May 11: At the Movies
A romantic comedy (“The Ex”), a family melodrama (“Georgia Rule”), a music documentary (“The Hip Hop Project”), a horror sequel (“28 Weeks Later”), a touching tale (“Waitress”) and two broad comedies (“Delta Farce” and “The Salon”) are the top titles arriving in theaters on this Mother’s Day weekend. For complete descriptions, critical evaluations of previewed films and explanations of the Motion Picture Association of America ratings in terms of violence, language and sexual content, please refer to the Movie Capsules.
The new films (with all dates subject to change) opening at a theater near you include:
“Away from Her,” with Julie Christie (“Darling”) and Olympia Dukakis (“Moonstruck”) in a critically lauded Canadian-set drama about an aging woman who has long harbored a grudge against her two-timing husband and finds herself battling increasing memory loss. Actress Sarah Polley (remake of “Dawn of the Dead”) makes her directing debut with the PG-13 picture, based on “The Bear Came Over the Mountain,” a short story by Alice Munro.
“Delta Farce,” with Larry the Cable Guy (“Health Inspector”), Bill Engvall (“Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie”) and Danny Trejo (“Grindhouse”) in a broad PG-13 military comedy about some good ol’ boys who are mistaken for Army Reservists, placed on transport to Iraq and accidentally ejected over Mexico, where they battle a local warlord.
“The Ex,” with Zach Braff (TV’s “Scrubs”), Amanda Peet (“The Whole Nine Yards”), and Jason Bateman (TV’s “Arrested Development”) in a PG-13 romantic comedy about a guy who must go to work for his father-in-law after his wife becomes pregnant and quits her lucrative job.
“Georgia Rule,” with Jane Fonda (“The China Syndrome”), Lindsay Lohan (“A Prairie Home Companion”) and Felicity Huffman (TV’s “Desperate Housewives”). In the R-rated comedy, a frustrated mother moves her out-of-control teenage daughter, who delights in drinking, swearing and driving mishaps, from San Francisco to Idaho, where she hopes the troubled girl’s no-nonsense grandmother can handle her. Garry Marshall (“Beaches”) directed.
“The Hip Hop Project,” with Chris “Kazi” Rolle in a PG-13 documentary about a program, founded in 1999, that gives troubled teens an opportunity to write, produce and record an album with songs about the hardships they face.
“Killer of Sheep,” with filmmaker Charles Burnett (“Oprah Winfrey Presents: The Wedding”) directing a 1977 black-and-white film about a sensitive man living in Los Angeles’ distressed Watts area in the mid-1970s and suffering emotional turmoil due to a job at a slaughterhouse. The critically acclaimed film, which examines the issue of urban poverty, is receiving its first major theatrical release.
“Offside,” with Jafar Panahi directing a PG-rated drama about some Iranian girls who dress as boys and attempt to enter Tehran’s Azadi Stadium – a place where only males are allowed – to watch a soccer match. Some are recognized and then face charges for their act of defiance.
“The Salon,” with Vivica A. Fox (“Kickin’ It Old Skool”) in a PG-13 comedy – inspired by “Barbershop” (2002) with Ice Cube and “Beauty Shop” (2005) with Queen Latifah – about an urban hair-styling place where all of the employees speak their minds. Fox’s character must fight city hall when politicians plan to take her building and turn it into a parking lot.
“28 Weeks Later,” with Robert Carlyle (“The Full Monty”) in a bloody R-rated sequel to “28 Days” in which the military believes that it now controls the virus that transforms people into vicious killers and then discovers that an infected person has slipped through the security zone. Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (“Intacto”) directed.
“The Valet,” with Gad Elmaleh in a PG-13 comedy import about a billionaire who hires an average guy to pretend to be the boyfriend of his super-model mistress so that his wife doesn’t suspect anything. To make the relationship seem believable, the husband insists that his lover move in with the title character, and she becomes attracted to the simple man.
“Waitress,” with Keri Russell (“Mission: Impossible III”), Nathan Fillion (“Serenity”), Cheryl Hines (HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) and Jeremy Sisto (HBO’s “Six Feet Under”) in a warmly rendered slice-of-life tale about a pregnant diner worker dealing with an abusive husband and falling in love with her caring doctor. The PG-13 picture was written and directed by Adrienne Shelly, who was murdered in her Manhattan apartment last fall shortly after completing the heartfelt film.
At the buck$ office
“Spider-Man 3” spun a record-setting box-office web.
The highly anticipated PG-13 picture grossed $148 million last weekend. That total topped the previous weekend record of “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” which opened with $135.6 million last year. (The third “Pirates” installment, “At the World’s End,” arrives May 25 and may top “Spider-Man 3.”)
Eric Bana and Drew Barrymore weren’t as fortunate. Their offbeat relationship picture, “Lucky You,” opened with a dismal $2.5 million.
According to the Associated Press, the top-10 movies last weekend were:
1. “Spider-Man 3” ($148 million)
2. “Disturbia” ($5.7 million)
3. “Fracture” ($3.4 million)
4. “The Invisible” ($3.1 million)
5. “Next” ($2.8 million)
6. “Lucky You” ($2.5 million)
7. “Meet the Robinsons” ($2.46 million)
8. “Blades of Glory” ($2.3 million)
9. “Hot Fuzz” ($2.1 million)
10. “Are We Done Yet?” ($1.7 million)