Looking for a Return to Form

Can Julia Roberts hold her own against the Caped Crusader? The lithe actress with the megawatt smile stars as a lovesick schemer in TriStar Pictures’ “My Best Friend’s Wedding.” In a move that could either be a suicide plunge or a stroke of brilliant counter-programming, TriStar is opening the film on 2,000 screens Friday on the same day Warner Bros. rolls out “Batman & Robin.” No one expects “Wedding” to approach the box- office figures “Batman” will rack up, but if advance industry buzz is any signpost, Roberts’ romantic comedy might hold its own in a crowded action market. But it’s been two years since Roberts appeared in a hit--and even longer since her last blockbuster. TriStar is trying to persuade audiences that this movie recalls the Roberts who shot to stardom in 1990’s “Pretty Woman,” which grossed $178 million domestically. Roberts’ last three films--”Michael Collins” “Mary Reilly” and “Everyone Says I Love You”--performed dismally, each grossing $11 million or less. Her last modest hit was “Something to Talk About,” a 1995 comedy-drama that grossed $50 million. Her last blockbuster was the John Grisham thriller “The Pelican Brief” ($100 million) in 1993. “She’s had some bad scripts,” said John Krier of Exhibitor Relations, a company that tracks box office. “For the first time since ‘Pretty Woman,’ I think she has a role that fits her like a glove.”

Seeing Double on the Singles Chart

It’s rare these days to have two versions of a song vying for radio airplay and consumer loyalty at the same time. But that’s what is shaping up with competing versions of “How Do I Live” by country-pop stars Trisha Yearwood and LeAnn Rimes. The two recordings entered the country singles sales chart at No. 4 and No. 5 last week, respectively, but the big question is which version will catch on in the broader pop world--and that’s why industry observers will be watching the charts closely this week. Yearwood’s big advantage in the race is that her version is featured in the box-office hit, “Con Air.” Rimes, however, is red-hot these days, with two consecutive Top 5 pop albums. Rimes recorded the song for the movie, but her version was rejected, reportedly because the filmmakers thought the 14-year-old singer was too young for the romantic ballad. L.A.’s leading country music station, KZLA-FM (93.9), has already cast its vote for Yearwood because program director John Sebastian calls it the better rendition. “LeAnn Rimes is the hottest act in our business, so it’s very hard not to play her version,” Sebastian says, “but Trisha’s is superior . . . and, besides, it’s the one in the movie.”

Will There Be Enough Air to Go Around?

They’re used to being the center of attention and using the airwaves to dispense their opinions and ideas like fertilizer for the masses. But when they descend on Century City this week, several hundred radio personalities from around the country will be just another group of conventioneers--attending panel discussions, listening to luncheon and dinner speakers, playing golf and handing out awards at the ninth annual gathering of the National Assn. of Radio Talk-Show Hosts. And who else but the dean of local gab maestros to receive the organization’s award as Talk-Show Host of the Year? Michael Jackson of KABC-AM (790) will be honored at the end of the three-day affair Saturday for his “distinguished contributions to the broadcast community, his personal enlightenment of the public on international, national and local issues, and his professionalism.” David Brudnoy, a former history professor who’s been a noted Boston radio personality since 1976, will receive the association’s Freedom of Speech Award for his willingness to address controversial issues--including his own homosexuality and battle with AIDS.

Looking for an MG Rating (Middle Ground)

TV industry executives and children’s advocacy groups return to the negotiating table in Washington today to try to reach agreement on a revised ratings system. Major issues still to be resolved, sources say, are possible changes in the definition of TV-PG (parental guidance) programming and the children’s groups’ desire to add labels for sex, language and violence even to cartoons for kids. Broadcasters last week objected to a proposal from the children’s groups that would have rated the act of hugging as PG. Despite their differences, sources say the two sides are hoping to have something meaningful to report Tuesday to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. If the networks do not report “substantial progress,” McCain has said he will call for a committee vote Thursday on a bill that would force them to adopt content-based TV ratings or face losing their new digital-spectrum licenses. The Federal Communications Commission has scheduled a hearing on the TV ratings system Friday, but sources say it may be postponed if the negotiations are still in progress.