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Volume
IV No. 10
A
publication of the National Association of Theatre Owners
Advertise
in In Focus
©
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| After
the Sunset
Crime thriller about a professional thief who, upon
retiring to a tropical island, meets his young and
stunningly beautiful archenemy. Directed by Brett
Ratner (“Red Dragon”) from a screenplay
by Paul Zbyszewski and Craig Rosenberg (“Hotel
de Love”). With Pierce Brosnan (“Laws
of Attraction”), Salma Hayek (“Once Upon
a Time in Mexico”), Woody Harrelson (“She
Hate Me”), Don Cheadle (“The United States
of Leland”), Alan Dale (“Hollywood Homicide”),
Mykelti Williamson (“Ali”), Obba Babtunde
(“The Manchurian Candidate”), Rex Linn
(“Cheaper by the Dozen”), Frank Bruynbroek
(“Red Dragon”) and Naomie Harris (“28
Days Later”). Scope. Nov. 12. New Line.

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Beyond
the Sea
Drama about pop singer, anti-war activist and Oscar-nominated
actor Bobby Darin, who died at age 37 from a heart
condition he contracted three decades earlier.
Directed by Kevin Spacey (“Albino Alligator”)
from a screenplay by Paul Attanasio (“The
Sum of All Fears”), author Lorenzo Carcaterra
(“Sleepers”), Jeffrey Meek and James
Toback (“Harvard Man”). With Spacey
(“The United States of Leland”), Kate
Bosworth (“Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!”),
John Goodman (“Masked and Anonymous”),
Greta Scacchi (“Festival in Cannes”),
Brenda Blethyn (“Sonny”), Caroline
Aaron (“A Day Without A Mexican”),
Nina Franoszek (“The Pianist”), David
Westhead (“Wilde,” “Stage Beauty”)
and Bob Hoskins (“Vanity Fair”). Scope.
Nov. 24 in New York and Los Angeles; wider Dec.
10; wider Dec. 17. Lions Gate.

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Bridget
Jones:
The Edge
of Reason
Bridget endures a trying new boss, difficult renovations,
a terrible vacation, and the discovery that her “perfect
mate,” Mark Darcy, votes Conservative. A
sequel to the 2001 romantic comedy “Bridget
Jones’s Diary” based on the 2000 second
novel in the “Bridget Jones” series
authored by Helen Fielding (“Cause Celeb”).
Returnees from “Diary” include screenwriters
Fielding, Richard Curtis (“Love Actually”)
and Andrew Davies (“The Tailor of Panama”),
as well as actors Renée Zellweger (“Cold
Mountain”), Hugh Grant (“Love Actually”),
Colin Firth (“Love Actually”), James
Callis (TV’s “Battlestar Galactica”),
Shirley Henderson (“Hypnotic”), Gemma
Jones (“Shanghai Knights”), Sally Phillips
(“Birthday Girl”) and Jim Broadbent
(“Vanity Fair,” “Vera Drake”).
Newcomers to the franchise include director Beeban
Kidron (“To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything!” “Swept
From the Sea”), screenwriter Adam Brooks
(“The Invisible Circus,” “Wimbledon”),
and actors Jacinda Barrett (“The Human Stain,” “Ladder
49”), Catherine Russell (“Night and
the City”) and Morne Botes. Scope. 101 min.
R: Language; some sexual content. Nov. 19. Universal.

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Christmas
with the Kranks
Comedy about a middle-aged couple who must deal
with resentful neighbors after their grown daughter’s
unexpected return forces them to cancel their
Christmas Caribbean cruise and return home for
the holiday. Based on the novel “Skipping
Christmas” by John Grisham (“Runaway
Jury”). Directed by Joe Roth (“America’s
Sweethearts”) from a screenplay by Chris
Columbus (“Nine Months”). With Tim
Allen (“The Santa Clause 2”), Jamie
Lee Curtis (“Freaky Friday”), Julie
Gonzalo (“A Cinderella Story”), Dan
Aykroyd (“50 First Dates”), Jake
Busey (“Identity”), David Hornsby
(“Minority Report”), Felicity Huffman
(“Raising Helen”), Alan King (“Sunshine
State”), Mark Christopher Lawrence (“Garfield”),
Cheech Marin (“Once Upon A Time In Mexico”),
Tom Poston (“Princess Diaries 2”),
Caroline Rhea (“Ready to Rumble”),
Erik Per Sullivan (“Unfaithful”)
and M. Emmet Walsh (“Snow Dogs”).
Nov. 24. Sony.

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The
Flight of the Phoenix
Action thriller, set in the Mongolian desert, about
a group of plane-crash survivors who are doomed
if they cannot build a flight-worthy vehicle
from their plane’s wreckage. A remake
of the 1966 action adventure. Directed by John
Moore (“Behind Enemy Lines”) from
a screenplay by Scott Frank (“Out of
Sight,” “Minority Report”).
With Dennis Quaid (“The Day After Tomorrow”),
Giovanni Ribisi (“Sky Captain and the
World of Tomorrow”), Jacob Vargas (“Dragonfly”),
Tony Curran (“The League of Extraordinary
Gentlemen”), Miranda Otto (“Close
Your Eyes”) and Tyrese (“2 Fast
2 Furious”). Nov. 24. Fox.

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The
Green Butchers
Danish-language comedy about two friends whose
meat-cutting venture is revitalized when they
begin utilizing a new “secret ingredient.” Written
and directed by screenwriter Anders Thomas
Jensen (“Open Hearts,” “Wilbur
Wants to Kill Himself”). With Line Kruse
(“Mifune”), Nikolaj Lie Kaas (“Open
Hearts”), Mads Mikkelsen (“Wilbur
Wants to Kill Himself”), Nicolas Bro
(“Kira’s Reason: A Love Story”),
Aksel Erhardtsen and Bodil Jorgensen (“The
Idiots”). Also known as “De Gronne
Slagtere.” 100 min. Nov. 5. Newmarket.

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Kinsey
Drama about the life of famed Indiana University-based
zoologist and pioneer sex researcher Alfred C.
Kinsey, whose work in the 1940s and ‘50s
was widely perceived as groundbreaking. Based on
Kinsey’s autobiography. Written and directed
by Bill Condon (“Candyman: Farewell to Flesh,” “Gods
and Monsters”). With Liam Neeson (“Love
Actually”), Laura Linney (“Love Actually,” “P.S.”),
Chris O’Donnell (“Vertical Limit,” “Twentynine
Palms”), Timothy Hutton (“Secret Window”),
William Sadler (“The Battle of Shaker Heights”),
John Lithgow (“Orange County”), Oliver
Platt (“Pieces of April”), Peter Sarsgaard
(“Garden State”), Arden Myrin (“Auto
Focus”), Amy Wilson (“Kissing Jessica
Stein”), Gore Vidal (“Gattaca”)
and Tim Curry (“Scary Movie 2”). Scope.
R: Pervasive sexual content; including some graphic
images and descriptions. Nov. 12. Fox Searchlight.

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Alexander
Epic actioner about the life of the Macedonian
conqueror Alexander the Great, who traveled 22,000
miles in eight years and came to rule almost the
entire “known world.” Written and directed
by Oliver Stone (“U-Turn,” “Any
Given Sunday”). With Colin Farrell (“A
Home at the End of the World”), Anthony Hopkins
(“The Human Stain”), Angelina Jolie
(“Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow”),
Rosario Dawson (“The Rundown”), Val
Kilmer (“Stateside”), Jared Leto (“Panic
Room”), Jonathan Rhys-Meyers (“Vanity
Fair”), Brian Blessed (“Hamlet”),
Paul Hornsby (“Finding Neverland”),
Laird Macintosh (“Rules of Engagement”),
Rory McCann (“Young Adam”), Joseph
Morgan (“Master and Commander”), James
Ngamdee (“Bang Rajan”), Connor Paolo
(“Mystic River”) and Christopher Plummer
(“Cold Creek Manor,” “National
Treasure”). Nov. 5. Warner Bros.

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Bad
Education
Spanish-language drama, set in Spain, about two
men who meet as schoolchildren during General
Francisco Franco’s regime, then find
themselves reunited 20 years later. Written
and directed by Pedro Almodóvar (“All
About My Mother,” “Talk to Her”).
With Gael García Bernal (“Don’t
Tempt Me,” “The Motorcycle Diaries”),
Fele Martínez (“Talk to Her”),
Daniel Giménez Cacho (“Nicotina”),
Lluis Homar (“Valentin”) and Javier
Camara (“Talk to Her”). Also known
as “La Mala Educación.” Scope.
109 min. Nov. 19 in New York; Dec. 10 in Los
Angeles. Sony Pictures Classics.

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Birth
Drama, set in New York City, about a thirtysomething
woman who encounters a 10-year-old boy claiming
to be the reincarnation of her late husband.
Directed by Jonathan Glazer (“Sexy Beast”)
from a screenplay by Glazer, Milo Addica (“Monster’s
Ball”) and Jean-Claude Carrière
(“Chinese Box”). With Nicole Kidman
(“The Stepford Wives”), Cameron Bright
(“Godsend”), Danny Huston (“21
Grams,” “Silver City”), Lauren
Bacall (“Dogville”), Anne Heche (“John
Q”), Ted Levine (“The Manchurian
Candidate”), Cara Seymour (“Adaptation”),
Alison Elliott (“The Wings of the Dove”),
Arliss Howard (“A Map of the World”),
Novella Nelson (“Head of State”)
and Peter Stormare (“Bad Boys II”).
Flat. 100 min. R: Sexuality. Nov. 5. New Line.

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Bright
Future
Japanese-language drama about a young utility
plant laborer entrusted with the care of an imprisoned
ex-co-worker’s pet jellyfish and withdrawn
son. Written and directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa
(“The Cure”). With Jo Okagiri, Tadanobu
Asano (“Taboo,” “Zatoichi”),
Tatsuya Fuji, Takashi Sasano, Marumi Shiraishi
and Miyako Kawahara. Nov. 12 in New York and
Los Angeles. Palm.
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Finding
Neverland
Drama based on the true story of how J.M. Barrie
was inspired to write “Peter Pan” by
the kids next door, whose father had left them
and whose mother was dying. Based on the play “The
Man Who Was Peter Pan” by Allan Knee. Directed
by Marc Forster (“Monster’s Ball”)
from a screenplay by David Magee. With Johnny Depp
(“Secret Window”), Kate Winslet (“Eternal
Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”), Julie Christie
(“Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”),
Dustin Hoffman (“Runaway Jury,” “I
Heart Huckabees”), Ian Hart (“Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”),
Kelly Macdonald (“Intermission”) and
Radha Mitchell (“Man on Fire”). Flat.
101 min. PG: Mild thematic elements; brief language.
Nov. 12 limited; wider Nov. 24. Miramax.

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A
Fond Kiss
Drama, set in Glasgow, Scotland, about an aspiring
young DJ who must decide between the woman his
devout Muslim parents have chosen for him and the
charming Catholic schoolteacher he falls for. The “Carla’s
Song”-”My Name is Joe”-”Bread
and Roses”-”Sweet Sixteen” team
of director Ken Loach (“The Navigators”)
and screenwriter Paul Laverty reunite. With Atta
Yaqub, Eva Birthistle (“Bloody Sunday”),
Shabana Bakhsh, Shamshad Akhtar and Ahmad Riaz.
Flat. 104 min. Nov. 26 limited. Castle Hill.

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The
Incredibles
Computer-animated action-comedy about a family
of superheroes – a superstrong dad, an
elastic mom, an invisible daughter and a superspeedy
son – who find that the world will not
let them lead everyday normal suburban lives
under the federal witness protection program.
Written and directed by Brad Bird (“The
Iron Giant”). Featuring the voices of
Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, Holly Hunter,
Sarah Vowell, Jason Lee, Wallace Shawn and
John Ratzenberger. Scope. 115 min. PG: Action
violence. Nov. 5. Buena Vista.

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