T H E E X A M I N ER14 F R I DAY, NOV E M BER 20, 2009
HOLIDAY MOVIE PREVIEW
By Nancy Dunham
Special to The Examiner
Expect Riley Lavalle to forever
remember the birthday party she
attends Friday.
Soon after Riley, 12, and her twin
sister, Addie, finish their classes at
George Washington Middle School in
Alexandria,theywillattendoneofthe
first local screenings of "The Twilight
Saga:NewMoon"aspartoftheirbirth-
day celebration.
"Ihopethatitwon'tmakemecry.It
is sad," said Riley, a seventh-grader. "I
want to see it and I'll go again but not
too much. I don't want to see it more
than 10 times."
The block-
buster, which
opensnationwide
Friday, kicks
off this year's
holiday movie
season.
Since the
publication of
the "Twilight"
series by Stephenie Meyer and the
2008 movie that followed, the story of
agirlandavampirewhofallinlovehas
taken on cult status. The first movie
rakedinmorethan$191millionatU.S.
box offices, according to movie Web
site Rotten Tomatoes. Industry insid-
ers expect the "New Moon" sequel to
match or exceed those numbers.
Madeline Miller, 13, of Alexandria,
saidshewouldwaitafewweekstosee
the movie, but already eagerly antici-
pated seeing the story she read on the
silver screen.
"It gives you characters you can
relate to," Madeline said. "Bella is the
shy person, and then this wonderful,
dazzling vampire comes along. Bella
was a normal girl and she met her
soul mate. You see that and it makes
you think, `It's out there for me, too,
somewhere.' "
Those who think only teens or pre-
teens are intrigued by the story need
only look at the movie's audiences.
Chiara Busa flew from New York
City to Raleigh, N.C., to join 24 of her
friends -- ages 30 and up -- to attend
Thursday'smidnightpremiereof"New
Moon."
"Wecanallrelatetoeachcharacter
... not the least of which is Edward for
embodying the essence of romance,
seduction and the passion of a first
love," she said.
Hark! The showbiz minions buzz. Now's the end-of-year crunch time when box office receipts
and glowing reviews are the only Christmas presents Hollywood wants. The idea is to tempt
shoppers from the mall to the multiplex with blockbusters, genre comedies, kids' fare and action-
ers. At the same time, a flood of quality drama arrives to court favor from critics and Academy
members with short memories in the few remaining weeks before awards season starts. Get
ready to indulge on more than just holiday carbs. (Opening dates are subject to change.)
Merry Moviegoing!
By Sally Kline � Special to The Examiner
AVATAR (Dec. 18)
Stars: Sam Worthington, Zo�
Salda�a, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle
Rodriguez
Support: Legendary sci-fi director
James Cameron
Story: Blue extraterrestrials defend
their planet as Earthling Avatars
intervene in an epic battle for crucial
resources -- with a multicolored love
story thrown in for good measure.
Success? Can the guy who sank
a cruise ship for record-breaking
grosses and major accolades do it
again after 12 years away?
Our take: Expect titanic special
effects.
Not yet rated
NINE (Dec. 25)
Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Pen�lope
Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Sophia Loren,
Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Fergie
Support: "Chicago" director Rob
Marshall
Story: Based on the 1982 Tony Award-
winning musical inspired by Federico
Fellini's autobiographical film "8 �,"
the movie's about a womanizing film-
maker in a midlife crisis.
Success? Oh, boy, but what an
assemblage of estrogen. Led by the
incomparable Day-Lewis singing,
it's all designed to rouse adults and
critics.
Our take: Could be a 10.
Rated: PG-13
SHERLOCK HOLMES (Dec. 25)
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law,
Rachel McAdams
Support: Madonna ex Guy Ritchie
directs
Story: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's literary
bromance has Downey as the famous
detective and Law as his Watson in a
Victorian-era adventure-mystery with
modern-style action stunts.
Success? Ritchie brings the macho
high energy while Downey brings in
the "Iron Man" audience.
Our take: That's more than elemen-
tary, my dear.
Not yet rated
IT'S COMPLICATED (Dec. 25)
Stars: Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin,
Steve Martin
Support: "Something's Gotta Give"
writer-director Nancy Meyers
Story: This romp for the Viagra
set has Streep as a divorcee being
pursued by both her cheating ex-
husband (Baldwin) and a suitable
new suitor (Martin).
Success? With big-screen delights
like these and an effective preview
trailer, expect it to get a rise out of a
certain demographic.
Our take: Looks simply hilarious.
Not yet rated
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE
MORGANS? (Dec. 18)
Stars: Hugh Grant, Sarah Jessica
Parker
Support: "Music and Lyrics" writer-
director Marc Lawrence
Story: The romantic comedy
involves an unhappy couple of
fancy New Yorkers who witness a
murder and get their groove back
while on the run in the Wyoming
boondocks.
Success? I'm not hearing much that
sounds special about this twosome.
Our take: Grant in a rom-com?
Again?
Not yet rated
EVERYBODY'S FINE (Dec. 4)
Stars: Robert De Niro, Drew Barry-
more, Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell
Support: "Waking Ned" director-
writer Kirk Jones
Story: This English-language
remake of Giuseppe Tornatore's
"Stanno Tutti Bene" has widower De
Niro trying to bond with his issue-
plagued grown children.
Success? Based in satiric, charac-
ter-driven humor, it will depend on
positive reviews for momentum.
Our take: De Niro's usually fine and
dandy.
Rated: PG-13
FOR BOYS AND GIRLS
PLANET 51 (Friday)
Voice stars: Dwayne Johnson,
Jessica Biel, Gary Oldman, John
Cleese
Support: Co-directed by Jorge
Blanco, Javier Abad, Marcos Martinez
Story: The Rock voices a human
astronaut on a foreign planet with
little green creatures in this fish-
out-of-water animated comedy.
Success? The PG cartoon --
like everything else -- faces a chal-
lenge opening against "New Moon."
Our take: May alien-ate adults.
Rated: PG
ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS:
THE SQUEAKUEL (Dec. 23)
Stars: Jason Lee, David Cross and
voices of Justin Long, Jesse McCart-
ney, Anna Faris, Amy Poehler
Support: Journeyman comedy
director Betty Thomas
Story: This second feature based on
the cartoon animal singing sensations
blends live-action and CGI again, this
time with new female counterparts,
the Chipettes, included.
Success? The ticket-buying uni-
verse can be divided between those
who find high-pitched furry beasts
adorable and those who find them
horribly obnoxious. As for me ...
Our take: Ugh.
Rated: PG
THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG
(Dec. 11)
Voice stars: Anika Noni Rose,
Oprah Winfrey, John Goodman,
Terrence Howard
Support: Co-directed by John Mus-
ker and Ron Clements
Story: After five years, Disney res-
urrects the hand-drawn animation
musical to present its first black
fairy tale princess for a voodoo
adventure set in New Orleans'
French Quarter.
Success: If the country can elect
a black president, why wouldn't it
support black royalty?
Our take: A ragin' Cajun family
fantasy.
Not yet rated
INVICTUS (Dec. 11)
Stars: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon,
Scott Eastwood
Support: Director-producer Clint
Eastwood
Story: Based on the nonfiction book
"Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela
and the Game That Changed a Nation"
by John Carlin, this political sports
drama recalls how Mandela and South
Africa's 1995 rugby team helped over-
come the remnants of apartheid.
Success? Eastwood's track record for
making premium dramas has been
unmatched in recent years.
Our take: Critics should get a kick out
of this one.
Rated: PG-13
THE ROAD (Wednesday)
Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-
McPhee, Charlize Theron
Support: Australian director John Hillcoat
Story: Based on Cormac McCarthy's
2006 novel about surviving life after
nuclear apocalypse, a father and son
fight starvation and find salvation in
each other as they navigate through a
desolate, savage nightmare.
Success? However accomplished, this
very dark picture could be a tough sell
on a cheerfully gluttonous Thanksgiv-
ing weekend.
Our take: Paved with frightening
images.
Rated: R
COVER STORY
TEARS BEFORE TINSEL
THE LOVELY BONES (Dec. 11)
Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Rachel Weisz,
Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Susan
Sarandon
Support: Directed and produced by Peter
Jackson of "Lord of the Rings" fame
Story: Alice Sebold's best-selling
novel comes to the big screen with
"Atonement's" Ronan as the ghost
of a murdered girl who observes her
family's grief while her murderer
(Tucci) prepares to kill again.
Success? The much-admired book
has ardent fans who will surely line
up for this prestige production.
Our take: No bones about it.
Rated: PG-13
UP IN THE AIR (Dec. 4)
Stars: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga,
Anna Kendrick
Support: "Juno" director Jason Reitman
Story: Clooney plays a smug frequent
flier who fires people for a living and
resists meaningful human relation-
ships, until his traveling lifestyle is
threatened and he meets his female
counterpart in Farmiga.
Success? This already acclaimed,
comedy-tinged drama plays off the
timely issue of unemployment while
showcasing Clooney in a role tailor-
made for the real-life confirmed
bachelor.
Our take: A grounded peek at modern life.
Rated: R
NO PEACE ON EARTH
BIG TICKET ITEMS
IF YOU GO:
Forafullreview
of "New Moon"
and movie
times in your
area see pages
28 and 32.
Actress Kristen Stewart signs autographs
as she arrives at the "New Moon"
premiere in Westwood, Calif., Monday.
AP
`Twi-hards'
expected in full
force for `New
Moon' openingHO HO HO & HA HA HA
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