Military thriller, family flick to hit big screen
A military thriller (“Stealth”), a family picture (“Sky High”), an action import (“The Warrior”) and a romantic comedy (“Must Love Dogs”) are the top titles opening on this last weekend of the month. The new motion pictures (with release dates subject to change) playing at a theater near you include:
– “The Beat That My Heart Skipped,” with Romain Duris (“Le Divorce”) in a French adaptation of director James Toback’s 1978 cult favorite “Fingers.” In the unrated import, directed by Jacques Audiard (“Read My Lips”), a concert pianist is torn between the gangster elements in his father’s real-estate business and the world of classical music introduced to him by his mother. The film is presented in French with English subtitles.
– “The Beautiful Country,” with Damien Nguyen in an unrated import about a poor half-American/half-Vietnamese man whose incredible quest to find his family takes him from Saigon to Malaysia to New York and finally to a ranch in a remote area of Texas. The film is presented in Cantonese, Mandarin and Vietnamese with English subtitles.
– “A League of Ordinary Gentlemen,” with Chris Browne directing an unrated documentary that looks at champion bowlers who were featured on weekend TV broadcasts during the 1970s and then examines the rebirth of the pastime in 2000 when three former Microsoft executives purchased the rights to the Pro Bowlers Association.
– “Must Love Dogs,” with Diane Lane (“Under the Tuscan Sun”), John Cusack (“Runaway Jury”) and Dermot Mulroney (“My Best Friend’s Wedding”) in a PG-13 romantic comedy about a recently divorced woman whose well-meaning sisters post her name on an Internet singles site. She then experiences a number of dating disasters before true love comes along and the conservative thirtysomething woman considers throwing caution to the wind while seeking romance.
– “Sky High,” with Kurt Russell (“Miracle”) and Kelly Preston (“Jerry Maguire”) in a PG-rated family comedy about a superhero couple helplessly watching as their son, who possesses no powers and seems destined to a life as a sidekick, enters high school.
He must deal with bullies and coaches continually seeking to taunt and test him.
– “Stealth,” with Jamie Foxx (“Ray”), Jessica Biel (“Blade: Trinity”) and Josh Lucas (“Sweet Home Alabama”) in a PG-13 military thriller about elite pilots who face artificial intelligence capable of taking control of an aircraft armed with nuclear weapons.
– “The Warrior,” with Irfan Khan in an R-rated import from India about a fighter whose conscience will not allow him to serve a corrupt warlord. That decision causes him to be hunted by the powerful man’s assassins.
At the buck$ office
The “Chocolate Factory” continued to be a sweet spot for filmgoers again last weekend.
Tim Burton’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka, took the No. 1 spot at the box office for the second week in a row, grossing more than $28 million.
The PG-rated family picture was followed by the R-rated Owen Wilson/Vince Vaughn comedy “Wedding Crashers,” which took in more than $26 million.
“The Island,” a $122 million cloning thriller directed by Michael Bay, didn’t attract many fans as it opened last weekend with $12.1 million. Likewise, the remake of “Bad News Bears” debuted weakly with $11.5 million.
According to the Associated Press, the top-grossing film last weekend was “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” ($28.3 million).
2. “Wedding Crashers” ($26.2 million)
3. “Fantastic Four” ($12.3 million)
4. “The Island” ($12.1 million)
5. “Bad News Bears” ($11.5 million)
6. “War of the Worlds” ($8.8 million)
7. “Hustle & Flow” ($8.1 million)
8. “The Devil’s Rejects” ($7 million)
9. “Batman Begins” ($4.7 million)
10. “March of the Penguins” ($4.3 million)
Coming soon!
The major titles opening Aug. 5 include “The Dukes of Hazzard,” with Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott and Jessica Simpson in a remake of the vintage TV favorite, and “My Date With Drew” with New Jersey native Brian Herzlinger in a documentary about his quest to meet Drew Barrymore.