Life on the Serious Side

HIGH ANTICIPATION

About Schmidt. In this comedy-drama from the “Election” team of director Alexander Payne and co-writer Jim Taylor, Jack Nicholson is a retired widower who gains perspective driving a Winnebago across Nebraska. (New Line) (Fall)

Adaptation. “Being John Malkovich” scribe Charlie Kaufman reunites with director Spike Jonze for the story of an unraveling screenwriter played by Nicolas Cage entwined with novelist Meryl Streep and an orchid poacher (Chris Cooper), the subject of her book. (Columbia) (TBA)

Buffalo Soldiers. Joaquin Phoenix, Ed Harris and Scott Glenn star in a satire about Army base drug-dealing and other malfeasance. (Miramax) (July 17)

Catch Me if You Can. Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio team for the true-life tale of a master con artist and his determined pursuer. (DreamWorks) (November-December)

Chicago. Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger and Richard Gere head the cast in writer Bill Condon and director Rob Marshall’s adaptation of the musical. (Miramax) (Dec. 25)

Cinderella Man. Lasse Hallstrom directs Russell Crowe in the story of boxer Jim Braddock, whose Depression-era rise to fight for the heavyweight championship thrilled the nation. (Universal) (November-December)

The Count of Monte Cristo. Jim Caviezel is the vengeful noble in the latest telling of Dumas’ classic. Guy Pearce plays the backstabbing best friend. (Buena Vista) (Jan. 25)

8 Mile. Curtis Hanson directs Eminem in a story based on the rapper’s life. With Kim Basinger. (Universal) (Summer)

Four Feathers. Heath Ledger, Wes Bentley and Kate Hudson revisit the story of a British officer’s effort to redeem his honor during the 1898 Sudan conflict. Written by Michael Schiffer and Hossein Amini, directed by Shekhar Kapur (“Elizabeth”). (Paramount) (TBA)

Frida. Salma Hayek and Alfred Molina are art stars Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Director Julie Taymor’s cast includes Ashley Judd, Antonio Banderas and Edward Norton. (Miramax) (Fall)

Gangs of New York. Leonardo DiCaprio plots revenge on a gang leader amid the turbulence of 1860s New York. With Daniel Day-Lewis, Cameron Diaz. Directed by Martin Scorsese from a script by heavy-hitters Jay Cocks (“The Age of Innocence”), Steven Zaillian (“Schindler’s List”) and Kenneth Lonergan (“You Can Count on Me”). (Miramax) (July 12)

Goodbye Hello. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as a bereaved fiance torn between his almost in-laws (Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon) and another woman who unexpectedly enters his life. With Holly Hunter. Written and directed by Brad Silberling (“City of Angels”). (Touchstone) (Fall)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. A dark force threatens Hogwarts in the second film of the series. (Warner Bros.) (Thanksgiving)

Hart’s War. War hero Bruce Willis plots an escape from a German POW camp and the destruction of a nearby munitions plant. Written by Billy Ray and Terry George, based on a John Katzenbach novel. Directed by Gregory Hoblit. (MGM) (Feb. 15)

Heaven. Cate Blanchett as a British teacher tangling with drug dealers in Italy. Tom Tykwer directs the late Krzysztof Kieslowski’s final script. (Miramax) (March 15)

The Hours. Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman) casts a spell on two future readers of “Mrs. Dalloway,” Julianne Moore and Meryl Streep. David Hare’s script is based on Michael Cunningham’s Pulitzer-winning novel. Directed by Stephen Daldry (“Billy Elliot”). (Paramount) (Fourth quarter)

The Life of David Gale. Alan Parker directs Kevin Spacey as a death-penalty opponent who finds himself on death row. With Kate Winslet, Laura Linney. (Universal) (Fall)

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Part 2 of the trilogy continues Frodo’s quest. (New Line) (Dec. 18)

Possession. Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart are scholars who discover a bond between two Victorian poets. David Henry Hwang (“M. Butterfly”), Laura Jones (“The Portrait of a Lady”) and director Neil LaBute adapted A.S. Byatt’s Booker Prize-winning novel. (USA Films) (June 7)

The Road to Perdition. “American Beauty’s” Sam Mendes directs Tom Hanks as a Depression-era hit man who finds himself on the wrong end of his line of work. With Paul Newman, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh. (DreamWorks) (July 12)

Windtalkers. John Woo directs Nicolas Cage as a Marine assigned to protect an invaluable Navajo “code talker” (Adam Beach) during World War II. (MGM) (June 14)

CURIOSITY FACTOR

All or Nothing. Writer-director Mike Leigh follows a working-class London family through an eventful weekend. (United Artists) (Fall)

Brown Sugar. Rappers Mos Def, Queen Latifah and Method Man appear in this story of a music critic and a record executive who bonded at the onset of hip-hop. Directed by Rick Famuyiwa. (Fox Searchlight) (Summer)

City by the Sea. Detective Robert De Niro confronts a troubled past when his estranged son becomes a murder suspect. With Frances McDormand, James Franco. Directed by Michael Caton-Jones. (Warner Bros.) (April 26)

City of Ghosts. Director and co-writer Matt Dillon also stars in the story of a con man plunged into Southeast Asian intrigue. (United Artists) (Fall)

Constantine. The “Hellblazer” comic book is the basis for the story of an occultist (Nicolas Cage) trying to help a policewoman solve her sister’s suicide. Directed by Tarsem. (Warner Bros.) (Christmas)

East of Harlem. Writer-director Jim Sheridan (“My Left Foot,” “In the Name of the Father”) offers a semiautobiographical account of an Irish family’s immigration to New York. (Fox Searchlight) (Christmas)

The Grey Zone. Writer-director Tim Blake Nelson’s cast includes David Arquette, Mira Sorvino, Harvey Keitel and Steve Buscemi in the story of a planned uprising at Auschwitz. (Lions Gate) (September)

Invincible. The Nazis are none too thrilled when a Polish Jew declares himself the strongest man in the world. With Tim Roth. Werner Herzog’s film is based on a true story. (Fine Line) (March 29)

John Q. One man’s solution to the HMO mess. Denzel Washington takes an emergency room hostage to get a life-saving transplant for his son. Directed by Nick Cassavetes. (New Line) (Feb. 15)

Kissing Jessica Stein. About to give up on dating, Jessica (Jennifer Westfeldt) crosses over to the “women seeking women” column. (Fox Searchlight) (March 13)

Nijinsky: The Diaries of Vaslav Nijinsky. Writer-director Paul Cox turns from Van Gogh (“Vincent”) to the dance titan, depicting him through his words and choreography. (Wellspring Media) (May 29)

Prozac Nation. Harvard freshman Christina Ricci battles depression in this adaptation of Elizabeth Wurtzel’s nonfiction bestseller. Jessica Lange plays her mom. (Miramax) (May 10)

The Quiet American. Michael Caine and Brendan Fraser in Graham Greene’s mystery, set in 1952 Indochina. Directed by Phillip Noyce. (Miramax) (Fall)

Rabbit-Proof Fence. Three Australian aborigine girls make a daring escape from forced servitude. Directed by Phillip Noyce. (Miramax) (June 21)

Sin Eater. Heath Ledger stars in writer-director Brian Helgeland’s story of a priest helping investigate a murder that may involve an ancient Christian order. (Fox) (TBA)

Stolen Summer. The winner of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s “Project Greenlight” screenwriting contest is writer-director Pete Jones’ story of two Chicago youngsters with an unusual quest. (Miramax) (March 1)

Sunshine State. Edie Falco and Angela Bassett play Floridians struggling for independence in John Sayles’ multigenerational comedy drama. (Sony Pictures Classics) (June 21)

24 Hour Party People. TV reporter (Steve Coogan) discovers punk rock and helps create Manchester’s music scene. Directed by Michael Winterbottom. (United Artists) (June 28)

Untitled Antwone Fisher Project. Denzel Washington makes his directing debut and stars as a psychiatrist treating a troubled sailor. (Fox Searchlight) (Thanksgiving)

A Walk to Remember. Jaded high schooler Shane West falls for Mandy Moore in a coming-of-age story set in North Carolina. With Peter Coyote and Daryl Hannah. Written by Karen Janszen, based on Nicholas Sparks’ book, directed by Adam Shankman. (Warner Bros.) (Jan. 25)

We Were Soldiers. Mel Gibson and Madeleine Stowe top a drama about the first major battle between U.S. and North Vietnamese forces. Written and directed by Randall Wallace. (Paramount) (March 1)

THE FAMILIAR ZONE

Assassination Tango. Robert Duvall wrote, directs and stars in the tale of a hit man who gets distracted while on assignment in Argentina. (United Artists) (Fall)

Dragonfly. Kevin Costner stars as a man convinced his dead wife is trying to communicate with him. Directed by Tom Shadyac. (Universal) (Feb. 22)

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial 20th Anniversary Edition. Includes previously unseen footage and computer-generated enhancements. (Universal) (March 22)

K-19: The Widowmaker. Harrison Ford plays a Soviet nuclear submarine captain facing a momentous decision. Produced and directed by Kathryn Bigelow. (Paramount) (Summer)

Knockaround Guys. Four sons of Brooklyn mobsters try to retrieve some loot from a small Montana town. John Malkovich, Dennis Hopper, Vin Diesel, Barry Pepper and Seth Green star. (New Line) (TBA)

Life or Something Like It. TV reporter Angelina Jolie’s self-satisfaction is shattered when a street-dweller’s prophecies start coming true. Directed by Stephen Herek. (Fox) (TBA)

Lovely & Amazing. Oscar nominees Brenda Blethyn and Catherine Keener are mother and daughter in writer-director Nicole Holofcener’s (“Walking and Talking”) portrait of a semi-functional family. (Lions Gate) (June)

One Hour Photo. Lonely film processor Robin Williams inserts himself into the life of a family whose photos he develops. (Fox Searchlight) (Third quarter)

Red Dragon. Anthony Hopkins takes on Hannibal Lecter again in a prequel to “Silence of the Lambs” that also stars Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes and Emily Watson. Directed by Brett Ratner. Previously filmed as “Manhunter” by Michael Mann in 1986. (Universal) (November-December)

White Oleander. Alison Lohman plays a teenager passing through a series of foster homes. With Robin Wright Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Renee Zellweger. Based on Janet Fitch’s novel. (Warner Bros.) (October)

FUN TO CONTEMPLATE

The Cat’s Meow. Peter Bogdanovich’s first theatrical feature as a director since 1993’s “The Thing Called Love” takes place on William Randolph Hearst’s yacht. (Lions Gate) (April 5)

Chelsea Walls. Poets, musicians and others, including Uma Thurman, Kris Kristofferson, Tuesday Weld and Vincent D’Onofrio, form a community in New York’s Chelsea Hotel. Ethan Hawke directs. (Lions Gate) (April 12)

Crossroads. Britney Spears and two chums embark on an eventful road trip in mysterious Anson Mount’s ’73 Buick. (Paramount) (Feb. 15)

Deuces Wild. A Brooklyn gang navigates the winds of change blowing through its world in 1958. The cast includes Stephen Dorff, Fairuza Balk, Balthazar Getty and Deborah Harry. (United Artists) (April 26)

Enigma. Dougray Scott desperately tries to break a German code while unraveling the mystery of the woman he’s fallen for. With Kate Winslet, Jeremy Northam, Saffron Burrows. (Manhattan Pictures) (April 19)

Far From Heaven. Writer-director Todd Haynes and star Julianne Moore follow their 1995 collaboration “Safe” with a story about conflicts lurking beneath the smooth surfaces of 1950s suburbia. (USA Films) (Fall)

Human Nature. Charlie Kaufman (“Being John Malkovich”) wrote this tale about scientists Tim Robbins and Patricia Arquette, who civilize wild man Rhys Ifans. (Fine Line) (April 12)

Ripley’s Game. John Malkovich takes a turn at Patricia Highsmith’s consummate cad, plotting revenge for a social slight. (Fine Line) (October)

The Rules of Attraction. The title rules are demonstrated--and broken--by hedonistic students at a New England college. Written and directed by Roger Avary from Bret Easton Ellis’ novel. (Lions Gate) (May)

The Sleeping Dictionary. A British officer falls for a woman from the Malaysian tribe he’s come to civilize. With Jessica Alba, Brenda Blethyn, Hugh Dancy, Bob Hoskins. Written, directed by Guy Jenkin. (Fine Line) (June 7)

Triumph of Love. Mira Sorvino stars in an adaptation of Marivaux’s 1732 play about a princess’ quest to restore her country’s throne to its princely heir. Directed by Clare Peploe. (Paramount Classics) (April 12)

Undisputed. Imprisoned title-holder Ving Rhames and prison champ Wesley Snipes are matched in a bout behind bars. Directed by Walter Hill. (Miramax) (March 8)

Also: CQ--Roman Coppola writes and directs a drama about the troubled filming of a sci-fi movie in 1969 Paris ... Crush--Bond of tight-knit friends Andie MacDowell, Imelda Staunton and Anna Chancellor frays when one falls for an unsuitable lover ... The Emperor’s New Clothes--A plan to replace the exiled Napoleon (Ian Holm) with a double and return him to power goes awry ... Festival in Cannes--Henry Jaglom brings his distinctive touch to three love stories set during the Riviera film festival ... Frailty--Co-star Bill Paxton makes his directing debut in a mystery about a Texas serial killer ... Gods and Generals--The “Gettysburg” prequel features Robert Duvall, Stephen Lang, Jeff Daniels, Mira Sorvino ... Harrison’s Flowers--Andie MacDowell plunges into the horrors of war in search of her photojournalist husband ... Like Mike--Rapper Lil’ Bow Wow stars as a wannabe basketball star who stumbles upon magical shoes ... Lone Star State of Mind--Young lovers’ escape from a small town is complicated when a cousin gets into trouble ... The Palace Thief--A battle of wills between prep-school classics teacher (Kevin Kline) and senator’s son ... The Rookie--High school baseball team and coach Dennis Quaid spur each other on to unlikely triumphs ... A Rumor of Angels--A 12-year-old boy bonds with local crazy woman Vanessa Redgrave ... 13 Conversations About One Thing--Five interconnected Manhattan stories ... Tuck Everlasting--Jay Russell (“My Dog Skip”) directs the adaptation of Natalie Babbitt’s book about a young girl taken in by an unusual family ... World Traveler--Billy Crudup hits the road in the family car--minus his family... The Young Black Stallion--Giant-screen prequel to 1979 movie.

Plus: “The Believer” ... “Big Bad Love” ... “Borstal Boy” ... “Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys” ... “Hotel Room” ... “Love and a Bullet” ... “Manic” ... “Me Without You” ... “Mystic Masseur” ... “Never Again” ... “Rain” ... “Safety of Objects” ... “The Singing Forest” ... “Skins” ... “Some Body.”

DOCUMENTARIES

Dogtown and Z-Boys. Skateboarding documentary narrated by Sean Penn. (Sony Classics) (April 26)

The Kid Stays in the Picture. Archival and new footage, visual effects, clips from his productions and other elements form a portrait of Hollywood’s tarnished golden boy Robert Evans. (USA Films) (April 19)

Naqoyqatsi. Director Godfrey Reggio and composer Philip Glass wrap up the “Qatsi” trilogy with a look at history’s shift from nature to technology. (Miramax) (October)

1 Giant Leap. Collaborative multimedia project fuses music, words, rhymes and images from around the world. (Palm Pictures) (Spring)

Promises. Theatrical release of documentary that aired on PBS, featuring interviews with children on both sides of the Arab-Israeli conflict. (Cowboy Pictures) (TBA)

Queen Latifah Presents Mama Africa. The actress and rapper presides over three films directed by African women. (Wellspring Media) (April 26)

Scratch. Director Doug Ray (“Hype!”) looks at the world of hip-hop DJs, including the turntablist movement. (Palm Pictures) (March 1)

Trembling Before G-d. The stories of gay Hasidic and orthodox Jews are told by filmmaker Sandi Simcha DuBowski. Best documentary at 2001 Berlin Film Festival. (New Yorker) (Feb. 20)

Ultimate X. ESPN’s 2001 X Games in Philadelphia, blown up to Imax size. (Touchstone) (May 10)