FALL SNEAKS : Fall Sneaks

Opening Wednesday

American Beauty. Stage director Sam Mendes (“The Blue Room,” “Cabaret”) makes his feature film debut with this anatomy of a suburban nightmare. Stars Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening. (DreamWorks)

Friday

Black Cat, White Cat. A failed train heist triggers the drama in a story of love and betrayal among a group of Gypsies. The film won Emir Kusturica the best director award at the 1998 Venice Film Festival. (USA Films)

Blue Streak. Jewel thief Martin Lawrence’s loot is hidden beneath a new police station, so the ex-con poses as a detective in order to retrieve his stash. (Columbia)

Breakfast of Champions. Alan Rudolph adapts and directs Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s novel, with Bruce Willis, Albert Finney, Nick Nolte and Barbara Hershey. (Hollywood Pictures)

Get Bruce. That’s what the stars say when they need comedy super-writer Bruce Vilanch to get them a laugh. This profile features Billy Crystal, Elizabeth Taylor and Shirley MacLaine, among others. (Miramax)

Underground Orchestra. A documentary on the musicians who play on the sidewalks and in the Metro of Paris. (First Run Features)

Women (Elles). Carmen Maura and Miou-Miou head the cast of this French language drama about a group of longtime friends. (WinStar).

Sept 24

Caligula. The uncensored director’s cut of the 1979 dramatization of Roman decadence. (Independent Artists)

Double Jeopardy. Ashley Judd is out of prison and wants to discover who killed her husband and framed her for the crime. Obstacle: parole officer Tommy Lee Jones. (Paramount)

Dog Park. The rigors of the dating life afflict not just the participants, but also their pooches. (Independent Pictures)

Fever Pitch. A problematic romance is played out against the drama of a soccer league championship. (Phaedra)

Guinevere. Recounts the conflict-filled relationship between an inexperienced young woman (Sarah Polley) and an older man (Stephen Rea). (Miramax)

Jakob the Liar. Robin Williams lifts the spirits of his fellow Jews in Nazi-occupied Poland by relaying broadcasts about German defeats--never mind that he’s making them up. (Columbia)

Mumford. Psychologist Loren Dean sets up shop in a small town and embarks on a series of eventful encounters with the locals. Written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan. (Touchstone)

One Man’s Hero. The saga of the St. Patrick’s Battalion, a group of Irish soldiers who left the U.S. Army to assist the enemy during the Mexican War. (MGMCK)

On the Ropes. Nanette Burstein and Brett Morgen document the ring dreams of three aspiring fighters and their trainer at the Bed-Stuy Boxing Center in Brooklyn. (Winstar Cinema)

Out of Season. The lesbian romantic drama unfolds in a New Jersey beach resort. (Jour de Fete)

Simon Sez. Interpol agent Dennis Rodman encounters cyber-monks and a Swedish kick-boxing vixen, among other colorful characters, as he investigates a kidnapping. (Independent Artists)

Sunsplit. Killers, thieves and vigilantes in contemporary Los Angeles. (First Command)

September, TBA

The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human. MacKenzie Astin and Carmen Electra are the specimens under study in an extraterrestrial’s documentary on Earthlings’ reproduction. (Independent Artists)

Oct. 1

The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. The Red One’s film debut also features his “Sesame Street” cohorts as well as Mandy Patinkin and Vanessa Williams. (Columbia)

Defying Gravity. Gay-bashing and coming out are prominent themes in John Keitel’s look at frat-house romance. (Jour de Fete)

Divorce Iranian Style. Directors Kim Longinotto and Ziba Mir-Hosseini document the difficult process, focusing on three contentious cases. (DIST TK)

Drive Me Crazy. Mismatched teens Melissa Joan Hart and Adrian Grenier strike a reluctant partnership to attract the objects of their desire. (Fox)

Happy, Texas. On-the-lam Jeremy Northam and Steve Zahn duck the law by posing as beauty pageant producers. With William H. Macy, Illeana Douglas, Ally Walker. (Miramax)

Love Etc. Eccentric art restorer Charlotte Gainsbourg is the central figure in this quirky drama. (Phaedra)

Mystery, Alaska. In a publicity stunt gone awry, eccentric townsfolk field a hockey team to play the mighty New York Rangers. Austin Powers’ handler Jay Roach directs. (Hollywood)

Plunkett & Macleane. “Trainspotting’s” Robert Carlyle and Jonny Lee Miller team as two 18th century highwaymen. (USA Films)

Romance. Catherine Breillat was an actress in “Last Tango in Paris.” As writer-director of this drama, she sends her heroine on an another erotic journey. (Trimark)

Siegfried and Roy: The Magic Box. Anthony Hopkins narrates as the animal illusionists’ saga is recounted in a surreal, Imax 3-D environment. (Imax)

Splendor. Nihilist auteur Gregg Araki turns to postmodern screwball in the story of a woman and the two men she loves. (Samuel Goldwyn Films)

The Taxman. A tax investigator and a policeman seek personal redemption as they pursue a mystery deep into the Russian immigrant community of Brighton Beach. (Phaedra).

Three Kings. George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube play Gulf War soldiers on the scent of a cache of gold. (Warner Bros.)

Oct. 8

Bandits. The best-selling CD in German history is the soundtrack to this story of a female rock band on the run after escaping from prison. (Stratosphere Entertainment)

Bird by Bird With Annie. Oscar winner Freida Lee Mock (“Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision”) profiles feminist author Anne Lamott. (Ocean)

Floating. Norman Reedus portrays a young man coping alone with an embittered father whose life and family were shattered by an auto accident. (Phaedra)

The Grandfather. Jose Luis Garci’s Oscar-nominated foreign-language film is a drama of family secrets and betrayal set in turn-of-the-century Spain. (Miramax)

Grizzly Falls. Boy meets bear and bonds with same in this family adventure. (Providence Entertainment)

Knockout. The daughter of an East L.A. boxer resolves to fulfill his dream of winning a championship. (Independent Artists)

The Limey. Terence Stamp is an ex-con out to avenge his daughter’s death in Los Angeles. Director Steven Soderbergh’s follow-up to “Out of Sight” features Peter Fonda and Lesley Ann Warren. (Artisan Entertainment)

Molly. Elisabeth Shue plays an autistic woman whose life is changed by an experimental medical procedure. (MGM)

Not Love, Just Frenzy. Madrid is the torrid setting for the comedic escapades of a group of young friends. (Jour de Fete)

Oxygen. Policewoman Laura Tierney matches wits with kidnapper Adrien Brody to learn the location of the woman he’s buried alive. (Unapix Films)

Random Hearts. Internal affairs police investigator Harrison Ford and campaigning congresswoman Kristin Scott Thomas are united by a mysterious betrayal. Sydney Pollack directs. (Columbia)

The Sticky Fingers of Time. A postmodern romantic thriller incorporating pulp novels, film noir, time travel and lesbian chic. (Strand)

Superstar. “Saturday Night Live’s” never-been-kissed schoolgirl (Molly Shannon) comes to the big screen in a story of Hollywood dreams. Directed by Kid in the Hall Bruce McCulloch. (Paramount)

Whiteboys. Hip-hop wannabe Danny Hoch and his pals finally go to Chicago and taste the gangsta world they’ve dreamed about. (Fox Searchlight)

Oct. 15

Beyond the Clouds. Michelangelo Antonioni and Wim Wenders are the co-directors of these four vignettes on love and lust. Van Morrison and the Passengers (featuring U2 and Brian Eno) contribute original music. (Sceneries Entertainment)

Fight Club. David Fincher reunites with “Seven” star Brad Pitt in Jim Uhl’s adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s novel. With Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter. (Fox)

Julien Donkey-Boy. Controversial writer-director Harmony Korine uses experimental techniques to convey the mental state of schizophrenic protagonist Ewen Bremner (“Naked,” “Trainspotting”). Independent Pictures.

L’Ennui. Bored philosophy professor Charles Berling can’t understand his growing attachment to free spirit Sophie Guillemin. (Phaedra)

Man of the Century. Manhattan newspaper reporter Gibson Frazier’s desperation for a scoop turns his life upside down. (Fine Line)

The Omega Code. International intrigue swirls around some computer discs that can unlock the prophecies of the Bible. (Providence Entertainment))

The Source. Writer-director Chuck Workman’s documentary on the Beat Generation includes interviews with now-departed sources Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs. (Winstar Cinema)

The Story of Us. Rob Reiner directs a romantic comedy with Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer as a couple on the brink of breakup. (UniversalCK)

The Straight Story. Noir maestro David Lynch shifts gears with the fact-based story of a septuagenarian (Richard Farnsworth) who traverses the Midwest on a lawnmower to reconcile with his ailing brother. (Walt Disney)

That’s the Way I Like It. Saturday night fever, Singapore-style: A young Indonesian discovers a whole new world when he gives in to that disco beat. (Miramax)

Oct. 22

Anywhere but Here. The relationship between mother Susan Sarandon and daughter Natalie Portman evolves as the two try to make a new life on the fringes of Beverly Hills. Wayne Wang directs. (Fox)

Bats. Zoologist Dina Meyer and sheriff Lou Diamond Phillips try to figure out why the furry fliers are attacking the townsfolk. (Destination Films)

The Best Man. Novelist Taye Diggs’ new book contains plenty of juicy material about his circle of friends, and it’s about to spring a leak as they gather for a wedding. (Universal)

Bringing Out the Dead. Forty-eight hours with a New York paramedic (Nicolas Cage) whose work has him heading for a breakdown. Directed by Martin Scorsese. (Paramount)

Body Shots. Follows eight young men and women careening through the night life of Los Angeles. Co-written and directed by Pulitzer and Tony winner Michael Cristofer. (New Line)

Boys Don’t Cry. New kid in town Hilary Swank has everybody in Falls City, Neb., charmed, but he’s leading a double life with a potential for tragedy. (Fox Searchlight)

Crazy in Alabama. Antonio Banderas directs his wife Melanie Griffith in the story of an eccentric woman with dreams of stardom and an impressionable nephew (“Sling Blade’s” Lucas Black). (Columbia)

Creature. Director Parris Patton’s four-year chronicle of a man’s transformation into a woman. (7th Art)

Jerome. Assembly line refugee Drew Pillsbury and enigmatic drifter Wendie Malick seek freedom in the Arizona desert. (Phaedra)

Joe the King. The writing-directing debut of actor Frank Whaley is a drama about a boy (Noah Fleiss) struggling under the abuse of his alcoholic father (Val Kilmer). (Trimark)

Show Me Love. A social butterfly and a high school outcast become unlikely lovers in a small Swedish town. (USA Films)

To Speak the Unspeakable: The Message of Elie Wiesel. William Hurt narrates a documentary chronicling the Nobel-winning novelist’s adolescence and his brutal encounter with fascism. (Panorama)

Oct. 29

Beefcake. Pioneering muscle-man photographer Bob Mizer is the subject of Thom Fitzgerald’s blend of documentary and fiction. (Strand)

Being John Malkovich. In the feature debut of commercial and music video director Spike Jonze, puppeteer and filing clerk John Cusack discovers a passage into the mind of the title character. (USA Films)

Dreaming of Joseph Lees. Samantha Morton plays a woman whose obsession with the title character (Rupert Graves) spells trouble for all concerned. (Fox Searchlight)

House on Haunted Hill. Geoffrey Rush stars in a remake of the 1958 William Castle shocker, about a group of people spending a night in an abandoned medical institute. (Warner Bros.)

The Legend of 1900. Seafaring pianist Tim Roth is challenged to a keyboard duel by the legendary Jelly Roll Morton (Clarence Williams III). (Fine Line)

Music of the Heart. Meryl Streep stars in the inspirational story of East Harlem kids’ violin teacher Roberta Guaspari. Directed by Wes Craven. (Miramax)

Princess Mononoke. The hit Japanese animated adventure’s English-language version is voiced by Claire Danes, Billy Crudup, Minnie Driver, Gillian Anderson, Jada Pinkett Smith and Billy Bob Thornton. (Miramax)

Soft Toilet Seats. A home buyer learns that the house’s previous owner was murdered or killed herself there. The arrival of her best friend sets the mystery in motion. (Phaedra)

Speaking in Strings. A profile of irreverent and unorthodox violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg. (7th Art)

The Suburbans. Record exec Jennifer Love Hewitt engineers the comeback of an early ‘80s one-hit wonder. Ben and Jerry Stiller appear as her bosses in a father-son cameo. (Tristar Pictures)

Terror Firmer. A low-budget film crew is beset by a serial killer in the latest entry from over-the-top specialist Troma Films. (Troma)

Nov. 5

The Bone Collector. Paralyzed forensic expert Denzel Washington and street-smart cop Angelina Jolie are a symbiotic team on the trail of a serial killer. (Universal)

The Insider. Troubles befall a tobacco industry whistle-blower and a reporter-producer for “60 Minutes” when the big boys strike back. (Touchstone)

Last Night. Don McKellar, co-writer of “The Red Violin” and “Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould,” debuts as a director with his own story about the impending end of the world. (Lions Gate)

Light It Up. Singer Usher Raymond plays the lead in the story of a high school protest that escalates into a high-profile hostage standoff. (Fox)

Mansfield Park. Patricia Rozema directs her own adaptation of Jane Austen’s book about a poor girl (Frances O’Connor) who is sent to live with wealthy relatives. (Miramax)

The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc. Milla Jovovich plays the heroine for director Luc Besson. With Dustin Hoffman, John Malkovich and Faye Dunaway. (Columbia)

Portraits Chinois. Helena Bonham Carter heads the cast in director Martine Dugowson’s examination of nine friends and the deceptions that hold them together. (Phaedra)

Rosetta. The story of a teenage girl coping with poverty and neglect won the top prize at Cannes this year for writers-directors Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, and a share of the best actress award for Emilie Dequenne. (USA Films)

Train of Life. The inhabitants of an isolated shtetl in 1941 try to deceive the Nazis with a bogus deportation across Central Europe. (Paramount Classics)

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

FALL SNEAKS

KINSEY LOWE, Fall Sneaks Editor

RICHARD CROMELIN, KATHLEEN CRAUGHWELL, Capsules and Research