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Comedy about a neurotic, self-loathing screenwriter who struggles to adapt a nonfiction book about a Florida orchid smuggler. Based in part on the book “The Orchid Thief” by Susan Orlean. Directed by Spike Jonze (“Being John Malkovich”) from a screenplay by Charlie Kaufman (“Being John Malkovich,” “Human Nature,” “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind”) and Donald Kaufman. With Nicolas Cage (“Windtalkers”), Meryl Streep (“Music of the Heart,” “The Hours”), Chris Cooper (“The Bourne Identity”), Rheagan Wallace (“Dill Scallion”), Brian Cox (“The Bourne Identity,” “The Ring,” “The 25th Hour”), Gary Farmer (“The Score”), Ron Livingston (“Two Ninas”), Lupe Ontiveros (“Storytelling,” “Real Women Have Curves”), Tilda Swinton (“Vanilla Sky”), Jane Adams (“Orange County”), Stephen Tobolowsky (“Freddy Got Fingered”), Maggie Gyllenhaal (“Secretary”) and “Malkovich” vets John Cusack and Catherine Keener as themselves. Flat. R: Language; sexuality; some drug use; violent images. Dec. 6 limited. Sony. The true story of Antwone “Fish” Fisher, who was born in prison to a mother who abandoned him, suffered abuse in the foster care system, saw his best friend shot to death in front of him, and – at the suggestion of a psychiatrist – eventually set off to find the family he never knew. Actor Denzel Washington (“John Q”) makes his feature directorial debut from a screenplay by Fisher. With Washington, Salli Richardson (“The Great White Hype”), Joy Bryant,and newcomer Derek Luke. Also known as “Finding Fish.” Scope. 120 min. PG-13: Violence; language; mature thematic material involving child abuse. Dec. 20. Fox/Fox Searchlight. Dark comedy about “Dating Game” producer Chuck Barris and his claim that the CIA used him to kill KGB agents when he wasn’t chaperoning winners in exotic locales. Based on Barris’ book. Actor George Clooney (“Welcome to Collinwood,” “Solaris”) makes his feature directorial debut from a screenplay by Charlie Kaufman (“Being John Malkovich,” “Human Nature,” “Adaptation”). With Clooney, Sam Rockwell (“Heist,” “Welcome to Collinwood”), Drew Barrymore (“Riding in Cars With Boys”), Rutger Hauer (“Simon Magus”), Julia Roberts (“Ocean’s Eleven,” “Full Frontal”), Krista Allen (“Sunset Strip”) and Fred Savage (“Austin Powers in Goldmember,” “The Rules of Attraction”). Dec. 27 in New York and Los Angeles; wider on Jan. 10. Miramax. Musical about a pair of jailed murderesses, one of whom tires of sharing the spotlight of infamy and plots to obliterate the other. Based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins, updated by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse. Choreographer Rob Marshall (TV’s “Annie”) makes his feature directorial debut from a screenplay by Bill Condon (“Gods and Monsters”). With Catherine Zeta-Jones (“America’s Sweethearts”), Renée Zellweger (“White Oleander”), Richard Gere (“Unfaithful”), Queen Latifah (“Brown Sugar”), Christine Baranski (“How the Grinch Stole Christmas”), John C. Reilly (“The Good Girl,” “Gangs of New York”), Taye Diggs (“Brown Sugar,” “Equilibrium”), Lucy Liu (“Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever”), Colm Feore (“The Sum of All Fears”), Denise Faye (“American Pie 2”) and R&B singer Mya (“In Too Deep”). Flat. Dec. 25. Miramax. Drama, set in 1953, about a cuckolded Dubliner who battles the Irish courts and the Roman Catholic Church for custody of his three children. Directed by Bruce Beresford (“Double Jeopardy,” “Bride of the Wind”) from a screenplay by Paul Pender (TV’s “Cadfael”). With Pierce Brosnan (“The Tailor of Panama,” “Die Another Day”), Julianna Margulies (“The Man From Elysian Fields,” “Ghost Ship”), Aidan Quinn (“Stolen Summer”), Stephen Rea (“feardotcom”), Alan Bates (“The Sum of All Fears”), John Lynch (“The Quarry”) and Sophie Vavasseur. Scope. Dec. 13 limited. MGM. Crime drama, spanning 17 years in the middle of the 19th century, about a gang leader’s son out to avenge his father’s murder. Based on the 1927 Herbert Asbury story. Directed by Martin Scorsese (“Bringing Out the Dead”) from a screenplay by Scorsese, Jay Cocks (“Age of Innocence,” “Strange Days”) and Steven Zaillian (“A Civil Action,” “Hannibal”). With Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Beach,” “Catch Me if You Can”), Cameron Diaz (“The Sweetest Thing”), Liam Neeson (“K-19: The Widowmaker”), Daniel Day-Lewis (“The Boxer”), Jim Broadbent (“Iris”), Brendan Gleeson (“Harrison’s Flowers”), John C. Reilly (“The Good Girl,” “Chicago,” “The Hours”), and Henry Thomas (“All the Pretty Horses”). Scope. R: Intense strong violence; sexuality/nudity; language. Dec. 25. Miramax.   Comedy, set in the Hamptons, about a recently widowed insurance man who has to face retirement without his wife or his estranged, soon-to-be-married yuppie daughter. Based on the 1996 novel by Louis Begley (“Wartime Lies”). Directed by Alexander Payne (“Election”) from a screenplay by Payne & Jim Taylor (“Election,” “Jurassic Park III”). With Jack Nicholson (“The Pledge”), Hope Davis (“Hearts in Atlantis”), Dermot Mulroney (“Lovely and Amazing”), Kathy Bates (“Dragonfly”), June Squibb (“Meet Joe Black”), Len Cariou (“Thirteen Days”) and Howard Hesseman (“Gridlock’d”). Flat. 124 min. R: Some language; brief nudity. Dec. 13 in New York and Los Angeles; wider Dec. 20 and Jan. 3. New Line. Mobster Paul Vitti, newly released from prison, seeks out his old psychoanalyst Ben Sobel – only to discover the shrink now needs therapy too. Sequel to the 1999 blockbuster comedy “Analyze This.” Returnees from part one include writer-director Harold Ramis (“Bedazzled”), as well as actors Robert De Niro (“City by the Sea”), Billy Crystal (“America’s Sweethearts”), Lisa Kudrow (“Lucky Numbers”) and Joe Viterelli (“Serving Sara”). Newcomers to the series include screenwriter Peter Steinfield (“Drowning Mona”) and actors Anthony LaPaglia (“The Salton Sea”), Cathy Moriarty-Gentile (“Prince of Central Park”), Thomas Rosales (“Traffic”) and Reg Rogers (“Runaway Bride”). Dec. 6. Warner Bros. The true story of Frank Abagnale, the young forger who made the FBI’s most-wanted list before joining the bureau as a consultant. Based on the book by Abagnale and Stan Redding. Directed by Steven Spielberg (“Minority Report”) from a screenplay by Jeff Nathanson (“Speed 2,” “Rush Hour 2”). With Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Beach,” “Gangs of New York”), Tom Hanks (“Road to Perdition”), Jennifer Garner (“Pearl Harbor”), Christopher Walken (“The Country Bears”), Martin Sheen (“O”), Amy Adams (“Pumpkin”), Brian Howe (“K-Pax”), Natalie Compagno and Frank John Hughes (“The Funeral”). Flat. Dec. 25. DreamWorks. French-language period romantic drama, based on a true story, about alcoholic writer Marguerite Duras’ 16-year lesbian love affair with her much younger secretary. Adapted from Duras’ book “Yann Andrea Steiner.” Directed by Josée Dayan (“Balzac”) from a screenplay by Dayan and Gilles Taurand (“Alice and Martin,” “Time Regained”). With Jeanne Moreau (“Ever After”), Aymeric Demarigny, Christiane Rorato, Sophie Milleron and Tanya Lopert (“Wait For the Spring, Bandini”). 100 min. Dec. 20 in New York. New Yorker. Thriller, set in the future, about a cop who rebels against a society that has outlawed all emotion. Screenwriter Kurt Wimmer (“The Thomas Crown Affair”) directs from his own script. With Christian Bale (“Reign of Fire”), Taye Diggs (“Brown Sugar,” “Chicago”), Emily Watson (“Red Dragon,” “Punch-Drunk Love”), Angus MacFadyen (“Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood”) and Sean Bean (“Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”). Scope. R: Violence. Dec. 6. Miramax/Dimension. Dark comedy, set in New York, about an aged legal professional and his efforts to reconcile with an estranged son and grandson. Fred Schepisi (“Last Orders”) directs from a screenplay by Jesse Wigutow. With Michael Douglas (“Don’t Say a Word”), Kirk Douglas (“Diamonds”), Cameron Douglas (“Mr. Nice Guy”), Rory Culkin (“Signs”), Diana Douglas (“Planes, Trains & Automobiles”), Michelle Monaghan (“Unfaithful”) and Bernadette Peters (“Snow Days”). Also known as “Smack in the Kisser.” Dec. 25 in New York and Los Angeles. MGM.