MOVIE CLIPS | VIDEO RELEASES | THEATER INFO Measuring Time Rocky island tests survival skills. By Lois Wadsworth Cast Away: Directed by Robert Zemeckis. Written by William Broyles Jr. Produced by Steve Starkey, Tom Hanks, Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke. Executive producer, Joan Bradshaw. Cinematography, Don Burgess. Production design, Rick Carter. Editor, Arthur Schmidt. Music, Alan Silvestri. Costumes, Joanna Johnston. Starring Tom Hanks and Helen Hunt, with Nick Searcy, Chris Noth and Lari White. DreamWorks. Twentieth Century Fox, 2000. PG-13. 132 minutes.   Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) marks time waiting to be rescued. .   Expelled from time, air-crash survivor and former Fed Ex time-management expert Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) learns the difficult art of staying alive on a remote, tiny, rock island in the midst of a vast ocean. Noland turns from being a clock-driven, stressed-out business executive into a lean, self-reliant survivor, and the core of Robert Zemeckis's Cast Away is about how this ordinary man makes that transformation. The first questions that bedevil Noland -- how long before someone rescues him? where's the fresh water? and what's for dinner? -- change over time. He finds practical solutions to the rudiments of survival by using materials at hand, but he's not always successful on the first try. We infer that temporality in its larger context also concerns him, such as how his small life depends on understanding the changing, seasonal forces that govern the waters, rocks, trees and winds surrounding him. He has a photograph of his soul mate, Kelly Frears (Helen Hunt), but Noland craves someone to share his solitude. Memories of Kelly draw Noland back to her, but to maintain his precarious psychological balance, he needs an everyday companion. He creates such a comrade in Wilson, a volleyball from one of the Fed Ex plane-wreck packages that washes ashore. Starting with a bloody palm print he leaves on the ball, Noland draws a crude, humanish face that's comical, reassuring and creepy. He bounces ideas off Wilson when he's trying to solve problems and uses him as a totemic ally and moral compass. In uneasy exile from his life's busy commercial currents, Noland becomes an observer of ocean currents, underwater obstacles, waves, storms and seasons. He makes a calendar and tracks time. Living out one of our oldest meta-stories, he's a modern Odysseus who plans to be "right back" but is delayed by human frailty and the forces of raw nature. The great Ulysses wandered the ancient world, jousting with fabulous beasts, gods and earthly kings, but Noland's quest is an introspective journey. Time measures all his endeavors. Noland's survival depends on his being pared back to physical, emotional and psychological essentials. Just as his natural weight loss and increased athleticism return him to a more skillful, healthier body, shedding the psychological detritus of modern life and learning what matters takes Noland back to his essential self. This is the goal of the hero's inner journey. Movie storytelling demands inclusion of two short sections of exposition. Before the island, we see Noland in his hectic work life trying to squeeze in a bit of time with his equally busy, grad student girlfriend, Kelly. Then we're on the doomed plane with him, racing to another job. After the island, we again see Noland surrounded by his former colleagues from work and with Kelly. But now everything has changed. All the important things that happen in the film take place on the island. During this long interval, spoken words and conversation -- dialogue, as we call it -- is mostly absent. There are only occasional verbal outbursts and spare, one-sided exchanges with Wilson. For two-thirds of the film, the story is carried by action and image only, and it's refreshing. Hanks' performance is riskier than usual. It speaks of a higher level of trust in his audience and with Zemeckis (Forrest Gump), whose compelling, intimate direction coupled with an appropriate, minimalist script by William Broyles Jr. makes Cast Away one of year's contenders. Now playing at McDonald and Cinemark 17, it's highly recommended. Top Hands American cowboys lose their innocence in 1949 Mexico. By Lois Wadsworth All the Pretty Horses: Directed by Billy Bob Thornton. Written by Ted Tally, based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy. Editor, Sally Menke. Cinematography, Barry Markowitz. Production design, Clark Hunter. Music, Mary Stuart, Kristen Wilkinson and Larry Paxton. Costumes, Doug Hall. Starring Matt Damon, with Henry Thomas, Lucas Black, Penelope Cruz and Ruben Blades. Also, Julio Oscar Mechoso, Miriam Colon, Bruce Dern and Sam Shepard. Columbia Pictures. Miramax Film Release, 2000. PG-13. 112 minutes.   Jared Leto and Jennifer Connelly in Requiem for a Dream. .   John Grady Cole (Matt Dillon) is a disappointed young man. He wants to keep on working his grandfather's West Texas ranch, but the old man has died and left everything to John's mother. She's going to sell it "for three times what it's worth," the family lawyer (Sam Shepard) tells him. So John persuades his childhood friend, Lacey Rawlins (Henry Thomas), to slip across the Rio Grande with him and go find one of the big ranches he's heard about in Mexico. "You think they can't use two more top hands?" he asks. The loyalty between these two young cowboys and their shared love of horses is one of the best features of Cormac McCarthy's prize-winning, 1992 novel on which the film is based. But even though the film opens on the same note -- the plain way of talking that characterizes the two men and punctuates the book's action -- the mood is fleeting, and we miss both the depth of their bond and the very real differences between them. As untested men of honor, John Grady and Lacey are defined for us by their conversations under the stars after a long day in the saddle. But in this radically edited version of director Billy Bob Thornton's four-hour cut of the film, such subtleties have been squeezed out. It's truly a pleasure, however, to see the unspoiled Southwestern mesa and canyon country McCarthy described as the guys ride to the border, across the river and deep into rural Mexico. As road movies require, these relative innocents will be beset by the whims of good or bad luck. Events arise that test their strength of character, and in their inexperience they don't always make the best decision. Bad luck knocks when they run into a much too clever teenage runaway, Jimmy Blevins (Lucas Black), on the trail. This cocky 13-year old has a shady past, is a crack shot with a rifle and exhibits disturbingly undisciplined behavior. Lacey argues that letting this kid hitch up with them is inviting trouble, but John's into giving him a chance. Luck smiles on them a bit later when John and Lacey sign on as ranch hands on a large, old hacienda. They are honored for their dedication to breaking the wild horses that are the pride of the wealthy Mexican rancher named Rocha (Ruben Blades), who owns the spread. Lusty glances exchanged between John and Rocha's daughter, Alejandra (Penelope Cruz), lead to secret meetings. John receives a strong warning from Dona Alfonsa (Miriam Colon) about the sanctity of a young woman's honor. Other characters include a corrupt Mexican police captain (Julio Oscar Mechoso), a silent Indian prisoner (Edwin Figueroa), and an American judge (Bruce Dern). Thornton has made a pleasing, middle-of-the road entertainment, but Damon can't carry the emotional load of a leading man. There's no chemistry between Damon and Cruz. She's too self-absorbed and seductive to be credible as an over-protected flower, and he's fascinated but not passionate. Even Blades is more restrained than I remembered the girl's father being. The surprise performers are Thomas (E.T., Legends of the Fall, Sling Blade), who is really a settler, not an adventurer. Black is scarily good as the kid who learns too late what paying for your deeds actually means. Black hits the movie's high notes on the emotional scale without effort or artifice. Now playing at the Bijou and Cinemark 17, the film is highly recommended. OPENING OR RETURNING: Films open the Friday following date of EW publication unless otherwise noted. Funeral, The: Juzo Itami's 1984 breakthrough satire about an ordinary family's response to the death of a patriarch who ran a brothel. Itami's later films include Tampopo ('86), A Taxing Woman ('87). Plays 01/09 in 121 Pacific Hall at 7 pm. Free. Men of Honor: Cuba Gooding Jr. plays the first black man in the Navy to try to be a SEAL. Robert De Niro plays the racist officer who tries to break him. Directed by George Tillman Jr. (Soul Food). R. Movies 12. Red Planet: Val Kilmer is an American astronaut on the first manned flight to Mars, where the team hopes to find a place for Earth to colonize. With Benjamin Bratt, Tom Sizemore, Terence Stamp and Carrie-Anne Moss. Directed by Anthony Hoffman. PG-13. Movies 12. Traffic: Steven Soderbergh's acclaimed new film takes a hard look at the complexities of drug interdiction programs. With an all-star, ensemble cast that includes Michael Douglas, Benicio Del Toro, Don Cheadle, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Erica Christensen. R. Cinemark 17. Cinema World. CONTINUING: 102 Dalmatians: Cruella De Vil (Glenn Close) is back, and this time she's got a partner in crime: Jean Pierre Le Pelt (Gerard Depardieu). Live action comedy from Disney. G. Cinemark 17. Cinema World 8. Aimee & Jaguar: German film directed by Max Färberböck is based on the true story of two women who fell in love as Berlin burned during WWII. One is a housewife with four little boys and a Nazi soldier husband. The other is an educated, stylish German Jew who hides in plain sight while working for the resistance. Excellent performances. Highly recommended. Not rated. Bijou. All the Pretty Horses: Based on Cormac McCarthy's award-winning novel and directed by Billy Bob Thornton, Matt Damon and Henry Thomas star as young Texas cowboys who head to Mexico to work with horses in 1949. Also stars Penelope Cruz, Lucas Black and Ruben Blades. Highly recommended. R. Cinemark 17. Bijou. See review this issue. Bedazzled: Remake by Harold Ramis (Analyze This) of a late '60's Dudley Moore chestnut, the movie stars a lovesick Brendan Fraser selling his soul to the devil (Elizabeth Hurley) to win the woman of his dreams (Frances O'Connor). PG-13. Movies 12. Bring It On: Kirsten Dunst (The Virgin Suicides) is a cheerleader who wants to lead her squad to a national title. Gabrielle Union (She's All That) is head of a rival, inner-city hip-hop squad that has a score to settle with their suburban counterparts. PG-13. Movies 12. Cast Away: Fed Ex manager Tom Hanks washes up on a remote tropical island after his plane crashes and learns to survive. Helen Hunt is the girlfriend he left behind. Intimate direction by Robert Zemeckis, a lean script by William Broyles Jr., and an edgy performance by Hanks. Highly recommended. PG-13. Cinemark 17. McDonald. Movieland 6. See review this issue. Cell, The: Jennifer Lopez, Vince Vaughan and Vincent D'Onofrio star in this science fiction thriller. Lopez is a psychologist who becomes trapped in the mind of a serial killer. R. Movies 12. Charlie's Angels: Elite private investigators Natalie (Cameron Diaz), Dylan (Drew Barrymore), and Alex (Lucy Liu), work for Bosley (Bill Murray), Charlie's lieutenant. These gals can handle anything on land, sea or air with up-to-the-minute martial arts skills, futuristic vehicles, high-tech tools and toys, and a raft of crafty disguises. PG-13. Late night Bijou. Chicken Run: Nick Park (Wallace and Gromit) and his partner at Aardman Animations, Peter Lord, work their magic on clay creatures. Life on Tweedy's Farm has become brutal, and the chickens' fearless leader, Ginger (voice, Julia Sawalha) recruits an American rooster (voice, Mel Gibson) to teach them to fly. Hilarious good fun for the whole family. G. Movies 12. Contender, The: Three big stars -- Joan Allen, Gary Oldman and Jeff Bridges -- star in this political drama directed by Rod Lurie. Allen's character is a senator in line to be Vice President, but Oldman plays an old enemy who remembers a sex scandal from the past. Highly recommended. R. Movies 12. Coyote Ugly: David McNally comedy about cocktail waitresses who perform juggling acts with bottles in a rowdy New York bar. Stars Piper Perabo, Maria Bello, Melanie Lynskey, Adam Garcia and John Goodman. PG-13. Movies 12. Dr. T. and the Women: Robert Altman's pathetic comedy/romance stars Richard Gere as an overbooked Dallas gynecologist with domestic problems. Also stars Helen Hunt, Laura Dern, Kate Hudson, Shelley Long, Farrah Fawcett, Tara Reid and Liv Tyler. Not recommended. R. Movies 12. Dracula 2000: Wes Craven's modernization of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel starring Gerard Butler, Johnny Lee Miller, Christopher Plummer and Jennifer Esposito. R. Cinemark 17. Movieland 6. Dude, Where Is my Car?: Danny Leiner's one-joke comedy is about a couple of dudes who get too drunk to remember where they parked the car with presents for their girlfriends. PG-13. Cinemark 17. Movieland 6. Emperor's New Groove, The: Disney animation, Sting's music, and the voices of David Spade, Eartha Kitt and John Goodman enliven this tale of a young emperor who is turned into a llama and learns to be nicer to others. G. Cinema World 8. Cinemark 17. Movieland 6. Family Man: Brett Ratner (Rush Hour) directs Nic Cage, Téa Leoni and Don Cheadle in this fantasy of an unmarried investment banker who sees what his life could have been had he married his only love. PG-13. Cinemark 17. Cinema World 8. How the Grinch Stole Christmas: Madcap Jim Carrey brings to life Dr. Seuss's green grinch who wants to keep Christine Baranski, Molly Shannon and Bill Irwin and others from celebrating Christmas. Directed by Ron Howard. PG. Cinemark 17. Movieland 6. Little Vampire: Cute kid from Jerry Maguire Jonathan Lipnicki has a vampire friend he shares adventures with. Based on books by Angela Sommer-Bodenburg; directed by Ulrich Edel. PG. Movies 12. Meet the Parents: Ben Stiller plays the unfortunate prospective son-in-law to Robert Di Niro's overly protective father. Directed by Jay Roach, the film also stars Teri Polo and Blythe Danner as the engaged daughter and her mother. PG-13. Movies 12. Miss Congeniality: Dubious comedy stars Sandra Bullock as an FBI agent posing as a beauty contestant, Miss New Jersey. Directed by Donald Petrie, flick also stars Benjamin Bratt, Michael Caine and William Shatner. PG-13. Cinemark 17. Cinema World 8. Proof of Life: Russell Crowe is a special agent for kidnap and ransom who gets involved with the wife (Meg Ryan) of a hostage (David Morse) in this romantic drama set in South America. Directed by Taylor Hackford (Dolores Claiborne, The Devil's Advocate). R. Cinemark 17. Movieland 6. Remember the Titans: Football movie based on the true story of a 1971 Virginia high school falling apart from racial conflict until a black coach (Denzel Washington) from out of town pulls them together. Directed by Boaz Yakin, it also stars Will Patton and Kip Pardue. PG. Movies 12. Requiem for a Dream: Brilliant, deeply disturbing film directed by Darren Aronofsky (Pi) from a script by Hubert Selby Jr. (Last Exit to Brooklyn). Jared Leto, Ellen Burstyn, Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayans give realistic, gritty and courageous performances here as junkies on the down slope. The film is innovative and beautiful, but you will not sleep well after this one. Unrated. Bijou. Rugrats in Paris: Stu Pickles takes the Finsters and his brood to Paris while he works on EuroReptarland, a new amusement park. Tommy Pickles leads the Rugrats on adventures to solve the mysteries of life and to help Chuckie Finster find the right mom now that his dad is dating again. G. Cinema World 8. Sixth Day, The: Roger Spottiswoode directs this futuristic thriller starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in two roles. One is a clone, but nobody can tell which one. Also stars Wendy Crewson as his wife, Tony Goldwyn and Robert Duvall. PG-13. Movies 12. Space Cowboys: Director Clint Eastwood attracted Tommy Lee Jones, James Garner and Donald Sutherland to star with him in this outer space adventure flick. They play retired Air Force test pilots who have to defuse a leftover Cold War satellite in space before it hits earth. PG-13. Movies 12. Unbreakable: New film by M. Night Shyamalan writer, director of last year's surprise hit, The Sixth Sense, stars Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson. Both put themselves on the line in these understated roles. Willis's character is inner-directed and thoughtful, while Jackson's steely reserve and crushing vulnerability are quietly menacing. Beautifully directed, it's a great movie. Very highly recommended. PG-13. Cinema World 8. Cinemark 17. Vertical Limit: Action adventure tale of a former mountain climber who has to save a sibling trapped at 26,000 feet. Chris O'Donnell is the traumatized ex-climber, Robin Tunney is his sis. Directed by Martin Campbell. PG-13. Cinemark 17. Cinema World 8. What Women Want: Mel Gibson stars as an accident victim who can suddenly hear the private thoughts of women. The women in question include Helen Hunt, Marisa Tomei and Lauren Holly. PG-13. Cinemark 17. Cinema World 8. Movieland 6. MOVIE THEATERS Use the links provided below for specific show times. Bijou Art Cinemas Bijou Theater | 686-2458 | 492 E. 13th Regal Cinemas Cinema World | 342-6536 | Valley River Center McDonald | 344-4343 | 10th and Willamette Movieland | 342-4142 | W. 11th and Seneca Springfield Quad | 726-9073 | Cinemark Theaters Movies 12 | 741-1231 | Gateway Mall Movies before 12:30 are Sat. Sun. only. $1.50 all shows all days. Cinemark 17 | 741-1231 | Gateway Mall NEW RELEASES ON VIDEO: Releases subject to change. Available the Tuesday following date of EW publication, sometimes sooner: Animal Factory: One of the better films of 2000 that missed Eugene is director Steve Buscemi's prison drama. Buscemi reportedly gets fabulous performances from Willem Dafoe, Edward Furlong, Tom Arnold and Mickey Rourke. Looks at prison life as a given and shows how convicts survive when there's nothing to do, according to Elvis Mitchell's review for The New York Times. He describes Dafoe's character as a "screw-up with no regrets" who has occasional "flashes of decency" and calls it the performance of his life. NR. Battlefield Earth: Set 1000 years in the future, this bad movie based on late Scientologist L. Ron Hubbard's 1982 sci-fi novel stars John Travolta and Barry Pepper as alien and earthling locked in deadly battle. Directed by Roger Christian. Has made many critics' bottom ten of 2000 lists. PG-13. Claire Dolan: Highly acclaimed 2000 film never played Eugene. Katrin Cartlidge plays an Irish immigrant working in New York as a prostitute to pay off a debt to her pimp, played by Colm Meaney. She falls in love with a cabdriver (Vincent D'Onofrio). Written and directed by Lodge Kerrigan. Not rated. Coyote Ugly: David McNally comedy about cocktail waitresses who perform juggling acts with bottles in a rowdy New York bar. Stars Piper Perabo, Maria Bello, Melanie Lynskey, Adam Garcia and John Goodman. PG-13. Kid, Disney's The: Played by Spencer Breslin, a child meets himself at 40, a man played by Bruce Willis. Is he impressed? Find out in Jon Turteltaub's comedy. PG. Me, Myself & Irene: Jim Carrey plays a man with a split personality disorder who runs into trouble when he runs out of medication. Renee Zellweger plays a woman on the run who falls in love with both of them. R. Once Upon a Time in China: Hong Kong action flick stars Jet Li. Film is set in 19th century and is directed by Hark Tsu. R. Wonder Boys: Director Curtis Hanson's marvelous comedy set in academia stars Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Frances McDormand, Katie Holmes, Robert Downey Jr. and Rip Torn. Very sweet, funny movie with a surprisingly tender turn by Douglas and subtle, lovely work by Downey. Highly recommended, it's made many critics' top ten films of 2000 lists. R. Next week: The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Bait, Bring It On, Cecil B. DeMented and Mr. Accident. Back to Top Table of Contents | News & Views | Arts & Entertainment Classifieds | Personals | EW Archive