Your Mom Will Love These Upcoming Film Comedies

Your Mom Will Love These Upcoming Film Comedies By Pete Keeley March 7, 2012 Photo by Getty Images Annette Bening As far as moms go, mine has a pretty great sense of humor andapart from an annoying disinclination to like any film that does not end happilygood taste in movies overall. But there is one class of movies, which I refer to as "parent comedies," where our tastes diverge. These are movies that parents everywhere find gut-bustingly funny while perhaps coaxing a minor chuckle or two from their children. "Father of the Bride" with Steve Martin, "Home for the Holidays" with Holly Hunter, "Meet the Parents" you get the picture. They're about families, all the main characters are over 30, and they are largely devoid of jokes about sex (erectile dysfunction excepted) or drugs (Viagra excepted).So whereas my mom hates "Napoleon Dynamite," "Austin Powers," and every Will Ferrell movie ever, I don't think I've ever seen her laugh harder than during the scene in "Mrs. Doubtfire" when Robin Williams throws an apple at Pierce Brosnan's head and attributes it to a "run-by fruiting." Were you doubled over with laughter during that scene? If so, you probably have kids who can vote.Well, this week moms everywhere are in luck, because a textbook parent comedy is in the pipeline. "The Look of Love" stars Annette Bening as a woman who falls for a man who bears a striking resemblance to her dead husband. Fellow cast members include Robin Williams and Ed Harris. One thing does give me pause: Diane Keatonwho has starred in more mom-beloved comedies than anyone in historywas originally attached to play the lead. Why did she back out? Her involvement would have catapulted this film into the parent-comedy stratosphere. With Keaton and Williams, this thing would have been a hotter ticket than the Eagles performing on Leno. Bening might be too edgy. We'll see. Monika Mikkelsen and Heidi Levitt are casting ahead of an April start in Los Angeles.Another comedy set to begin shooting next month, "Identity Thief," sounds hilariouswhich means my mom will probably hate it. It stars Jason Bateman, he of "Arrested Development" fame (Mom verbatim, circa 2005: "Why is this funny to you?"), as a man who has his identity stolen by a woman and must deal with the difficulties that result. The titular thief is played by Melissa McCarthy, who was recently robbed of an Oscar for her performance in "Bridesmaids" (a movie I don't even want to know my mom's opinion on). Even with the plot specifics being scarce, it's easy to imagine this being great.Maybe I can convince my mom to see it with me if I tell her Diane Keaton makes a cameo. Your Mom Will Love These Upcoming Film Comedies By Pete Keeley March 7, 2012 Annette Bening PHOTO CREDIT Getty Images As far as moms go, mine has a pretty great sense of humor andapart from an annoying disinclination to like any film that does not end happilygood taste in movies overall. But there is one class of movies, which I refer to as "parent comedies," where our tastes diverge. These are movies that parents everywhere find gut-bustingly funny while perhaps coaxing a minor chuckle or two from their children. "Father of the Bride" with Steve Martin, "Home for the Holidays" with Holly Hunter, "Meet the Parents" you get the picture. They're about families, all the main characters are over 30, and they are largely devoid of jokes about sex (erectile dysfunction excepted) or drugs (Viagra excepted).So whereas my mom hates "Napoleon Dynamite," "Austin Powers," and every Will Ferrell movie ever, I don't think I've ever seen her laugh harder than during the scene in "Mrs. Doubtfire" when Robin Williams throws an apple at Pierce Brosnan's head and attributes it to a "run-by fruiting." Were you doubled over with laughter during that scene? If so, you probably have kids who can vote.Well, this week moms everywhere are in luck, because a textbook parent comedy is in the pipeline. "The Look of Love" stars Annette Bening as a woman who falls for a man who bears a striking resemblance to her dead husband. Fellow cast members include Robin Williams and Ed Harris. One thing does give me pause: Diane Keatonwho has starred in more mom-beloved comedies than anyone in historywas originally attached to play the lead. Why did she back out? Her involvement would have catapulted this film into the parent-comedy stratosphere. With Keaton and Williams, this thing would have been a hotter ticket than the Eagles performing on Leno. Bening might be too edgy. We'll see. Monika Mikkelsen and Heidi Levitt are casting ahead of an April start in Los Angeles.Another comedy set to begin shooting next month, "Identity Thief," sounds hilariouswhich means my mom will probably hate it. It stars Jason Bateman, he of "Arrested Development" fame (Mom verbatim, circa 2005: "Why is this funny to you?"), as a man who has his identity stolen by a woman and must deal with the difficulties that result. The titular thief is played by Melissa McCarthy, who was recently robbed of an Oscar for her performance in "Bridesmaids" (a movie I don't even want to know my mom's opinion on). Even with the plot specifics being scarce, it's easy to imagine this being great.Maybe I can convince my mom to see it with me if I tell her Diane Keaton makes a cameo.

Jerome Courtland dies at 85

Jerome (Jerry) Courtland, an actress who later grew to become a producer and director in film and tv, focusing on shows including "The Flying Nun," "The Romance Boat" and "Empire," died of cardiovascular disease within the Santa Clarita Valley, Calif., on March 1. He was 85.Courtland's creating career spanned a lot more than twenty five years at Wally Disney Galleries and Screen Gems focusing on movies including "Escape to Witch Mountain," "Ride an outrageous Pony" and "Return From Witch Mountain" Tv show including "Here Come the Brides," "The Flying Nun," "The Partridge Family" and "The Interns" and telepics including "Gidget Matures," "Hog Wild" and "The Billion Dollar Dixie Deliverance." Before departing Disney in early 1980s Courtland created animated feature "Pete's Dragon" and live actioner "The Demon and Max Devlin." Dealing with Aaron Spelling within the eighties, Courtland directed instances of "Empire," "Falcon Crest," "Fantasy Island" and "Love Boat," in addition to "Hotel" and "The Colbys." Younger crowd helmed instances of "Knots Landing." Courtland Jourolman Junior. was created in Knoxville, Tenn. As he was 17, he attended a Hollywood party together with his mother, an expert singer he met Charles Vidor, who asked him to screen test at Columbia, and that he was soon signed to some seven-year contract. He earned his feature debut in Vidor's "Back Together AgainInch making a couple of additional films at Columbia prior to being awarded with a Military, where he offered within the Off-shore throughout World war 2. Courtland restarted his showbiz career after coming back from service by showing up within the original Broadway manufacture of "Flahoohey." He starred opposite a 17-year-old Shirley Temple within the film "Hug and Tell" and acquired notice for roles in "The Guy From Colorado" (1948), "Battleground" (1949), "The Palomino" (1950), "The Barefoot Postman" (1951) and "Go ahead and take High Ground "(1953). On Television beginning within the mid-'50s, Courtland were built with a seven-episode looking operate on "The Saga of Andy Burnett" included in "Wally Disney's Wonderful Realm of Color" and made an appearance on instances of "The Adventures of Rin Container Container" and "The Rifleman" in early '60s, with dyed blonde hair and beard, he starred within the series "Tales from the Vikings" and then guested on "Dying Valley Days" and "The Virginian."Film credits throughout the sixties range from the musical "O sole mio," "Full from the Seas" and "Coffee shop Oriental." In early 1990's he guested on "L.A. Law" and "Knots Landing."In 1997 he gone to live in the Chicago area, where he grew to become a professor at Columbia College, teaching acting and pointing for that camera for 5 years. Then he upon the market in Florida, where he written and highlighted children's books. Courtland would be a voting person in the Academy of movement Picture Arts & Sciences in excess of 3 decades.He was married three occasions, the very first time to actress Polly Bergen. Courtland is made it by third wife Marlene, with whom he was married for 32 years four sons three kids 16 grandchildren and something great-grandchild.A memorial service honoring Courtland's existence is going to be held March 31. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

Showbiz may be able to recast piracy debate

MegaUpload founder Kim Dotcom, charged mass copyright infringement.The story of Kim Dotcom, the founder of file-hosting site Megaupload arrested in January on charges of masterminding massive criminal copyright infringement, is starting to sound like something out of a Roger Moore-era James Bond pic: He changed his surname from Schmitz, he's six-foot-five and weighs 322 pounds and, according his legal team, he was captured when helicopters swooped in to his New Zealand estate and apprehended him. In an interview with a New Zealand paper this week, Dotcom predicted he would prevail and called his arrest "political." Dotcom may be thinking political, but as his case evolves, perhaps Hollywood should be thinking PR. Still stinging from the sidelining of the Stop Online Piracy Act, which happened the same week as the seizure of Megaupload, showbiz has been in a period of consternation over what to do next. On the Oscar carpet, MPAA chairman-CEO Chris Dodd said that there's been bridge building between showbiz and Silicon Valley, and "There are some very adult, mature people working on coming up with some answers that make sense." But beyond the policymaking, there's also the matter of winning hearts and minds, a vexing problem for an industry viewed by much of Middle America with disdain. PSAs get lost in a blizzard of multiple messaging. Trailers have elicited groans from moviegoers. A large-scale public awareness campaign on par with those that shifted public perception of seatbelts and drunk driving would be a costly, years-long effort, perhaps with inconclusive results. The PR battle is no small thing: By the time the SOPA debate entered the public consciousness, opponents had crafted the message with the emotional alarm, even if the legislation's supporters cried foul over what they say was a campaign of misinformation. "The unfortunate thing in this debate is we in the film and television industry, we are not a victim that garners a lot of sympathy to the average citizen," Michael Robinson, MPAA exec VP, content protection and chief of operations, said at a panel on piracy earlier this week before the Caucus for Producers, Writers and Directors. "The argument we constantly hear, especially from young people engaging in the downloading of content, is, 'Who is it really hurting?' All the stars make big money. All the stars are well paid." The industry went in with a message of protecting jobs, but the debate ended up being about big media trying to stifle free speech. Robinson said the sixth-grade son of one of his employees came home at the height of the debate and asked, "Dad, why do you want to work for that outfit that wants to break the Internet?" Talking to the panelists, it's apparent how much the industry's approach has been caught between the carrot and the stick. Some independent filmmakers are going so far as to file suit against consumers who download their movies illegally, but Kent Raygor, partner at Sheppard Mullin, noted that such an approach "is really expensive and it is terribly ineffective. It is sort of like the old game of whack-a-mole." Jim Gladstone, exec VP of legal and business affairs for Lionsgate, suggested deploying stars to do trailers "to explain why this law is good for people, both the service providers and the industry." Vin di Bona, who has formed a venture to track and even monetize clips of "America's Funniest Home Videos" given the routine unauthorized upload on YouTube, thinks an education campaign has to start in junior high. "That may be Pollyana-ish, I am not sure. But it is a potential start." Melinda Demsky, senior VP of content protection for Fox, said that despite efforts to even get piracy into school curriculums, "You wonder the way the messaging is being received." Instead of digital theft, as the showbiz lobby likes to put it, piracy of movies, music and TV shows is seen "more like this infraction," Demsky said. "That is a dangerous way of framing it that is coming from some of the more sophisticated players." But depending on how the story of Dotcom is played, there's a chance for the debate to shift again, particularly if he is extradited to the U.S. and gets a very public trial. At least in the eyes of federal authorities and many in the industry, piracy now has a face that isn't the college student hacker or the small business tech wiz but someone who had a fleet of luxury cars, spent lavishly on vacations on superyachts and cost copyright holders at least $500 million in lost revenue. He seems to savor the publicity: Before he was caught, he boasted of being the world's leading player of the vidgame "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3." He's arguing that he's the unfair target of an overzealous copyright army; as showbiz wages its war against piracy, it may have found a colorful villain it can make use of. Contact Ted Johnson at ted.johnson@variety.com

The Artist Tops Independent Spirit Honours

Halle Berry has canceled her appearance on Sunday night's Oscars due to a broken ft, People reviews. Get all the latest Oscar coverage here Berry, who was simply scheduled to supply, hurt herself while filming her new movie Cloud Atlas in the united states. Despite the fact that accident happened in September, Berry changed her mind in regards to the appearance within the last second. Discover More > Other Links From TVGuide.com Halle Berry

CAA Signs X-Files Creator Chris Carter

EXCLUSIVE: The X-Files creator Chris Carter has signed with CAA. Carter had been a longtime client of Bob Broder, first at BWCS and most recently at ICM following the agencies’ 2006 merger. After a decade away from TV, Carter last fall teamed with MRC to shop female-driven mystery thriller spec Unique, which ultimately didn’t sell. He is attached as an executive producer to another spec, written by feature scribe Jon Bokenkamp, which is being shopped to cable networks by Sony TV. In addition to The X-Files, which ran on Fox for 9 seasons, Carter created Harsh Realm and Millennium and co-created the X-Files spinoff The Lone Gunmen. Since The X-Files ended its run in 2002, Carter has stayed largely out of the spotlight, only resurfacing to do the 2008 X-Files movie sequel and the upcoming thriller Fencewalker. There has been talk recently about a potential third X-Files movie.

John Leguizamo Is 'Del Boy' Trotter

In US remake of Only Fools And HorsesHere's a story to make you wonder whether it's Shrove Tuesday or April Fool's Day or indeed 'What The Cr#p?' Day. Yes, that's right: John Leguizamo has been cast as Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter in ABC's US pilot of Only Fools And Horses.The '80s British telly staple is to be dusted off and given an American makeover. Leguizamo has taken the lead role as part of his new development deal with ABC, although there's no word yet on who'll be joining him behind the wheel of that Reliant (or US equivalent) as Rodney.Scrubs writers Steven Cragg and Brian Bradley are charged with translating the references to Trevor Francis tracksuits and pot pourri into something US-friendly. According to Deadline Hollywood, Leguizamo's long-time manager Jeff Golenberg takes exec-producer duties.Question is: what have you got left when you strip away the '80s get-rich-quick, cushty cockneyisms, references to Uncle Albert looking like Captain Birdseye and Del driving around Peckham in a wobbly three-wheeler? The Office spanned the cultural divide with surprising ease and Shameless is doing likewise, but the original Del Boy, David Jason, recently questioned whether Only Fools And Horses could repeat the trick: "It might work but you've got to change it so much that, in the change, in order to Americanise it, do you lose the whole concept of the piece?" Time will tell. So who to play Rodney and Trigger? Answers below. Nick Nolte for Uncle Albert, obviously.[[Poll629]]

Guillermo del Toro set for 'Dead'

Guillermo del Toro has come onboard with Reel FX to produce a CG-animated film with the working title "Day of the Dead."Del Toro will also present the film, directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez from a script he wrote with Gutierrez and Doug Langdale. Reel FX will produce alongside Aaron Berger and Carina Schulze of Chatrone.Reel FX said "Day of the Dead" is scheduled to be released in fall 2014. Story's a "Romeo and Juliet"-style tale set against a Mexican "Day of the Dead" backdrop. It's the first time since 1993's "Cronos" that del Toro has collaborated on a feature project set in Mexico.Reel FX's Brad Booker brought "Day of the Dead" to the studio and will oversee."This is a colorful, vibrant, vital fable that utilizes the animation medium in an incredible way," del Toro said. Reel FX is developing "Beasts of Burden," produced by Andrew Adamson and Aron Warner, and "Turkeys," an animated comedy directed by Jimmy Hayward. It's also collaborated on the production of Cirque du Soleil's "Worlds Away," written and directed by Adamson and exec produced by James Cameron; Paramount will release that film late this year. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com