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The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

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Stars Pay Tribute to Minghella
20 March 2008 (WENN)
Hollywood stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey and Ralph Fiennes have paid moving tributes to Oscar-winning film director Anthony Minghella who died on Tuesday. The British filmmaker - who the won Best Director Oscar for his 1996 movie The English Patient - died from complications following surgery for cancer of the tonsils and neck, which he underwent last week at London's Charing Cross Hospital. He was 54-years-old. Paltrow, who starred in the director's Academy Award-nominated film The Talented Mr. Ripley alongside Jude Law and Matt Damon, stated she was "shocked" by the news, calling Minghella "a wonderful man." American Beauty star Kevin Spacey, who was a close friend of the Cold Mountain moviemaker, says, "He was one of the greats and anybody who loves storytelling will realize that he had much more to do and it's an incredibly sad moment. I just found out and he was a great man and a great friend." Brit actor Ralph Fiennes, who was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his starring role in Minghella's The English Patient, fondly remembers his time working on the hit film with the late director. He says, "Anthony possessed a sensitivity and alertness to the actor's process that very few directors have. He directed most of The English Patient with an ankle in plaster, never losing his gentle humor and precision. His films deal with extreme aloneness and the redemptive power of love, even at the moment of death. I will remember him as a man who always wanted to get to the heart of the matter."

Director Minghella Dies
19 March 2008 (WENN)
Oscar winning film director Anthony Minghella has died. He was 54. A spokesman for the filmmaker confirmed his death on Tuesday. According to Variety, Minghella suffered a brain haemorrhage at Charing Cross Hospital in London, where he had undergone a routine operation on his neck. Minghella began his career writing scripts for British television programmes before his play Made In Bangkok found mainstream success in London's West End in 1986. Almost a decade later, Minghella won a Best Director Academy Award for The English Patient. He was also nominated for two Best Adapted Screenplay Oscars - for 1999's The Talented Mr. Ripley and 2003's Cold Mountain. Minghella was working on one of 15 short movies, collectively entitled New York, I Love You, at the time of his death. The moviemaker was appointed a Cbe (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the British monarch's birthday honours list in 2001. He was also chairman of the British Film Institute. Minghella leaves wife Carolyn Choa, son Max and daughter Hannah.

Law Pays Tribute to Minghella
19 March 2008 (WENN)
Actor Jude Law has paid tribute to Oscar-winning film director Anthony Minghella who died on Tuesday. The filmmaker - who won a Best Director Academy Award for 1996 film The English Patient - died aged 54 from a brain hemorrhage at London's Charing Cross Hospital, where he had undergone a routine operation on his neck. Law - who starred in Minghella's Oscar nominated movies The Talented Mr. Ripley and Cold Mountain, and the 2006 movie Breaking And Entering - said he would miss the director "hugely." He says, "(I'd) come to value him more as a friend than as a colleague. He was a brilliantly talented writer and director who wrote dialogue that was a joy to speak and then put it onto the screen in a way that always looked effortless. He made work feel like fun. He was a sweet, warm, bright and funny man who was interested in everything from football to opera, films, music, literature, people and most of all his family."

Oscar Winner Minghella Dead at 54
18 March 2008 (StudioBriefing)
Oscar-winning director Anthony Minghella, a towering figure in contemporary British cinema, has died at the age of 54, the BBC reported today, citing his publicist, Judy Daish. The cause of death, at first not immediately disclosed, was a fatal hemorrage after undergoing surgery on his neck. Minghella won an Oscar as best director for the 1996 film The English Patient. He received two screenwriter nominations, the first for The English Patient (which he won), and then, three years later, for The Talented Mr. Ripley. In addition, he served as executive producer of last year's Oscar-nominated film Michael Clayton. Minghella had just completed serving two three-year terms as chairman of the British Film Institute, stepping down early this month. In that position he had been a tireless advocate for the British film industry, telling the BBC in 2003: "We're not getting enough movies made here. Our studios aren't busy enough. We don't have enough studios." Informed of Minghella's death fellow British producer David Puttnam, now Lord Puttnam, remarked, "This is a shattering blow from someone who was a major figure in an important industry and had a lot to go on and contribute." His death comes just days ahead of Monday's telecast in the U.K. of his two-hour film, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, about an African woman who heads a detective agency in Botswana. He had been promoting the TV movie as recently as this week, telling one interviewer that it represented "a real labor of love, but lovely labor."

Director Anthony Minghella Dies at 54
18 March 2008 (IMDb News Flash)
Director Anthony Minghella, who won an Academy Award for directing the 1996 epic The English Patient, has died at age 54, his agent announced today. Variety reports that a spokesman for Mr. Minghella said he suffered a brain hemorrhage on Tuesday morning at Charing Cross Hospital in London, while in for a routine neck operation.

A director who worked in theater and television (most notably for the series Inspector Morse and the lush, haunting The Storyteller series), Minghella made his feature film directorial debut with the ghost story/romance Truly, Madly, Deeply, which starred Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman. The film won Minghella a BAFTA award for his screenplay and effectively launched his film career. The little-seen indie romance Mr. Wonderful followed in 1993, but it was three years later that Minghella had his biggest success with The English Patient, an adaptation of the novel by Michael Ondaatje. Aggressively marketed by Miramax and arriving near the height of the independent film movement (though the film, with its epic scope, pushed the definition of indie filmmaking), the film became a surprise success, ultimately taking in $78 million in the US and winning a whopping nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture as well as Director for Minghella. Three of the film's stars, Ralph Fiennes, Kristin Scott Thomas and Juliette Binoche, were Oscar-nominated, with Binoche taking home the Best Supporting Actress award in a shocking upset over Hollywood legend Lauren Bacall.

Minghella followed up that success in 1999 with the moody thriller The Talented Mr, Ripley, another book-to-film adaptation based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith. Though the film starred high-profile actors Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow, it was the then little-known Jude Law who walked away with the film with his role as a callow, rich playboy. The film earned Law a Best Supporting Actor nomination and Minghella another Adapted Screenplay nod. Minghella tried to replicate his successful literary adaptation formula with Cold Mountain, a high-profile version of the bestselling Civil War novel that, ironically, was filmed partly in Romania. Despite another big (and some said, overly aggressive) push by Miramax and a cast that included Nicole Kidman, Jude Law, Renee Zellweger, Natalie Portman and Philip Seymour Hoffman, the movie was considered a major under-performer, though it did earn $95 million in the US alone and a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Zellweger. Major nominations for Best Picture or Director, however, failed to materialize. Minghella worked on a smaller scale with the London-based drama Breaking and Entering, which reteamed him with both Law and Binoche, and had just completed filming on The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, the pilot for a TV series based on the novel by Alexander McCall Smith. Beginning in 2000, Minghella also became a producer, with credits including The Quiet American, The Interpreter, and the recent Oscar winner Michael Clayton. In 2005, Minghella also staged an acclaimed version of the opera Madame Butterfly, which played at the English National Opera and the Metropolitan Opera.

Minghella is survived by his parents, his siblings in the entertainment industry Dominic Minghella and Edana Minghella, two other sisters, his wife, choreographer Carolyn Choa, and two children, Max Minghella and Hannah Minghella. --Mark Englehart, IMDb staff

Hoffman Reveals Drug Past
17 February 2006 (WENN)
Capote star Philip Seymour Hoffman nearly fell into a life of substance abuse, after battling a severe alcohol and drug problem early in his career. The now-sober actor is the favorite to take home the Best Actor Oscar at next month's Academy Awards ceremony, for his performance as legendary author Truman Capote. The Talented Mr. Ripley star tells CBS show 60 Minutes, which airs in the US on Sunday, about his descent into substance abuse following his graduation from New York University's drama school. Hoffman says, "It was all that (drugs and alcohol). It was anything I could get my hands on... I liked it all. You get panicked...and I got panicked for my life." The star decided he needed to change his ways and sought treatment for his problem. He says, "I went (to rehab), I got sober when I was 22-years-old." The actor is grateful that he didn't achieve fame until he had cleaned himself up. He adds, "I have so much empathy for these young actors that are 19 and all of a sudden they're beautiful and famous and rich. I'm like, 'Oh my God, I'd be dead.'"

Jude and Sadie Plan Christmas Truce
5 December 2003 (WENN)
Divorced couple Jude Law and Sadie Frost are planning to put their differences behind them - to give their children a happy family Christmas. The Talented Mr Ripley actor has agreed to spend Christmas morning with Frost and their children Rafferty, Iris and Rudy, and Frost's son Findlay from her previous marriage to Spandau Ballet star Gary Kemp. But the pair will go their separate ways again later in the day when Jude returns to the home he shares with new lover Sienna Miller, whom Frost has banned from ever entering her house. A source close to the former spouses says, "Sadie is so relieved that she and Jude are on more civil terms but she draws the line at playing hostess and being all chummy with his new girlfriend. She and Jude have been speaking again and hopefully the worst of the bitterness is behind them. Christmas day will be the first time they've all been together since the divorce started in February. They have made a pact not to argue or say horrible things to each other in front of the children." Since their divorce was finalized in October Sadie has found love again with guitar player Jackson Scott, while Jude is reportedly besotted with Miller, his co-star in upcoming remake Alfie.

Gwyneth's Saucy Shopping Secret Revealed
26 September 2003 (WENN)
Hollywood superstar Gwyneth Paltrow has a good excuse for buying five vibrators at a New York sex shop - she was hosting a bachelorette party. The Talented Mr. Ripley beauty stunned onlookers when she spent time in The Pleasure Chest and emerged with a number of rude items. Store assistant Dan Lishner laughs, "Gwyneth said she was getting things for a girlfriend's bachelorette party. She bought all the regular stuff people have at parties of that sort." Another shopper in the store that day adds, "She picked out a number of sex toys and handfuls of suggestively shaped balloons. For a final joke, she decided on some money with Kama Sutra-style images on the front." Stunning Gwyneth was photographed smiling broadly as she left the store to join fiance Chris Martin who had been nervously waiting for her outside.

Jude Law and Kids in Fire Fright
16 September 2003 (WENN)
Movie hunk Jude Law has been comforting his distressed kids after they were caught up in a fire scare at their hotel in Manchester, England. The Talented Mr Ripley actor and his children, Rafferty, seven, and Iris, two, were forced to flee the Lowry Hotel when an alarm sounded on Saturday evening. But caring Jude hugged the tots outside the five-star establishment, before firemen confirmed it had been a false alarm. An onlooker says, "Jude was clearly very concerned about the fire alarm and had his kids close by him all the time. But he was very calm and kept them safe in his arms." The actor is in the city filming Alfie, a remake of the 1966 classic starring Michael Caine.

Jude's Pseudonym
2 September 2003 (WENN)
British actor Jude Law is so desperate to elude journalists keen to quiz him on the state of his marriage to Sadie Frost, he has adopted an elaborate pseudonym. Frost filed for divorce from The Talented Mr Ripley star Jude last month after months of speculation about their relationship. She has since been spotted holidaying with new Beau Jackson Scot, but Law has been notably missing from the newspaper pages since the split. But his ruse has been uncovered, he's been traveling between Hollywood and London under the guise of Mr Branchflower. A source close to the star revealed all after Law was recently spotted traveling on a under the assumed name; "This was to put off the scent journalists keen to inquire into the state of his relationship with his estranged wife Sadie."

Jude Moves Out
21 August 2003 (WENN)
Actor Jude Law has made his split from estranged wife Sadie Frost more permanent, he's moved out of the family's London home - while she holidays with her toyboy lover. The Talented Mr. Ripley star Jude, who is currently abroad himself, ordered removal men to swiftly shift his bed, furniture, clothes and toys belonging to the couple's three children out of the $3.2 million pad in Primrose Hill - just six days after Frost filed for divorce. Jude, 30, will now live in a three-story house just half a mile away. A friend of the actor says, "Jude will never return to the family home. Moving his stuff is the final nail in the coffin for the marriage." Sadie, 37, has been pictured in the British press this week smooching with Spanish hunk Jackson Scott, 22. The pair are thought to have jetted off for a romantic break.

Jude Law Takes on Errol Flynn
15 May 2003 (WENN)
British actor Jude Law is being lined up to star as film legend Errol Flynn, in a new Martin Scorcese movie. Nicole Kidman and Leonardo DiCaprio are already signed to star in The Aviator, about the early years of eccentric movie mogul Howard Hughes. Now Hollywood bosses want The Talented Mr Ripley star Law to join the cast for a cameo - playing the dashing Australian born Flynn. A film insider tells British tabloid the Daily Star, "Jude is very interested in the role. Not just because it's Errol Flynn, but also as it's just three days work. He's already catching up on some of Errol's movies to impress producers when he meets them in London."

Damon Denies Engagement
30 January 2003 (WENN)
Hollywood heartthrob Matt Damon insists he isn't engaged to his long-term girlfriend - despite reports he announced it at a charity bash hosted by George Clooney. The Talented Mr Ripley star was alleged to have told pals about his proposal to Ben Affleck's former personal assistant Odessa Whitmire last December, and showed off the diamond ring he bought for her. However, the sexy star scoffs at reports he is planning to wed Whitmore. He says, "At least my family don't call anymore when they hear about it. After the first and second times they were on the phone, but they've kind of eased off now."

Minghella Named Head of British Film Institute
13 January 2003 (StudioBriefing)
Director Anthony Minghella (The English Patient, The Talented Mr. Ripley) has been appointed chairman of the British Film Institute, replacing Joan Bakewell, who has held the post since 1999. The BFI is best known for staging the London Film Festival, but it is also the caretaker of the British film and TV archive. In a statement, Minghella said, "I believe there is a good deal to be said for having a practicing filmmaker at the center of the BFI's policy and future."

Gwyneth Paltrow Plans Lavish 30th Birthday Bash
12 September 2002 (WENN)
Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow plans to celebrate her approaching 30th birthday in style - with a lavish party in the Italian home of fashion designer pal Valentino. The Shakespeare In Love stunner, who will see in her big day on 28 September, and hopes that her planned celebrations will be unforgettable. Fashion maven Valentino, 70, recently hosted Paltrow on his 150-foot yacht, Tm Blue One, for a cruise down the Adriatic Coast, culminating with their arrival at the opening ceremony of the 59th Venice International Film Festival in Italy on August 29. The birthday party, a source tells American magazine Us Weekly, is being limited to 50 friends, mostly from New York and Los Angeles, and will include good friend Sadie Frost and her husband Jude Law, who co-starred with Paltrow in The Talented Mr Ripley.

'Vertigo' Beach Scene Is The Most Stylish
22 August 2002 (WENN)
James Stewart and Kim Novak's romantic beach love scene in Vertigo has been named the Most Stylish Moment in The Movies. Bosses at American film magazine Movieline have compiled a list of the top 100 stylish scenes for a new poll in their September issue. The kissing scene, filmed in Monterey Bay, California, in 1957 by movie mogul Alfred Hitchcock, beat Audrey Hepburn's pastry-eating scene in Breakfast At Tiffany's. Meanwhile, The Talented Mr Ripley and Barbarella were named the most stylish films. The top 10 scenes are: 1. James Stewart and Kim Novak's Vertigo love scene; 2. Audrey Hepburn eats a pastry in Breakfast At Tiffany's; 3. Michael Douglas watches Sharon Stone dress in Basic Instinct; 4. Clark Gable forcibly carries Vivien Leigh to their bedroom in Gone With The Wind; 5. Jennifer Lopez strips to her lingerie in Out Of Sight; 6. Grace Kelly attempts to seduce Cary Grant in To Catch A Thief; 7. Michelle Pfeiffer, as Catwoman, straddles Batman in Batman Returns; 8. George Clooney slips a mobile phone into Julia Roberts' pocket in Ocean's Eleven; 9. William Holden leads The Wild Bunch through a Mexican town; 10. Elizabeth Taylor seduces Montgomery Clift during a game of pool in A Place In The Sun.

Jude Law Is New Superman
26 July 2002 (WENN)
Hunky British actor Jude Law is the new Superman - after beating off competition from Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell. The Talented Mr Ripley actor has been chosen by producers for the high-profile role in new movie Batman Vs. Superman - because he doesn't fit-in to the normal superhero stereotype. A source on the People news website reports, "They wanted to get away from the mega-muscled action stars." People News also claim that Farrell has bagged the part of Batman, despite reports that British star Christian Bale has signed up for the role. The film will be directed by Wolfgang Petersen, the man behind Air Force One, The Perfect Storm and the cult German submarine drama Das Boot.

Paltrow Boosts Co-star Hoffman's Play
2 May 2002 (WENN)
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow has taken a break from rehearsals of her new London play to watch Philip Seymour Hoffman's production in the British capital. Paltrow was in the audience at the Arts Theatre, for Jesus Hopped The A Train, which is directed by Hoffman, her co-star in The Talented Mr. Ripley. Dressed down in black top and trousers and minimal make-up she sat in the audience next to Hoffman. Paltrow herself is preparing to appear in Proof, which opens at the nearby Donmar Warehouse on May 15th. After the performance Paltrow, 29, said, "The play was so fantastic that I'm almost speechless - it was profoundly moving and so well acted. It was on in New York but this is the first time I've seen it and I thought it was absolutely wonderful." A third Ripley star - Matt Damon - has also just started in a production of This Is Our Youth at London's Garrick Theatre. Paltrow added, "Everyone I worked with on The Talented Mr. Ripley seems to be in London at the moment, its just crazy."

Paltrow Bowled Over By Sexy Sadie And Jude
16 November 2000 (WENN)
Gwyneth Paltrow (photos) wishes she could be as sexy as Jude Law (photos) and his wife Sadie Frost - because they're the most passionate couple she knows. Paltrow, who starred opposite Law in Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999), says she was impressed by how passionate his relationship is with his actress wife, even after three years of marriage. Paltrow says, "We were sitting around, and all of a sudden I looked over and he was holding the inside of her wrist up to his mouth, biting it in a really sexy, charged way. Their eyes were locked together. I thought, 'Here are these two gorgeous, interesting creatures, and they found each other. It's so beautiful. I'm going to join the Frost-Law clan, become one of the nannies, and just hang out with them all the time."

Matt Damon Denied Free Time
17 October 2000 (WENN)
Movie star Matt Damon is so completely inundated with his hectic lifestyle between making movies and promoting them that he never gets the chance to explore the beautiful cities that his movies are shot in. While making Legend of Bagger Vance, The (2000) in Savannah, Georgia, Matt's free time was taken up by Miramax honcho Harvey Weinstein who cracked the whip for him to do press. He explains, "I actually lamented the fact that I didn't have more days off because when we were shooting this Dogma (1999) came out and then Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999) came out so on the weekends as you can imagine every free moment was accounted for by Harvey!" He mimics the movie mogul. "Matt listen I'm gonna need you again on Saturday and Sunday I'm very sorry but don't worry I'll get you back by three in the morning and you'll be there for your five A.M. call!" However he did get the opportunity to show off the city of Venice, Italy to his family when they came to visit during the making of Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999). He recalls, "The cool thing even when I don't have free time is when my family comes. For `Ripley' they came to Venice and my brother and his wife came and they brought their son. They get a few days to walk around Venice. It certainly beats working in ahh... substitute your own nasty city!"

Jagger Wants To Be Played By Jude Law
20 July 2000 (WENN)
Mick Jagger has pin-pointed British actor Jude Law as his choice to portray him in a movie based on the Rolling Stone's life. The 57-year-old ex-husband of Texan model Jerry Hall has told friends that the Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999) Star Would be best suited for the film loosely based on the singer and the 1970s music scene. A friend of the singer said, "Jude has been pencilled in for the part - at least as far as Mick's concerned. Mick has already written the script and it's going to be filmed by Martin Scorsese. Someone suggested Jude to him, saying that the actor had the same kind of presence Mick had as a young man." Jagger says he has no plans to star in the movie himself - although he's acted with distinction in other films in the past. He says about the movie, "It's mainly about the Machiavellian deals and relationships in the record industry. " His company, Jagged Films, is currently working on its first project - a version of the Second World War thriller Enigma (2001), by ROBERT HARRIS, starring Titanic (1997) star Kate Winslet.

Jude Law Named Sexiest Star
10 May 2000 (WENN)
British hunk Jude Law has been named Hollywood's sexiest actor by the readers of JANE magazine. Law, who starred in box office hit Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999), was named "Male actor you want creasing your sheets, " scoring a huge 67 per cent of the vote. Law, who's married to actress Sadie Frost, beat last year's winner Brad Pitt into second, with Ben Affleck, Wes Bentley and Denzel Washington following up. Angelina Jolie was named "Actress you either want to be or be with, " pulling in a massive 76 per cent of the vote. The luscious-lipped Girl, Interrupted (1999) star, who wed actor Billy Bob Thornton on Friday, beat Julia Roberts and Drew Barrymore to the title. But Gwyneth Paltrow didn't fare so well - winning the Most Overrated Female Actor category, with Tom Cruise edging out LEONARDO DiCAPRIO for the male equivalent.

Jude Law Up For Jazz Award
19 April 2000 (WENN)
Actor Jude Law has talents other than acting - he's been nominated for an MTV movie music award. His jazz duet with Matt Damon in Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999) has been nominated for Best Musical Performance. Other candidates include DR. EVIL and MINI ME from Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) with JUST THE TWO OF US and ANDY WILLIAMS'S I CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU from TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU. The foul-mouthed kids from SOUTH PARK THE MOVIE are also in with a chance. The MTV MOVIE AWARDS ceremony will take place on 3 June. Austin Powers and Matrix, The (1999) both received six nominations each.

Did Winona Fall For Wahlberg?
18 April 2000 (WENN)
Rumors are circulating in Hollywood that Winona Ryder and Matt Damon split up because she slept with his rival Mark Wahlberg. Damon is reported to have become so obsessed with Wahlberg that he began tracking him around the country and talking about him constantly. According to insiders, Damon, from Boston, feels that Wahlberg is more "real" because he comes from the streets of Boston instead of having his Harvard background. And Matt was concerned Wahlberg will get parts that directors feel the Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999) star is too prissy to play. Sources say Ryder visited Wahlberg to try and end the situation, but then succumbed to his charms. Ryder's representative MARA BUXBAUM says, "This is ridiculous. I've never heard anything about this. I have no idea. I can't get in touch with her because she's out of the country." Damon's representative JENNIFER GLAISEK adds, "This sounds like the dumbest story I've ever heard. I was with Matt for three weeks in Europe last month and I never heard Mark Wahlberg's name brought up once."

Caine Raises Cain At BAFTAs
10 April 2000 (StudioBriefing)
In an eye-raising acceptance speech Michael Caine, who received BAFTA's Lifetime Achievement award Sunday night, said that he felt that he had always been cold-shouldered by the British film industry. "I've made a lot of spy movies, " he said, "but I never made The Spy Who Came In From the Cold, "although I should have done because I have never really felt like I belonged in my own country in my own profession." He went on: "It's an honor to be invited in from the cold by an organization as illustrious as the BAFTAs. ... Maybe I feel a little more welcome in my own country than I have up to now." He vowed, tongue in cheek, to "find a lot of other people who think they're outsiders, and so we can make our own establishment of outsiders." Earlier, in presenting the award to Caine, Kate Winslet had referred to him as "a living legend whose contribution to British cinema is literally unquantifiable." Ironically, Caine, who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar last month for Cider House Rules, The (1999) lost out in the same category Sunday night to Jude Law, who won for Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999).

Starry Night For BAFTAs
5 April 2000 (StudioBriefing)
An impressive lineup of stars has been recruited by the producers of Sunday night's BAFTA Awards ceremony, Britain's premier film awards presentation. Dustin Hoffman and Faye Dunaway were added to the list Tuesday, joining Hugh Grant, Kate Winslet, Joseph and Ralph Fiennes, Leslie Nielsen, Julianne Moore, and Jude Law, among others. "The caliber of stars attending this year's awards is testament to the stature BAFTA now commands worldwide, " BAFTA chairman Tim Angel told the BBC Tuesday. American Beauty (1999) is nominated for 14 awards at the BAFTAs; The End of the Affair, The (1999), for 10 and the Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999), for 7.

Matt Damon And Winona Ryder Have Split
29 March 2000 (WENN)
Hollywood couple Winona Ryder and Matt Damon have split after a two-year romance. According to French magazine VOICI, the Good Will Hunting (1997) star broke up with actress Ryder at the beginning of the month, and is no longer sharing a house with her in Beverly Hills. Damon recently arrived on his own to promote his new film Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999) in Paris, even though he was expected to be with Winona Ryder - who cancelled at the last minute, confirming that they weren't an item anymore. The couple had fuelled reports of a split by arriving individually at Sunday night's Oscar ceremony in Hollywood, where Heathers (1989) star Ryder arrived with another man.

Gwyneth Paltrow Turns Her Back On Miramax
28 March 2000 (WENN)
Gwyneth Paltrow has given her studio the ultimate snub - by failing to turn up to their Oscar party. The actress who last year took home the gong for Best Actress for her performance in Shakespeare in Love (1998), decided not to join her MIRAMAX friends at their prestigious party in the famous BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL. And she wasn't the only high profile star to not turn up at the party they were expected at - Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999) heart-throb Jude Law also let down the Miramax organisers. An onlooker says, "Everyone was waiting for her and Jude to arrive all night and they just didn't show. "Gwyneth especially was supposed to be the belle of the ball but she must have been having too much of a good time at the other parties. "Everyone looked really disappointed and it certainly upset a lot of her Miramax friends."

Weinstein Takes Blame For Ripley's Below-Par Oscar Showing
21 February 2000 (StudioBriefing)
Miramax cochairman Harvey Weinstein, who is recovering from a bacterial infection, says that his illness may have been responsible for the studio's critically acclaimed Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999) faring mediocrely in the Oscar nominations. In an interview appearing in the current (Feb. 28) issue of Newsweek, Weinstein said, "I was the captain of that ship and I was, unfortunately, convalescing in the hospital and at home when I should have been out there campaigning for it. ... I would have just made sure the right people saw the film. Even though the movie is a tremendous financial success, it is hard to motivate Academy people ... So I feel like Matt Damon the star and Anthony Minghella the director got robbed because I was away."

Viacom Revenue Soars
17 February 2000 (StudioBriefing)
Aided by such hit films as Double Jeopardy (1999), Sleepy Hollow (1999) and Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999), and a surge in revenue by its cable networks, Viacom Wednesday reported better-than expected earnings of $133.1 million in the fourth quarter, versus $18.5 million during the same quarter a year ago when a one-time loss of $74.7 million was included in the results. Without factoring in the loss, Viacom's earnings were up 48 percent. Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone was unreserved in celebrating the results. "Viacom, " he said, "is in the strongest operational and strategic position in its history."

American Beauty Tops Oscar Nods
15 February 2000 (StudioBriefing)
The supply of roses was clearly not depleted on Valentine's Day -- given the fact that American Beauty (1999) turned up in 8 categories when Academy Award nominations were announced this morning (Tuesday). Cider House Rules, The (1999) and Insider, The (1999) also fared well, with 7 nominations apiece.

The following are the nominees in the major categories:

Best Picture: American Beauty (1999), DreamWorks; Cider House Rules, The (1999), Miramax; Green Mile, The (1999), Warner Bros.; Insider, The (1999), Disney; Sixth Sense, The (1999), Disney

Actor in a Leading Role: Russell Crowe, Insider, The (1999); Richard Farnsworth, Straight Story, The (1999); Sean Penn, Sweet and Lowdown (1999); Kevin Spacey, American Beauty (1999); Denzel Washington, Hurricane, The (1999)

Actress in a Leading Role: Annette Bening, American Beauty (1999); Janet Mcteer, Tumbleweeds (1999); Julianne Moore, End of the Affair, The (1999); Meryl Streep, Music of the Heart (1999); Hilary Swank, Boys Don't Cry (1999)

Actor in a Supporting Role: Michael Caine, Cider House Rules, The (1999); Tom Cruise, Magnolia (1999); Michael Clarke Duncan, Green Mile, The (1999); Jude Law, Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999); Haley Joel Osment, Sixth Sense, The (1999)

Actress in a Supporting Role: Toni Collette, Sixth Sense, The (1999); Angelina Jolie, Girl, Interrupted (1999); Catherine Keener, Being John Malkovich (1999); Samantha Morton, Sweet and Lowdown (1999); Chloë Sevigny, Boys Don't Cry (1999)

Director: Sam Mendes, American Beauty (1999); Spike Jonze, Being John Malkovich (1999); Lasse Hallström, Cider House Rules, The (1999); Michael Mann, Insider, The (1999); M. Night Shyamalan, Sixth Sense, The (1999)

Best Adapted Screenplay: John Irving, Cider House Rules, The (1999); Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor, Election (1999); Frank Darabont, Green Mile, The (1999); Eric Roth & Michael Mann, Insider, The (1999); Anthony Minghella, Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999)

Best Original Screenplay: Alan Ball, American Beauty (1999); Charlie Kaufman, Being John Malkovich (1999); Paul Thomas Anderson, Magnolia (1999); M. Night Shyamalan, Sixth Sense, The (1999); Mike Leigh, Topsy-Turvy (1999)

Scream 3 Sets Box-Office Record
8 February 2000 (StudioBriefing)
Defying the notion that films released in the early months of the year cannot attract a big audience, Miramax's Scream 3 (2000) took in $34.7 million last weekend, the most any film has ever earned during its opening in the January-April period and the most Miramax has earned for any debuting film. In fact, the only film ever to earn more on a non-summer, non-Thanksgiving or Christmas weekend was the Star Wars re-release in 1997, which earned $35.9 million. (Indeed only two other films ever earned more than $30 million outside of those periods, Liar Liar (1997), which took in $31.4 million in March, 1997 and Rush Hour (1998), which drew $33 million in September, 1998.) The movie also provided a much-needed lift to the overall box office. After trailing last year's figures by substantial amounts in January, total ticket sales for the top 12 films last weekend rose to $72.1 million, up 16 percent over the same weekend a year ago.

The top-ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Scream 3 (2000), Miramax, $34, 713, 342, (New); 2. Hurricane, The (1999), Universal, $4, 940, 420, ($37, 559, 916); 3. Stuart Little (1999), Sony, $4, 713, 252, ($128, 636, 752); 4. Next Friday (2000), New Line, $4, 286, 355, ($45, 536, 739); 5. Eye of the Beholder (1999), Destination, $4, 213, 996, ($12, 014, 004); 6. Green Mile, The (1999), Warner Bros., $4, 017, 133, ($120, 403, 882); 7. Galaxy Quest (1999), DreamWorks, $3, 312, 708, ($62, 940, 730); 8. Down to You (2000), Miramax, $2, 707, 955, ($16, 551, 741); 9. Girl, Interrupted (1999), Sony, $2, 556, 403, ($24, 906, 736); 10. Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999), Paramount, $2, 488, 414, ($75, 610, 389).

Miramax Strategy Again Wins
7 February 2000 (StudioBriefing)
Scream 3's success came in the face of a recent box-office drought. Although January and February are generally considered slow periods at the box office, the overall gross at the box office during the previous two weeks had been about 20 percent below last year's. "We're ecstatic, " Miramax co-chairman Bob Weinstein told the Hollywood Reporter. "We had high expectations, but this exceeded them all." In an interview with the Associated Press, Exhibitor Relations chief Paul Dergarabedian commented, "I think people were questioning whether this was the right time to release a horror film. Obviously, in hindsight, it was the perfect time." The $35.2 million total was the highest ever earned by a film during the January-April period.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations:1. Scream 3 (2000), $35.2 million; 2. Hurricane, The (1999), $4.9 million; 3. Stuart Little (1999), $4.8 million; 4. Next Friday (1999), $4.3 million; 5. Eye of the Beholder (1999), $4.04 million; 6. Green Mile, The (1999), $4 million; 7. Galaxy Quest (1999), $3.3 million; 8. Down to You (1999), $2.9 million; 9. Girl, Interrupted (1999), $2.6 million; 10. Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999), $2.5 million.

Box Office Bowled Over
1 February 2000 (StudioBriefing)
The stay-at-home effect of the Super Bowl proved to be even more intense than expected, with the top film of the weekend, Destination's Eye of the Beholder (1999), earning less than $6 million at the box office. In second place, with just $5.8 million, was New Line's Next Friday (1999), which edged out Universal's Hurricane, The (1999) with $5.7 million. The top 12 films took in only $43.9 million between them, 28 percent below the same weekend a year ago. Bucking the general box office dive was Disney's Fantasia 2000 (1999), which, despite playing on only 54 Imax screens, wound up in eleventh place with $1.9 million, averaging $34, 360 per screen. On the other hand, Universal's Isn't She Great (1999), which opened in limited release (750 screens), tanked with just $1.4 million.

The top-ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Eye of the Beholder (1999), Destination, $5, 959, 447, (New); 2. Next Friday (1999), New Line, $5, 752, 715, ($39, 521, 569); 3. Hurricane, The (1999), Universal, $5, 701, 085, ($30, 943, 521); 4. Stuart Little (1999), Sony, $4, 778, 048, ($123, 010, 692); 5. Green Mile, The (1999), Warner Bros., $4, 022, 589, ($115, 158, 512); 6. Down to You (1999), Miramax, $4, 019, 014, ($13, 010, 648); 7. Galaxy Quest (1999), DreamWorks, $3, 402, 102, ($58, 796, 534); 8. Girl, Interrupted (1999), Sony, $3, 254, 074, ($21, 160, 203); 9. Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999), Paramount, $2, 780, 431, ($72, 213, 467); 10. Toy Story 2 (1999), Disney, $2, 341, 447, ($234, 301, 509).

Great Turns Out To Be Anything But
31 January 2000 (StudioBriefing)
Universal's attempt to counterprogram the Super Bowl with the female-oriented Isn't She Great (2000), starring Bette Midler as novelist Jacqueline Susann, failed woefully over the weekend, with the movie earning only an estimated $1.3 million in limited release. "It was a bomb, " entertainment analyst Art Rockwell told Bloomberg news Sunday. But so was the box office in general, with the total weekend take amounting to only about $45 million, a drop of 28 percent from the same weekend a year ago. Surprisingly, the films that performed the best were male-oriented: the Ashley Judd-Ewan McGregor thriller Eye of the Beholder (1999), which topped the list with an estimated $6.2 million, the urban comedy Next Friday (2000), with about $6 million and the bio of fighter Hurricane Carter, Hurricane, The (1999), also with about $6 million.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Eye of the Beholder (1999), $6.2 million; 2. (tie) Next Friday (2000), $6 million; 2. (tie) Hurricane, The (1999), $6 million; 4. Stuart Little (1999), $4.8 million; 5. Green Mile, The (1999), $4.1 million; 6. Down to You (2000), $4 million; 7. Galaxy Quest (1999), $3.5 million; 8. Girl, Interrupted (1999), $3.3 million; 9. Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999), $2.8 million; 10. Toy Story 2 (1999), $2.4 million.

Down To You Is Down To Two
25 January 2000 (StudioBriefing)
Touching off renewed squabbling over weekend box-office estimates, Miramax's Down to You (2000) dropped from the first- to the second-place spot in the charts as actual totals showed that it earned $7.6 million in its opening weekend, well off the $8.3 million that the studio had predicted. "While distribs commonly overestimate Sunday, the Miramax call was, in relative terms, fairly egregious, " Daily Variety box-office tracker Dade Hayes commented today (Tuesday). The actual winner turned out to be New Line's Next Friday (2000), which held on to the number-one spot for the second week in a row. (New Line had estimated that Friday would earn $8.2 million; it actually earned $8 million.). Similar disputes over studio estimates have erupted on numerous occasions in the past, most recently last October when Double Jeopardy (1999) and Story of Us, The (1999) were originally reported to be No. 1 and No. 2 respectively, only to be pushed down a notch the following day when it turned out that Fight Club (1999) had beaten them both.

The top-ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date):1. Next Friday (2000), New Line, $8, 009, 943, ($31, 843, 827); 2. Down to You (2000), Miramax, $7, 602, 507, (New); 3. Hurricane, The (1999), Universal, $6, 502, 595, ($22, 889, 316); 4. Stuart Little (1999), Sony, $6, 407, 532, ($117, 086, 082); 5. Green Mile, The (1999), Warner Bros., $5, 387, 502, ($109, 592, 337); 6. Galaxy Quest (1999), DreamWorks, $4, 538, 535, ($54, 291, 729); 7. Girl, Interrupted (1999), Sony, $4, 314, 547, ($16, 165, 256); 8. Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999), Paramount, $3, 710, 484, ($68, 230, 758); 9. Play it to the Bone (1999), Disney, $3, 427, 761, ($3, 454, 031); 10. Angela's Ashes (1999), Paramount, $3, 217, 591, ($3, 635, 585).

Next Friday Crowned King Of King Holiday
19 January 2000 (StudioBriefing)
The following are the top-ten films over the four-day Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Next Friday (2000), New Line, $16.9 million, ($21.5 million); 2. Stuart Little (1999), Sony, $12.5 million, ($109.6 million); 3. Hurricane, The (1999), Universal, $10.5 million, ($14.6 million); 4. Girl, Interrupted (1999), Sony, $9.3 million, ($10.1 million); 5. Green Mile, The (1999), Warner Bros., $8.8 million, ($102.8 million); 6. Galaxy Quest (1999), DreamWorks, $8.5 million, ($48.8 million); 7. Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999), Paramount, $6.8 million, ($63.5 million); 8. Supernova (2000), MGM, $6.7 million, ($6.7 million); 9. Toy Story 2 (1999), Disney, $6.6 million, ($227.6 million); 10. Any Given Sunday (1999), Warner Bros., $5.5 million, ($66.9 million.)

Next Friday Is King On King Holiday
18 January 2000 (StudioBriefing)
Next Friday (2000) continued to extend its lead at the box office over Monday's Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, taking in $17 million over the four-day period, according to studio estimates. Stuart Little (1999) was in second place with an estimated $12.6 million, bringing its total gross to nearly $110 million. Hurricane, The (1999), the Denzel Washington starrer about fighter Hurricane Carter, which expanded into wide release, took in $10.7 million.

The top ten films for the four-day holiday, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Next Friday (2000), $17 million; 2. Stuart Little (1999), $12.6 million; 3. Hurricane, The (1999), $10.7 million; 4. Girl, Interrupted (1999), $9.6 million; 5. Green Mile, The (1999), $8.7 million; 6. Galaxy Quest (1999), $8 million; 7. Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999), $7 million; 8. Supernova (2000), $6.6 million; 9. Toy Story 2 (1999), $6.5 million; 10. Any Given Sunday (1999), $5.7 million.

The following are final box-office figures for the Friday-through-Sunday period (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Next Friday (2000), New Line, $14.5 million, ($19.5 million); 2. Stuart Little (1999), Columbia, $9.7 million, ($106.8 million); 3. Hurricane, The (1999), Universal, $9.1 million, ($13.1 million); 4. Girl, Interrupted (1999), Columbia, $9 million, ($9.2 million); 5. Green Mile, The (1999), Warner Bros., $7.6 million, ($101.6 million); 6. Galaxy Quest (1999), DreamWorks, $6.6 million, ($44.8 million); 7. Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999), Paramount, $6 million, ($62.6 million); 8. Supernova (2000), MGM, $5.7 million, ($5.7 million); 9. Toy Story 2 (1999), Disney/Pixar, $5 million, ($225.9 million); 10. Any Given Sunday (1999), Warner Bros., $4.8 million, ($66.2 million).

New Line Thanks God It's Friday
17 January 2000 (StudioBriefing)
The critically slighted Next Friday (2000) from New Line attracted big audiences over the weekend as it earned an estimated $14.5 million at the box office, pushing Stuart Little (1999), which had held the top spot for three of the last four weeks, to No. 2. (New Line had gone without a box-office leader for seven months.) Little earned about 9.7 million, enough to propel its gross well past the $100-million mark to $106.8 million. In third place was the critically praised Denzel Washington starrer, Hurricane, The (1999), with 9.1 million. In an interview with Bloomberg News, entertainment analyst Art Rockwell commented that the film, about boxer Hurricane Carter, "has a lot of award potential, but whether it will be a big commercial success is still questionable." Speaking to the Associated Press, Exhibitor Relations chief Paul Dergarabedian echoed Rockwell's remarks: "All these Oscar films are terrific, " he said, "but in terms of audience satisfaction and escapist entertainment Next Friday (2000) offers people something they've been waiting for. ... A lot of teens have felt left out of the market the last six weeks or so."

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Next Friday (2000), $14.5 million; 2. Stuart Little (1999), $9.7 million; 3. Hurricane, The (1999), $9.1 million; 4. Girl, Interrupted (1999), $8.2 million; 5. Green Mile, The (1999), $7.5 million; 6. Galaxy Quest (1999), $6.6 million; 7. Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999), $6 million; 8. Supernova (2000), $5.7 million; 9. Toy Story 2 (1999), $5 million; 10. Any Given Sunday (1999), $4.8 million.

Little Stays Big Again
11 January 2000 (StudioBriefing)
Continuing to surprise industry executives, entertainment analysts and film critics alike, Columbia's Stuart Little (1999) climbed to the top of the box office for the second straight weekend with $11.2 million in ticket sales, according to final figures released Monday by Exhibitor Relations. Despite competition from several Oscar contenders, the film has now taken in $95.3 million in four weeks and is certain to cross the $100-million mark by the end of the week. No new films were released last weekend, although Magnolia (1999) widened its release to just over 1, 000 theaters. Its $5, 507 per-screen average was tops among films in general release. Meanwhile, 20th Century Fox failed to place a single film in the top ten. Its lavish Anna and the King (1999) was in eleventh place with just $3.6 million, bringing its four-week gross to $30.2 million; it reportedly cost $100 million to produce. An even greater disappointment was Universal's Jim Carrey starrer, Man on the Moon (1999), which earned $3.3 million to bring its three-week total to $30.2 million.

The top-ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Stuart Little (1999), Sony/Columbia, $11, 214, 503, ($95, 320, 551); 2. Green Mile, The (1999), Warner Bros., $9, 731, 478, ($91, 298, 396); 3. Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999), Paramount, $9, 322, 535, ($54, 186, 228); 4. Any Given Sunday (1999), Warner Bros., $8, 779, 880, ($59, 218, 170); 5. Galaxy Quest (1999), DreamWorks, $8, 022, 853, ($38, 454, 133); 6. Toy Story 2 (1999), Disney, $7, 153, 489, ($219, 705, 755); 7. Magnolia (1999), New Line, $5, 694, 588, ($6, 610, 047); 8. Bicentennial Man (1999), Disney, $5, 308, 109, ($47, 224, 648); 9. Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, Disney, $5, 032, 036, ($54, 108, 774); 10. Snow Falling on Cedars (1999), Universal, $3, 910, 055, ($4, 078, 058).

The Mouse Still Owns The House
10 January 2000 (StudioBriefing)
A host of Academy Award contenders turned out to be no match for Columbia's animated Stuart Little (1999), which held on to the top spot at the weekend box-office with an estimated $11.5 million. The film, which has now grossed more than $95 million, is due to pass the $100 million mark this week. In an interview with Bloomberg News, entertainment analyst Art Rockwell observed that even Sony, Columbia's parent, had been unprepared for the film's success. "It was a project that Sony was never quite sure of, " Rockwell said. "They were unprepared for success ... as evidenced by the lack of merchandising exploitation." Nevertheless, it was another film, Disney's Fantasia 2000 (1999), that stole the show. The movie, playing in only 54 Imax theaters, took in $2.7 million, an average of $50, 000 per theater, an unprecedented gross. (By comparison, Stuart Little (1999) earned $3, 900 per screen.)

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Stuart Little (1999), $11.5 million; 2. Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999), $9.8 million; 3. Green Mile, The (1999), $9.7 million; 4. Any Given Sunday (1999), $9 million; 5. Galaxy Quest (1999), $8.3 million; 6. Toy Story 2 (1999), $7.5 million; 7. Magnolia(1999), $6.6 million; 8. Bicentennial Man (1999), $5.2 million; 9. Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999), $5 million; 10. Snow Falling on Cedars (1999), $4 million.

Sony Builds A Better Mousetrap
4 January 2000 (StudioBriefing)
With kids out of school for winter vacation and many workers taking the week after Christmas off to spend with loved ones, family films dominated the weekend box office, with Columbia's Stuart Little (1999) reclaiming the top spot with $16 million and Toy Story 2 (1999) moving back to No. 3 with $12.3 million (and, in the process, bringing its total domestic gross to $208.8 million). Business for Little was up 36 percent from the previous week, while Toy Story's take climbed 19 percent. The sci-fi comedy Galaxy Quest (1999) also saw a huge, 36-percent rise. With a total take of $79.4 million, Little now appears set to become Sony Film's only big hit of 1999. However, there has been considerable speculation within the industry about cost overruns on Little, which reportedly wound up costing in excess of $100 million to produce.

The top-ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Stuart Little (1999), Sony, $16, 022, 757, ($79, 403, 127); 2. Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999), Paramount, $12, 387, 523, ($39, 771, 649); 3. Toy Story 2 (1999), Disney, $12, 342, 055, ($208, 768, 773); 4. Green Mile, The (1999), Warner Bros., $11, 775, 891, ($76, 682, 014); 5. Any Given Sunday (1999), Warner Bros., $11, 658, 852, ($45, 752, 119); 6. Galaxy Quest (1999), DreamWorks, $9, 705, 901, ($27, 311, 918); 7. Bicentennial Man (1999), Disney, $8, 119, 842, ($39, 447, 953); 8. Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999), Disney, $5, 564, 396, ($46, 353, 560); 9. Man on the Moon (1999), Universal, $5, 437, 000, ($24, 592, 000); 10. Anna and the King (1999), 20th Century Fox, $5, 362, 413, ($24, 732, 782).

Little Scampers Back To The Top
3 January 2000 (StudioBriefing)
With a strong $16 million worth of tickets sold, an animated mouse having nothing to do with Disney captured the weekend's top box office revenue, as Stuart Little (1999) ascended for the second time to the Number One spot. It had debuted there two weeks ago, and last week slid to the No. 3 position, behind the debuting Any Given Sunday (1999) and Green Mile, The (1999). With this weekend's gross actually about $1 million higher than its opening weekend, the 17-day gross of Stuart Little (1999) is now 79.7 million. Box-office trackers Exhibitor Relations Co. observed that this weekend's top 12 movies grossed a combined $103.7 million, up nearly ten percent from the Christmas weekend and up two percent from the corresponding weekend in 1998. No new films opened in wide release.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Stuart Little (1999), $16 million; 2. Green Mile, The (1999), $13.2 million; 3. Any Given Sunday (1999), $13.1 million; 4. Toy Story 2 (1999), $12.2 million (to bring its total to $208.6 million); 5. Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999), $12 million; 6. Galaxy Quest (1999), $9.7 million; 7. Bicentennial Man (1999), $8 million; 8. Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, $5.3 million; 9. Man on the Moon (1999), $5.2 million; 10. Anna and the King (1999), $4.8 million.

Turkeys At The Feast
28 December 1999 (StudioBriefing)
Despite the fact that the box office has reached record levels during the holiday season, an unusually large number of high-profile films have flopped, Bloomberg News observed Monday. The wire service quoted Seidler Cos. analyst Lisa Dohner as saying, "There are always a lot of clunkers over the Christmas season, but this year there seems to be a lot more disappointments than anyone would have expected." The biggest appear to be 20th Century Fox's Anna and the King (1999), which cost $75 million to make but has earned only $13.2 million in its first two weeks, and Disney's Bicentennial Man (1999), which reportedly cost nearly $100 million and has earned only $21 million. Universal also appears to have been hit hard by the apparent failure of Man on the Moon (1999), starring Jim Carrey, which has earned only about $12.3 million since its opening last Wednesday.

The top-ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Any Given Sunday (1999), Warner Bros., $13, 584, 625, ($20, 630, 471); 2. Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999), Paramount, $12, 738, 237, (New); 3. Stuart Little (1999), Sony, $11, 816, 099, ($39, 474, 968); 4. Toy Story 2 (1999), Disney, $10, 376, 676, ($177, 545, 321); 5. Green Mile, The (1999), Warner Bros., $9, 264, 116, ($53, 056, 604); 6. Man on the Moon (1999), Universal, $7, 515, 585, ($12, 274, 205); 7. Galaxy Quest (1999), DreamWorks, $7, 012, 630, (New); 8. Bicentennial Man (1999), Disney, $6, 780, 948, ($21, 037, 489); 9. Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999), Disney, $5, 211, 199, ($34, 444, 936); 10. Anna and the King (1999), 20th Century Fox, $4, 468, 421, ($13, 175, 277.

Stone's Football Movie Scores
27 December 1999 (StudioBriefing)
Director Oliver Stone must have been feeling over the Moon, literally and otherwise Sunday as studio estimates indicated that his football-themed Any Given Sunday (1999) grossed $14.2 million to outscore the Jim Carrey starrer Man on the Moon (1999), which earned a disappointing $9 million. It was the best opening ever for Stone and the worst opening ever for Carrey. The biggest winner, however, may have been the Anthony Minghella drama Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999), which did not open until Saturday but earned $13.8 million nevertheless. "Had Ripley had three days, it would certainly have been at the top, " Exhibitor Relations chief Paul Dergarabedian told the Associated Press. Another Saturday opener, the sci-fi comedy Galaxy Quest (1999), grossed $8.1 million. (The film may have been hurt by a dispute between DreamWorks and exhibitors Regal Cinemas, the country's largest theater chain, over financial terms for the movie's release, the Hollywood Reporter indicated today -- Monday. Regal refused to show it.) Meanwhile, the lavish drama Anna and the King (1999) continued to remain a puzzlement for 20th Century Fox, which failed even to attract older audiences to the film. It barely remained on the top-ten list in its second week, earning just $4.2 million for tenth place.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Any Given Sunday (1999), $14.2 million; 2. Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999), $13.8 million; 3 (tie). Stuart Little (1999), $12.5 million; 3 (tie). Toy Story 2 (1999), $12.5 million; 5. Green Mile, The (1999), $9.04 million; 6. Man on the Moon (1999), $9 million; 7. Bicentennial Man (1999), $8.3 million; 8. Galaxy Quest (1999), $8.1 million; 9. Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999), $6.2 million; 10. Anna and the King (1999), $4.7 million.

Movie Reviews: The Talented Mr. Ripley
24 December 1999 (StudioBriefing)
Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999) has turned out to be an impressive showcase for the talents of Matt Damon, today's reviews suggest. "Mr. Damon's performance works on multiple levels, " writes Phillip Wuntch in the Dallas Morning News. "In the initial scenes, you'll want to coddle him for his unyielding niceness, but a tiny hint of something sinister keeps you from embracing the character. Mr. Damon's greatest triumph is in locating Tom's self-loathing. It lurks beneath the surface in all scenes and sometimes explodes in homicidal rage." Similarly, Roger Ebert writes in the Chicago Sun Times, "Matt Damon is bland and ordinary as Ripley, and then takes on the vivid coloration of others--even a jazz singer." He adds, "The movie is an intelligent a thriller as you'll see this year." Several critics appear to be reacting to the pre-release buzz about the film, with Rick Groen in the Toronto Globe and Mail remarking, for example, "I'm not sure the flick can carry so much symbolic freight."

Beauty Leads Golden Globe Nods
20 December 1999 (StudioBriefing)
Sam Mendes' American Beauty (1999) was clearly the most admired film of 1999 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which nominated it for six Golden Globe nominations, including best dramatic picture, best dramatic actress (Annette Bening), best dramatic actor (Kevin Spacey), best director, best screenplay (Alan Ball (I)) and best score (Thomas Newman). Close behind were Insider, The (1999) and Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999), with five nominations each. They, too, were nominated for best picture, along with End of the Affair, The (1999) and Hurricane, The (1999). In the best movie musical or comedy category, the nominees were Analyze This (1999), Being John Malkovich (1999), Man on the Moon (1999), Notting Hill (1999) and Toy Story 2 (1999). Winners will be announced at ceremonies scheduled to air on NBC on Jan. 23.