New Line Cinema and Fine Line Features revealed its fall and winter lineup of new films on Friday, Sept. 5, the most exciting of which is "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."
Ten minutes of film footage and commentary created a teasing taste of what's to come in Peter Jackson's final installment of the fantasy classic. The film features elaborate battle scenes, an intense love story and a heart-wrenching personal struggle as Frodo (Elijah Wood) resumes his quest as the ring bearer. According to Wood, "Return of the King" is more powerful than the first two movies in the series combined. "Return of the King" will be released Dec. 17, so be sure to indulge in this end-of-semester treat.
Three other movies from the nine-film lineup strike particularly promising chords. One of them, "American Splendor," has already been released and has won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. Its unique blend of live-action, two-dimensional, and archival footage shows the protagonist, Harvey Pekar, in three different ways. Pekar stars as himself in one version of his quirky character, and Paul Giamatti ("Big Fat Liar") displays his considerable talents as another version.
Another standout was "Elephant," which features Gus Van Sant ("Finding Forrester," "Good Will Hunting") behind the camera. The film opens with laid-back, realistic portrayals of high school teens, but something terrible is about to happen at their school. Viewers will have to find out what happens on Oct. 24, the film's release date, but there is a hint that the event might be a Columbine-like disaster. Van Sant hasn't erred in the past, and the film won two prizes at this year's Cannes Film Festival, so hopefully it won't be as obvious as that.
The comedic gem of this lineup is undoubtedly "Elf," which stars the ridiculously hilarious Will Ferrell ("Old School"). Ferrell plays Buddy, the human who was raised in an elf family but is now seeking his true parents. Predictably, his real family doesn't care much for Christmas, but Buddy is on a mission to restore their faith; what it lacks in plotline should be made up for in the sheer genius of Ferrell. For a load of laughs and an escape from daily drudgery, look for "Elf" starting Nov. 7.
Of the rest of the bunch, "The Notebook" and "The Butterfly Effect" seem to be the most intriguing. Based on the book by Nicholas Sparks, "The Notebook" relates the love-struck, tempestuous story of a couple through the words of an old notebook. The film will be a tearjerker and a great movie to see with a date, but don't expect anything too out of the ordinary. "The Notebook" is slated to come out in 2004. "The Butterfly Effect," set to open Feb. 6, 2004, combines some "Back to the Future" time travel ideas with a dark and modern twist. Although the premise of the film is exciting, many viewers will not be able to fathom Ashton Kutcher ("That 70s Show") in a serious role - and with a beard to boot.
"Birth" features the ever-fantastic Nicole Kidman ("The Hours") as a woman who must choose between a recent boyfriend and a 10-year-old boy. The boy is supposedly her dead husband reincarnate, a bizarre but thought provoking piece of the story. Doubtless, Kidman will save the film with her nearly flawless acting, but the plot line seems simplistic and thin, and it's not easy to successfully wax philosophical in a Hollywood movie.
Next month brings the release of a new take on an old classic, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." However, the new film doesn't seem to offer anything new at all. Jessica Biel ("Seventh Heaven") will draw some viewers, but "Massacre" seems to be just another small cog in the wheel of horror movies.
Clearly the most listless movie of the nine, "Secondhand Lions" stars Haley Joel Osment ("A.I."), Michael Caine ("The Cider House Rules") and Robert Duvall ("Gods and Generals") in what seems to be a sappy and dull story of a teenage boy who must become accustomed to living with his two crotchety, cantankerous great-uncles. The film will be released on Sept. 19.
