FOR THE MOM WHO SKIPPED THE BOOK
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
Swapping jazzy killers for bejeweled kimonos, Chicago director Rob
Marshall gets kudos for agreeing to mastermind a chorus line of
Asian-language stars—led by Ziyi Zhang as geisha-in-training Sayuri—in
this adaptation of Arthur Golden's best-selling 1997 novel. DEC. 9
FOR THE COUSIN JUST HITTING PUBERTY
AEON FLUX
Apparently a disciple of the Halle Berry
why-act-when-you-can-run-real-fast school, Oscar winner Charlize Theron
suits up as a black-spandex-clad assassin in this adaptation of the
culty animated MTV series set 400 years in the future. DEC. 2
FOR THE GAY COWBOY UNCLE
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Jack-of-all-genres director Ang Lee (The Hulk, Sense and Sensibility)
heads west with this tender tale—based on the Annie Proulx short
story — about two cowboys (Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger) from Texas
and Wyoming who knock spurs and fall in love. Now, if only their wives
could just be happy for them... DEC. 9
FOR THE HOT MOTHER-IN-LAW
RUMOR HAS IT
Here's to you, Kevin Costner: Who else can boast of playing a character
who not only was the alleged inspiration for The Graduate, but also
slept with three generations of women (including Jennifer Aniston and
Shirley MacLaine) all in one film? Mrs. Robinson would be proud. DEC. 25
FOR THE GRANDKIDS IN LORD OF THE RINGS RECOVERY
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
Harry who? Disney's hoping this reported $150 million adaptation of book
1 of C.S. Lewis' seven-part fantasy series will make audiences forget
hobbits and villains-who-can't-be-named and embrace lions and a frosty
White Witch named Jadis instead. DEC. 9
FOR THE SMART-ASS NEPHEW
FUN WITH DICK & JANE
See Dick (Jim Carrey) work. See Dick covet his neighbor's Mercedes. See
Dick recruit wife Jane (Téa Leoni) into robbing banks to maintain their
upper-middle-class lifestyle in this Judd Apatow-penned remake of 1977's
Jane Fonda and George Segal white-collar-crime caper. DEC. 21
FOR THE AUNT WHO NEVER MADE IT TO NYC
THE PRODUCERS
It's a movie! It's a musical! It's a movie based on a musical based on a
movie! Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick reprise their roles as Broadway
hucksters Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom in this adaptation of Mel Brooks'
powerhouse show. Uma Thurman joins the party as buxom blonde Ulla. DEC.
21
FOR THE WEST WING NUT
ALL THE KING'S MEN
The star-studded cast, including Sean Penn and Jude Law, boasts 15 Oscar
nominations (and two wins), while Oscar-winning screenwriter Steven
Zaillian makes his directing debut with this adaptation of Robert Penn
Warren's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. It all adds up to a must-see
political drama positively oozing with prestige. DEC. 16
FOR EVERYBODY, DAMMIT
KING KONG
So there's this movie about this giant apelike creature or something,
who kidnaps a pretty blonde and drags her to his Skull Island lair, and
it's directed by that Lord of the Rings guy. Maybe you've, like, heard
something about it? DEC. 14
