THE MORE
WE SEE MERYL, THE MORE WE LOVE HER
So
what if she recently turned 57? Meryl Streep, arguably the finest
screen actress of our time, is not about to slow down. Browse below
to see what we mean. And to check out the upcoming projects of Julia
Roberts, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Jake Gyllenhaal, Scarlett Johansson,
Jamie Foxx, Reese Witherspoon, Heath Ledger, Kirsten Dunst, Jude
Law and many more of your favorites, click
here for our alphabetical file of STAR
TURNS.
A PRAIRIE
HOME COMPANION: Meryl Streep,
Kevin Kline, Lily Tomlin, Woody Harrelson, John C. Reilly, Tommy
Lee Jones, Garrison Keillor, Lindsay Lohan, Virginia Madsen, L.
Q. Jones, Maya Rudolph (Directed by Robert Altman; Written by Garrison
Keillor; Picturehouse) In provocative, unforgettable films ranging
from “Nashville” to “The Player” to “Short
Cuts,” director Robert Altman has demonstrated a special genius
for assembling actors with boldly individual styles and shaping
them into a seamless ensemble. There’s a strong chance he
will pack another character-driven wallop with this tale of the
backstage craziness that prevails on what is meant to be the final
broadcast of a quirky and extraordinarily popular radio show not
unlike Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion.”
A special bonus: Keillor himself was persuaded to play himself by
starmaker Altman. To read Guy Flatley's review
of "A Prairie Home Companion," click
here. Now Playing
THE DEVIL
WEARS PRADA: Meryl Streep, Anne
Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, Adrien Grenier, Emily Blunt, Simon Baker,
Traci Thoms, Giselle Bundchen (Directed by David Frankel; Written
by Aline Brosh McKenna and Don Roos; Fox) The fact that Lauren Weisberger,
the author of the book upon which this film is based, slaved as
an assistant to Vogue super-editor Anna Wintour does not mean that
what we have here is a biopic. But I don’t know anyone who
believes that not to be the case. Nor do I know anyone who is not
keenly anticipating the sight of Meryl Streep as she dons her shades
and British accent, cracks her whip, and spews venom upon her cringing
serfs. For
a Critics Roundup on "The Devil Wears Prada," click
here; for details about many more new biopics, click
here. Now Playing
DIRTY
TRICKS: Meryl Streep, Gwyneth
Paltrow, Annette Bening, Jill Clayburgh (Written and directed by
Ryan Murphy; Paramount) They called her Martha the Mouth, Mouth
of the South or simply Moutha. Her real name was Martha Mitchell,
and she was the full-throttle wife of John Mitchell, Attorney General
to President Richard M. Nixon. Never one to hold back, Martha, who
died in 1976, had this to say about her hubby’s boss: “Nixon
bleeds people. He draws every drop of blood and then drops them
from a cliff. He’ll blame any person he can put his foot on.”
Nor did Martha go all that easy on Mitchell himself, referring to
him at one point as “that gutless, despicable crook.”
Is it any wonder that in an effort to shut her up, her enemies eventually
drugged her and held her captive in a California hotel room? Ryan
Murphy, director of “Running With Scissors,” is helming
this adaptation of John Jeter’s play about the woman who spilled
the beans that hastened Tricky Dick's departure from the White House.
And, best news of all, Murphy had the good sense to cast Meryl Streep
as the biggest Moutha ever. Also on prominent display: Jill Clayburgh
as Pat Nixon, Gwyneth Paltrow as Maureen Dean and Annette Bening
as Helen Thomas, the White House correspondent who received many
a late-night phone call from the whistle-blowing Martha. To
read about many more new biopics, click here.
Opening date to be announced
WANTED:
Jennifer Aniston, Meryl Streep, Kevin Wethington (Written by Sheldon
Turner; Plan B Productions Inc.) Jen’s in deep, deep trouble
here. Playing a fearless Texas narcotics cop, she is framed on a
trafficking charge and sent to the meanest slammer this side of
Guantanamo. What she needs is a partner smart and tough enough to
help her break out. And that’s just what she gets in the person
of the ever-game Meryl Streep, cast as her cellmate--a violent activist
turned pacifist. Screenwriter Sheldon Turner based his screenplay
on the novel by Kim Wozencraft. Who? Surely you remember Kim Wozencraft.
She’s the former undercover narcotics agent who wrote “Rush,”
the source for the relentlessly dreary 1991 movie about Texas cops
& druggers that totally failed to make bankable stars of Jason
Patric and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Opening
date to be announced
FIRST
MAN: Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep
(Written and directed by Diane English; Disney) If a guy’s
got tons of self esteem and doesn’t give a hoot if people
ridicule him for giving up his dream of becoming the next Ted Turner
in order to give his wife a career boost, that’s a thing of
beauty. Especially if his wife has her heart set on the White House.
Coming from Diane English, who created “Murphy Brown,”
this could turn out to be a cutting-edge romantic comedy. On the
other hand, didn’t Fred MacMurray and Polly Bergen already
cover this ground in 1964’s “Kisses for My President”?
Opening date to be announced
CHAOS:
Meryl Streep, Aishwarya Rai, Michael David
White (Directed by Coline Serreau) Brutally assaulted by a trio
of street punks, a blood-splattered prostitute pleads with a middle-aged
couple to take her into their car. The driver shuts his window and
drives on to a dinner party. The next day, the driver’s guilt-ridden
wife tracks down the victim and before long they are close--and
exceptionally scheming--friends. French film director Coline Serreau
is directing this English-language remake of her story of vengeance,
violence and bizarre bonding. Streep plays the older woman, and
Bollywood superstar Aishwarya Rai plays the hooker who changes her
life, not entirely for the better. Opening
date to be announced.
DARK MATTER:
Meryl Streep, Val Kilmer, Liu Ye (Directed
by Chen Shi-Zheng; Myriad Films) Based on a tragedy that took place
on the University of Iowa in 1991, this film centers on Liu Xing,
a brilliant Chinese physics student who fell victim to campus politics,
suffered an emotional breakdown, and went on a bloody rampage, killing
six people. Chen Shi-Zheng, famed for his work on the operatic stage,
is making his movie directorial debut here. Opening
date to be announced
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