year-old son (Lior Ashkenazi) remains unmarried and try to find a suitable wife for him.
They don’t know, however, that the man is in love with a Moroccan divorcee and single parent (Ronit Elkabetz), whom they have forbidden him to marry. Dover Kosashvili made his directing debut.
– “Scooby-Doo”: This live-action version of the cartoon about a canine – created via computer-generated imagery – stars Freddie Prinze Jr. (“She’s All That”), Sarah Michelle Gellar (TV’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), Matthew Lillard (“Thirteen Ghosts”) and British comic Rowan Atkinson (“Bean”). Raja Gosnell (“Big Momma’s House”) directed the PG-rated picture that has Scooby-Doo and his human friends solving an outlandish mystery on an island containing an amusement park populated by zombie-like visitors.
– “13 Conversations About One Thing”: Four fables revolving around characters dissatisfied with urban life are told in this R-rated ensemble picture, featuring Matthew McConaughey (“Frailty”), John Turturro (“Barton Fink”), Amy Irving (“Bossa Nova”) and Alan Arkin (“The Rocketeer”). Jill Sprecher (“Clockwatchers”) directed.
– “Windtalkers”: In this fact-based World War II tale, the Marine Corps uses Navajo soldiers to speak in their native language to stop the Japanese from intercepting intelligence communications.
Nicolas Cage plays a veteran soldier who’s assigned to protect a Native American soldier (Adam Beach of “Smoke Signals”) and to kill the “windtalker” if there’s a chance that he could fall into the hands of the enemy.
Christian Slater (“Broken Arrow”) co-stars. John Woo (“Mission: Impossible II”) directed the R-rated epic.
At the Buck$ Office
“Fears” sizzled at the box office for the second week in a row.”The Sum of All Fears,” based on Tom Clancy’s thriller about nuclear terrorism, grossed more than $18 million.
“The Sum of all Fears” took the top spot away from the Sandra Bullock feel-good picture, “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood,” which enjoyed a modestly successful opening.
The top 10 films last weekend were:
1. “The Sum of All Fears” ($18.7 million)
2. “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood” ($16.35 million)
3. “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones” ($13.9 million)
4. “Bad Company” ($10.5 million)
5. “Spider-Man” ($10 million)
6. “Spirit: The Stallion of the Cimarron” ($9.4 million)
7. “Undercover Brother” ($7.3 million)
8. “Insomnia” ($5.9 million)
9. “Enough” ($3.6 million)
10. “About a Boy” ($2.7 million)