Sep 3, 2004 By Lou Gaul Calkins Media Film Critic 4 min read

A broad comedy (“Cookout”), a highbrow title (“Vanity Fair”), a teen drama (“Mean Creek”) and two thrillers (“Paparazzi” and “Wicker Park”) are the top titles arriving on Labor Day weekend. The new motion pictures (with release dates subject to change) playing at a theater near you include:

– “The Cookout” with Queen Latifah (“Barbershop 2”), Ja Rule (“Half Past Dead”) and Danny Glover (“Lethal Weapon”) in a PG-13 comedy about the interaction between a NBA player and two buddies from the past who have followed a criminal path.

– “La Dolce Vita” with Marcello Mastroianni, Anouk Aimee and Anita Ekberg in a re-release of Federico Fellini’s 1960 classic about a gossip columnist embarking on a decadent journey through Europe’s high society. Fellini enjoyed international success with the controversial 175-minute film. The unrated picture won an Oscar for best costume design.

– “Mean Creek” with Rory Culkin (“Igby Goes Down”), Ryan Kelley (TV’s “Smallville”), Scott Mechlowicz (“Euro Trip”) and Carly Schroeder (“The Lizzie McGuire Movie”) in an R-rated tale that seems inspired by edgy works such as “River’s Edge” and “Stand By Me.” The plot concerns some Oregon teenagers seeking revenge against a bully and then questioning how far to go in their quest for vengeance. Debuting director Jacob Aaron Estes had a production schedule of just 24 days, and half of the film was shot on the waters of the Lewis River near the Oregon/Washington border and the Clackamas River near Portland.

– “Paparazzi” with Cole Hauser (“Pitch Black”), Robin Tunney (“Vertical Limit”), Dennis Farina (“Out of Sight”) and Tom Sizemore (“Saving Private Ryan”) in a PG-13 thriller. The plot concerns a superstar living in Malibu and being stalked by four extremely aggressive photographers who want photos of the actor, his wife and child to sell for huge fees to tabloids and will do anything to get the shots. Their quest eventually causes a terrible tragedy in the PG-13 thriller, which features the filmmaking debut of hair-stylist-turned-director Paul Abascal and was produced by Mel Gibson (“The Passion of the Christ”).

– “Rosenstrasse” with Katja Riemann and Maria Schrader in a fact-based drama set in 1943 Berlin. The story unfolds on a street where Jewish men, women and children are gathered for deportation to concentration camps. German filmmaker Margarethe von Trotta wrote and directed the PG-13 picture, which chronicles how some Aryan wives and mothers worked to save the lives of as many people as they could.

– “Vanity Fair,” with Reese Witherspoon (“Sweet Home Alabama”), Jim Broadbent (“Moulin Rouge”) and Gabriel Byrne (“The Usual Suspects”) in director Mira Nair’s 19th-century drama, based on the novel by William Makepeace Thackeray. The PG-13 picture concerns an orphan who uses any means necessary to climb London’s social ladder.

– “Wicker Park” with Josh Hartnett (“Black Hawk Down”), Rose Byrne (“Troy”) and Matthew Lillard (“Without a Paddle”) in a Chicago-set psychological thriller about a young man whose girlfriend disappears without a trace, and he then begins an obsessive quest to find her. British filmmaker Paul McGuigan (“Gangster No. 1”) directed the PG-13 picture.

At the buck$ office

Jet Li was a “Hero” at the box office last weekend.

The Hong Kong superstar’s PG-13 epic, “Hero,” easily took the top spot, grossing more than $17 million.

It was followed by the creature feature “Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid.” The sequel opened with more than $13 million.

According to the Associated Press, the 10 top-grossing films last weekend were:

1. “Hero” ($17.8 million)

2. “Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid” ($13.2 million)

3. “Without a Paddle” ($8.7 million)

4. “Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement” ($8.1 million)

5. “Exorcist: The Beginning” ($6.7 million)

6. “Collateral” ($6.3 million)

7. “Open Water” ($5 million)

8. “Alien vs. Predator” ($4.8 million)

9. “The Bourne Supremacy” ($4.6 million)

10. “Suspect Zero” ($3.4 million)

Coming soon!

The titles scheduled to open Sept. 10 include “Resident Evil: Apocalypse” (an action-packed sequel with Milla Jovovich), “Criminal” (a gritty caper picture with John C. Reilly and Maggie Gyllenhaal) and “The Brown Bunny” (a controversial road picture with Vincent Gallo and Chloe Sevigny).