The Movies

Double Jeopardy $23.7 million 1 week in release $23.7 million to date Cast Ashley Judd, Tommy Lee Jones Director Bruce Beresford Studio Paramount Pictures Content Rated R for bad language, violence, and sexual situations Plot Innocent woman convicted of murdering her jerk husband discovers hubby isn't dead Worldview Revenge is mine! Since she already did jail time for "killing" her husband, she decides she can hunt him down with impunity Blue Streak $13.2 million 2 weeks in release $37.7 million to date Cast Martin Lawrence, Luke Wilson Director Les Mayfield Studio Columbia Pictures Plot Dumbed-down action comedy about a burglar who discovers his stolen diamond is hidden inside a police station, so he pretends to be a policeman so he can get his goods Content Rated PG-13 for bad language and violence Worldview People who play by the rules are stiff and stupid, while cons and crooks know where the action is The Sixth Sense $8.5 million 8 weeks in release $225.1 million to date Cast Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment Directors M. Night Shyamalan Studio Hollywood Pictures Content Rated PG-13 for bad language, violent images, and gore, typically ghost-story ghouliness Plot Child psychologist must rescue a little boy who sees ghosts GistWillis is a spiritual leader from the secular priesthood (psychology) in this Exorcist-like suspense thriller Worldview Exorcising the boy's demons with counseling doesn't work, showing that secularism doesn't have a clue about dealing with spiritual issues For the love of the game $6.6 million 2 weeks in release $23.2 million to date Cast Kevin Costner, Kelly Preston Director Sam Raimi Studio Universal Studios Content Rated PG-13 for bad language, sexual situations, and blood from accident Plot Veteran star baseball pitcher playing his last game of the season ponders his life and whether to play another season Gist Generational turning-point movie about a baby boomer trying to age with dignity; great baseball scenes Worldview Man knows not his time: Yesterday's MVP may be tomorrow's forgotten legend American Beauty $6 million 2 weeks in release $7.6 million to date Cast Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening Director Sam Mendes Studio Dreamworks SKG Content Rated R for bad language, nudity, sexual situations, drug use, and violence Plot Ensemble drama featuring a middle-class dad who chases after a high-school cheerleader Gist A rootless, shallow family heads down the road to destruction then steps on the gas Worldview Suburbia as existential nightmare; seemingly normal people live lives of quiet desperation

In the Spotlight Robin Williams plays the title role in the Holocaust film Jakob The Liar (Columbia Pictures, rated PG-13 for violence, bad language, and Holocaust themes), which debuted at No. 8. Jakob is an obscure member of a Jewish ghetto in 1944 Poland until he reveals he has a radio hidden away and that he heard the war was about to end. This little white lie was supposed to be kept quiet but it spreads everywhere. Whether Jakob's lie was good or bad was left hazy. Other Jews in the ghetto, looking for hope, start asking him for news. Jakob's storytelling has an unforeseen result: People aren't killing themselves out of desperation anymore, leaving their bodies to be dragged away through the streets in wheelbarrows. So the ruse carries on. Meanwhile, Jakob has a bigger secret locked away; he's hiding a 10-year-old orphan in his basement. Jakob the Liar is a remake of a 1975 East German movie, which may explain why Stalin and the Soviets are portrayed as heroes. It shares some plot twists with last year's Life Is Beautiful. While the earlier movie tried to find hope amid the terror, this film reeks of existential doom. Jakob also reeks of lackluster direction and distracting gaffes: American swing music is heard in Nazi Poland, and our hero has an apartment all to himself while another is packed. There's an interesting morality tale lost in here somewhere.