BY LOIS WADSWORTH
Waiting is Boring
THE TERMINAL: Directed by Steven Spielberg.
Written by Sacha Gervasi, Jeff Nathanson, based on a
story by Andrew Niccol and Sacha Gervasi. Produced
by Walter F. Parkes, Laurie MacDonald, Steven
Spielberg. Executive Producers, Patricia Whitcher,
Jason Hoffs, Andrew Niccol. Cinematography, Janusz
Kaminski. Production design, Alex McDowell. Editor,
Michael Kahn. Music, John Williams. Costumes, Mary
Zophres. Starring Tom Hanks, with Catherine Zeta-
Jones, Stanley Tucci, Chi McBride, Diego Luna, Barry
Shabaka Henley and Kumar Pallana, Zoe Saldana.
DreamWorks Pictures, 2004. PG-13. 128 minutes.
B
eing trapped in an airport terminal for
an indefinite time is one version of
contemporary hell, primarily experi-
enced by those unfortunates whose plane is
too late to make a connecting flight, whose
flight is canceled or delayed, who are strand-
ed by bad weather, or who are flying on a day
when all flights are canceled, as has happened
only once, memorably, on Sept. 11, 2001.
But Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks) has a
potentially even more frustrating and angst-
producing dilemma: His country disappears.
A revolution occurs in his fictional home-
land, Krakozhia, and Viktor’s passport is
useless, and his U.S. visa is revoked. Worse
yet, he has repeated encounters with a snarky
Homeland Securities twit, Frank Dixon
(Stanley Tucci), whose arrogance is abun-
dantly clear to all the customs agents who
work for him at John F. Kennedy Airport.
It’s not hard for me to believe that
weasles like Dixon exist, because I recently
OPENING OR RETURNING:
Bill’s Run: A Political Journey in
Rural Kansas:. Doc. filmmaker
Richard Kassebaum spent seven
weeks on the campaign trail chroni-
cling his brother’s first run for politi-
cal office. “Exciting outcome
shows…that every vote counts.” On
“POV” at 10 pm on 6/22 on OPB.
Dance Craze ‘80s: Documentary
on Britain’s 2-Tone Ska era (late
1970s-80s) featuring live perform-
ances by the Specials, the Selected,
Madness, the Beat and more. Bijou
LateNite.
Envy: Ben Stiller, Jack Black in Barry
Levinson’s film about kooky inventor
(Black), who suddenly becomes
wealthy from a spray that makes dog
poop disappear. Neighbor (Stiller)
grows
murderously
envious.
Christopher Walken co-stars. PG-13.
Movies 12.
Fahrenheit 9/11: Winner of the
Palme d’Or at Cannes 2004, Michael
Moore’s nonfiction opinion piece is
the most highly anticipated, political-
ly toned film scheduled to open this
summer. R. Bijou. Cinemark.
Home on the Range: Disney ani-
mated film features voices by
Roseanne Barr, Judi Dench, Jennifer
Tilly, Cuba Gooding Jr., Randy Quaid,
Steve Buscemi, Carole Cook and
Governor Ann Richards., while
singing comes from k.d. lang, Bonnie
Raitt, Tim McGraw and The Beau
Sisters. PG. Movies 12.
Notebook, The: Nick Cassavetes
directs Gena Rowlands and James
Garner, Ryan Gosling and Rachel
McAdams in the screen adaptation
of Nicholas Spark’s best-selling
romantic novel. With Sam Shepard
and Joan Allen. PG-13. Cinemark.
Cinema World.
Punisher, The: Marvel comic book
character Charles Bronson (Thomas
Jane) pursues with a vengeance
after his family is murdered. Also
stars John Travolta and Laura
Harring. R. Movies 12.
Scooby
Doo
2
Monsters
Unleashed: Some scary action, rude
humor and language. PG. Movies 12.
Sleepover: Teen comedy adventure
pits two rival groups of girls against
each other in an all-night scavenger
hunt. PG. Sneak. at 7:30 on 6/25.
Cinemark.
Two
Brothers: Jean-Jacques
Annaud (The Bear) directs this
had the pleasure of returning to my native
land after a week on an island paradise. I
stood in a series of lines for more than an
hour before being welcomed back by a
Homeland Securities agent. This unpleasant
little man apparently could not resist telling
me a tasteless, unfunny, dirty joke about his
88-year-old uncle who’d married a 16 year-
old girl as he handed me my passport. I real-
ly needed to chase this nasty encounter out
of my mind as I hurried to my departure
gate, so I imagined John Lennon singing
“Back in the USSR” right in his slack-jawed,
ignorant face, which cheered me up.
But Spielberg doesn’t even give Navorski
(or the audience) the solace of Lennon’s
healthy contempt, offering instead a steady
diet of pop strings until later in the film. So
the poor immigrant has to suck it up. Perhaps
Viktor had developed the ability to put up
with bureaucratic blowhards back home. He
is resourceful, but every time he figures out
how to survive in this plastic, consumer-driv-
en mini-city of the airport, Dixon finds a way
to spoil his plans. The agent’s unrelenting
obsession with Navorski becomes tiresome
after the first few times, but the film plows
ahead, undeterred by doubts.
OK, so I don’t love Spielberg’s take on
Viktor’s plight. The filmmaker’s sentimentality
is suffocating. And Hanks plays Navorski a lit-
adventure story about the power of
friendship between twin tiger cubs.
Stars Guy Pearce, Jean-Claude
Dreyfus and Phillippine Leroy-
Beaulieu. PG. Cinema World.
Cinemark.
White Chicks: Comedy about FBI
agents who go undercover as high
school debutantes to investigate a
kidnapping ring. Stars director
Keenen Ivory Wayans, Shawn and
Marlon Wayans. PG-13. Cinemark.
Cinema World.
Films open the Friday following
EW publication date unless other-
wise noted. See archived reviews
at www.eugeneweekly.com
CONTINUING:
Around the World in 80 Days:
Jackie Chan stars in this remake that
follows an eccentric London inven-
tor, Phineas Fogg (Steve Coogan)
who makes a very public bet then
has to come through. Also stars Jim
Broadbent, Cecile De France, Arnold
Schwarzenegger, Kathy Bates, Rob
Schneider. PG. Cinemark. Cinema
World.
Chronicles of Riddick, The: Riddick
(Vin Diesel) ends up on a multicul-
tural planet invaded by a despot
planning to subjugate everyone with
his non-human warriors, the
Necromongers. (Named for a bad
rock band?) Also stars Thandie
Newton, Alexa Davalos, Colm Feore,
Linus Roache and Judi Dench. PG-13.
Cinemark.
Day After Tomorrow, The: Directed
by Roland Emmerich, starring
Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal,
Emmy Rossum, Sela Ward. A clima-
tologist (Quaid) tries to figure out a
way to save the world from abrupt
global warming. He must get to his
son (Gyllenhaal) in New York, which
is being taken over by a new ice age.
PG-13. Cinemark.
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story:
Can social rejects save their small
local gym from gentrification? Only
director Rawson Thurber and his
stars Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn,
Christine Taylor and Rip Torn know
for sure. PG-13. Cinema World.
Cinemark.
Ella Enchanted: Anne Hathaway is a
perfectly obedient girl. She does what
she’s told, literally. Based on Newberry-
winning novel. PG. Movies 12.
Fifty First Dates: Drew Barrymore
and Adam Sandler in a romance with
a catch: she has no short-term mem-
ory recall, so she forgets him every
night. Also stars Rob Schneider, Sean
Astin and Dan Aykroyd. Directed by
Peter Segal. PG-13. Movies 12. Online
archives.
Garfield, The Movie: The poster
promises “frisky business” as
Garfield, the smarty pants kitty,
makes his film debut. PG. Cinemark.
Harry Potter & the Prisoner of
Azkaban: Alfonso Cuarón directs
the third film based on the series by
J.K. Rowling. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe)
and his friends Ron (Rupert Grint)
and Hermione (Emma Watson), now
teenagers, return to Hogwarts,
where they face their darkest fears.
Sirius Black (Gary Oldham) poses a
great threat to Harry. The three
friends must also contend with the
Dementors, who are sent to protect
them from Black. PG. Cinemark.
Cinema World. See review this
issue.
Hellboy: Based on Mike Mignola’s
Dark Horse Comics series, this
supernatural action adventure stars
Ron Perlman, John Hut, Selma Blain
and Doug Jones and is directed by
Guillermo del Toro. Highly entertain-
ing, sweet film. See it. Movies 12. PG-
13. Online archives.
Hidalgo: Based on autobiography of
distance rider Frank T. Hopkins,
played by Viggo Mortensen, this epic
action-adventure takes place during
a 3,000 mile survival race across the
Arabian Desert in 1890. PG-13.
Movies 12.
Jersey Girl: Written and directed by
Kevin Smith, film’s about a music
publicist (Ben Affleck) trying to bal-
ance work and fatherhood as a sin-
gle parent. Also stars Jennifer
Lopes, George Carlin, Liv Tyler,
Jason Biggs. Raquel Castro is his
independent
daughter.
PG-13.
Movies12.
Kill Bill Vol. 1: Quentin Tarantino’s
first of two films was called the most
violent film ever made in Hollywood.
Stars Uma Thurman as the Bride, a
woman with a mission: Kill Bill (David
Carradine), her former boss and
lover who betrayed her and mur-
dered her family. With Lucy Liu,
Daryl Hannah, LaTanya Richardson,
Vivica A. Fox, Michael Madsen and
Samuel L. Jackson. R. Latenite Bijou.
Stranded.
tle too close to the edge of Forrest Gump for
me. Why must Viktor shamble instead of walk
upright? Why the blank look in his eyes? He’s
obviously an intelligent guy, even before he
learns English. Why does he only appear smart
after he’s mastered enough of the language to
order a meal at Burger King? But, back to
Spielberg: Why is the film so damn long? Why
do we, the audience, need to suffer? There’s a
better, 90-minute film hiding in here, but the
director, writers and editor didn’t find it.
Even Catherine Zeta-Jones as Amelia
Warren, a stewardess, is stifled by the film’s
lack of subtlety. She’s a comedienne, and it
seems weird that Spielberg doesn’t know
that. So Zeta-Jones is stuck playing a beauti-
ful woman, period. Her talent is wasted here.
Likewise, the supporting cast doesn’t go
beyond predictability. Customs officers Ray
Ladykillers, The: Based on the 1955
British comedy starring Peter Sellers
and Alec Guiness, Ethan and Joel
Coen’s adaptation stars Tom Hanks
and Marlon Wayons. When these
bank robbers move into “no hip-hop”
house of a Southern church-going
woman, anything goes. R. Movies 12.
Man on Fire: Denzel Washington as
a security guard for a child who is
kidnapped on his watch. He will have
revenge. R. Movies 12.
Shrek 2: Mike Myers returns as
Shrek, Cameron Diaz is his new wife,
Princess Fiona, and Eddie Murphy’s
his sidekick, Donkey. Now the newly-
weds face Queen Lillian (Julie
Andrews) and King Harold (John
Cleese). Fairy godmother (Jennifer
Saunders), Prince Charming (Rupert
Everett) and the ferocious Puss in
Boots (Antonio Banderas). So-so
sequel. Cinemark. Online archives.
Starsky & Hutch: Ben Stiller is
uptight Starsky, while Owen Wilson is
Thurman (Barry Shabaka Henley) and
Dolores Torres (Zoe Saldana) have to think
about their jobs. The others are skeptical —
baggage handler Joe Mulroy (Chi McBride);
food service worker Enrique Cruz (Diego
Luna); and janitor Gupta (Kumar Pallana)
— but eventually become Viktor’s allies.
If you’ve seen enough Spielberg movies,
you know things will turn out all right in the
end, so there’s no real suspense. Hanks puts
as much talent as he has into making Viktor
come alive, but it’s not enough to save the
film from being too long and too safe.
Maybe Hanks and Spielberg should break up
for awhile and take separate vacations. Hey,
I know this island paradise …
Now playing at Cinemark and Cinema
World, The Terminal is marginally recom-
mended.
ew
laid back Ken “Hutch” Hutchinson in
this remake of TV’s undercover
crime-fighters. With Vince Vaughn,
Snoop Dogg, Juliette Lewis. PG-13.
Movies 12.
Stepford Wives, The: Frank Oz
directs Nicole Kidman, Matthew
Broderick, Bette Midler, Christopher
Walken, Faith Hill and Glenn Close in
this updated comedy-thriller about a
perfect, 1950s-era community in
Stepford,
Connecticut.
PG-13.
Cinema World. Cinemark. Online
archives.
Super Size Me: Morgan Spurlock’s
documentary features snappy
graphics, talking heads and the slow
decline of Spurlock’s health as he
eats only at McDonalds for three
meals a day, 30 days. Highly recom-
mended. NR. Bijou. Online archives.
Terminal: Steven Spielberg directs
Tom Hanks as a tourist who has to
live at Kennedy airport because his
homeland disappeared in a civil war,
so his passport is no good. Then he
falls in love with Catherine Zeta-
Jones. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema
World. See review this issue.
Van Helsing: Monster killer Van
Helsing (Hugh Jackman) teams up
with Kate Beckinsale in Transylvania
to bring down Count Dracula
(Richard Roxburgh). PG-13. Movies
12..
What the Bleep Do We Know?
Through interviews with cutting-
edge scientists and spiritual teach-
ers, a brand new way of thinking
about consciousness, intentionality
and the ability to make a difference
in the world emerges. But it begins
with Amanda (Marlee Matlin). Highly
recommended. NR. Bijou. Online
archives.
Bijou Art Cinemas (686-2458)
Cinema World 8 (342-6536)
Cinemark 17 (746-5202)c
Movies 12 (741-1231)
NEW RELEASES ON VIDEO
Releases subject to change. Available the Tuesday following date of EW publication, sometimes sooner. See
archived movie reviews at www.eugeneweekly.com
Barbershop 2 Back in Business: Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer and the barbers are back at Calvin’s
Barbershop, with hair stylist Queen Latifah next door. PG-13. Online archives.
Blazing Saddles 30th Anniversary Special Edition (1974): Directed by Mel Brooks, who also stars, this
comedy classic also stars Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman. DVD
includes Brooks’ commentary, cast/crew reunion documentary, Madeline Kahn featurette, 1975 TV pilot inspired
by the movie, and deleted scenes.
Cold Mountain: Anthony Minghella’s adaptation of Charles Frazier’s Civil War best-seller stars Jude Law as a
wounded Southern soldier who walks 1000 miles to get home. Nicole Kidman is his pre-war sweetheart, and
Renee Zellweger teaches her to farm and survive. Very highest recommendations. Academy Award to Rene
Zellwegger. Nominations: Jude Law, actor; cinematography; original score; two original songs; film editing. R.
Online archives.
Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995): Mel Brooks comedy stars Harvey Korman, Leslie Nielsen, Peter
MacNicol, Steven Weber, Amy Yasbeck. DVD extras include commentary by Brooks.
English Patient, The (1996): Anthony Minghella’s WWII deeply romantic love story based on Michael
Ondaatje’s novel is set in a bombed-out Italian villa. A young Canadian nurse (Juliet Binoche) takes care of a
burned man who remembers the tragic love affair between a married English aristocrat (Kristen Scott Thomas)
and a titled European desert buff (Ralph Fiennes). Nurse falls in love with an Indian sapper (minesweeper) in
British army (Naveen Andrews). Best film of the year. R.
Perfect Score, The: Erika Christensen and Scarlett Johansson in tale of six high-school students who band
together to heist the SAT. PG-13.
Ragtime (1981): Milos Forman’s influential screen adaptation of E.L. Doctorow’s groundbreaking novel stars
James Cagney, Elizabeth McGovern, Howard E. Rollins Jr., Mary Steenburgen, Brad Dourif, James Olson,
Kenneth McMillan.
Next Week: The Asphalt Jungle, the Butterfly Effect, Monsieur Ibrahim, My Voyage to Italy, Six Feet
Under Second Season.
JUNE 24, 2004 21
MERRICK MORTON. DREAMWORKS, 2004.
Limbo