Oct 21, 2005 By Calkins Media Film Critic 4 min read

By Lou GaulA family tale (“Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story”), a film biography (“Capote”), a factual drama (“North Country”), an action picture (“Doom”) and a psychological thriller (“Stay”) are the top titles arriving on this third Friday of October. The new motion pictures (with release dates subject to change) playing at a theater near you include:

– “Capote,” with Philip Seymour Hoffman (“The Talented Mr. Ripley”) in an R-rated biography of writer Truman Capote during the time he was creating “In Cold Blood,” his acclaimed nonfiction novel about two murderers who brutally killed a Kansas family in 1959. Catherine Keener (“Being John Malkovich”) co-stars as Harper Lee, the author of “To Kill a Mockingbird” and a childhood friend of Capote.

– “Doom,” with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (“Walking Tall”) in an extremely violent tale adapted from the action-packed video game. In the R-rated picture, directed by Polish filmmaker Andrzej Bartkowiak (“Exit Wounds”), heavily armed Marines are dispatched to a remote Mars space station where a deadly demonic force is unleashed during secret experiments. Expect the butt kicking to commence as soon as the soldiers land.

– “Dreamer: Inspired By a True Story,” with Kurt Russell (“Sky High”) and Dakota Fanning (“War of the Worlds”) in a PG-rated family tale during which a horse trainer teaches his young daughter how to ride as a jockey after she helps an injured racehorse to recover from injuries. Soon after, the girl enters the Breeder’s Cup Classic, a race that challenges even veteran jockeys. Elisabeth Shue (“Leaving Las Vegas”), Kris Kristofferson (“Blade”) and Luis Guzman (“Traffic”) co-star.

– “Kids in America,” with Julie Bowen (“Joe Somebody”) in a PG-13 teen tale about some high school students banding together against a needlessly meddlesome principal.

– “MirrorMask,” with Stephanie Leonidas in a tale written by Neil Gaiman (“The Sandman” graphic novel series). The PG-rated picture concerns a 15-year-old girl who comes from a circus family, seeks the title object and becomes trapped in a fantasy world.

– “North Country,” with Charlize Theron (“Monster”), Frances McDormand (“Fargo”) and Woody Harrelson (“The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio”) in a fact-based drama about an abused wife who takes a job at a Northern Minnesota mine to earn a living wage. She then faces the wrath of the male workers, who employ scare tactics, psychological intimidation, cruel jokes, verbal abuse, physical threats and sexual attacks against her and the other women workers. The R-rated picture, directed by New Zealand filmmaker Niki Caro (“Whale Rider”), follows Theron’s character as she seeks justice by bringing a historic class-action sexual harassment suit against the mining company.

– “Stay,” with Ewan McGregor (“The Island”), Naomi Watts (“The Ring”) and Ryan Gosling (“The Notebook”) in an R-rated psychological thriller about a Manhattan psychiatrist who suffers mental problems, becomes locked in a dream world and can’t separate fantasy from reality after treating a 21-year-old suicidal patient. Marc Forster, whose credits include “Monster’s Ball” and “Finding Neverland,” directed.

At the buck$ office

Ghostly figures scared up a small fortune last weekend at the PG-13 remake of “The Fog” took the top spot at the box office.

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

1. “The Fog” ($12.2 million)

2. “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” ($11.7 million)

3. “Elizabethtown” ($11 million)

4. “Flightplan” ($6.5 million)

5. “In Her Shoes” ($6.1 million)

6. “Domino” ($4.7 million)

7. “Two For the Money” ($4.6 million)

8. “A History of Violence” ($3.6 million)

9. “Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride” ($3.5 million)

10. “The Gospel” ($3.2 million)

Coming soon!

The films scheduled to arrive on Oct. 28 include: “The Legend of Zorro,” an action sequel with Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, and “Shopgirl,” an offbeat romantic tale with Steve Martin and Claire Danes.