Return to Transcripts main page

AMERICAN MORNING

2003: Last Word on Movies

Aired December 23, 2003 - 07:52   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Bill Hemmer is off today. Perhaps, in fact, he is kicking back by taking in a movie. Before he left, though, he gathered a panel of film and entertainment critics to take a look back at the year in movies.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: For our look back at the big stories on the big screen from 2003, we're offering the last word on movies.

Thelma Adams of "US Weekly." Nice see you, Thelma.

THELMA ADAMS, "US WEEKLY": Nice to see you, Bill.

HEMMER: Owen Gleiberman of "Entertainment Weekly," and Christy LeMire from the Associated Press.

Good to have all three of you here.

Disney, a big year for them, Thelma. Why so big?

ADAMS: "Finding Nemo." Who thought at the beginning of the summer with all of the sequels that it was going to be "Finding Nemo," a little fish movie that would be the big blockbuster.

HEMMER: And a clown fish at that. What was so appealing about "Pirates of the Caribbean?"

ADAMS: You and I talked about this. I loved this movie.

OWEN GLEIBERMAN, CRITIC, "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY": Disney locked into a mega hit with "Pirates," because it is a good family movie. But I think that's all it was probably conceived to be. I agree with the praise for Johnny Depp in that movie. He's great in it.

HEMMER: Let's talk about what may have Oscar buzz right now -- "Lost in Translation" (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

CHRISTY LEMIRE, ENTERTAINMENT WRITER, ASSOCIATED PRESS: Yes, it's great.

ADAMS: My favorite movie of the year. Was that your favorite?

LEMIRE: "American Splendor" is my top film of the year, but I loved "Lost in Translation," because it's such a surprise. I think if you hang with it, yes, it's a little low key. They want you to feel you are jet lagged along with Bill Murray (UNINTELLIGIBLE). (BEGIN MOVIE CLIP, "LOST IN TRANSLATION")

BILL MURRAY, ACTOR: I'm trying to organize a prison break. We have to first get out of this bar and then the city and then the country. Are you in or are you out?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm in.

(END MOVIE CLIP)

HEMMER: I was trapped on a plane a few weeks ago, and I saw "Seabiscuit."

ADAMS: The perfect (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

HEMMER: I really, really enjoyed the storyline. What do you think the buzz will be for that?

ADAMS: You know, it had such huge buzz over the summer, "Seabiscuit."

HEMMER: And a beautiful picture, too, I thought.

ADAMS: But -- and it's a gorgeous picture, but I just don't feel that at the end of year we have now all of these moves -- "Lost in Translation," "Lord of the Rings," "Cold Mountain." We have all the kind of November-December movies that really have the momentum.

LEMIRE: "In America" also, I think, will do very well.

ADAMS: Right.

LEMIRE: It's heartwarming like "Seabiscuit" is.

ADAMS: I agree.

LEMIRE: Everyone is amazing in it.

(BEGIN MOVIE CLIP, "IN AMERICA")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are your purposes in visiting the United States?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're on holidays!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you, little girl?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, and my dad's at work.

(END MOVIE CLIP)

HEMMER: And what about the sleeper hit that some say is "Bend it like Beckham?"

GLEIBERMAN: I loved "Bend it Like Beckham." It's one of my favorite movies of the year. I thought it was truly -- to use a phrase that we should probably retire after this year -- a great girl power movie in that you felt it was really about the global spirit of Title IX. These girls have grown up, not just saying, hey, we have the right to play soccer like boys, but who have grown up basically believing that from birth. I thought this was the first movie that had that spirit.

ADAMS: The Christopher Guest movie, "A Mighty Wind," terrific. And you know what? I would like to see Christopher Guest get an Oscar. He is always good. What a director!

GLEIBERMAN: Who cares if Christopher Guest gets an Oscar or not? He's a national treasure.

HEMMER: What about the biggest flop? Does it begin with a "G"?

GLEIBERMAN: Yes, pronounced "Gigli."

ADAMS: It has to -- it has to be Gigli."

HEMMER: "Gigli?"

LEMIRE: Oh, poor Ben and J.Lo.

GLEIBERMAN: The critics piled onto it because they were so frustrated at having to wait through all of this gossip everyday about Ben and J.Lo.

ADAMS: I have to say this about "Gigli." Where is an agent when you need them to say no?

HEMMER: Just say stop?

ADAMS: You know, you read this script how?

HEMMER: It was the year of the sequel, wasn't it? "Matrix Reloaded," "Charlie's Angels 2," "Legally Blonde 2," "Tomb Raider 2."

LEMIRE: Well, both "Matrix" movies, the third especially, it was just awful.

GLEIBERMAN: "Matrix Reloaded" I thought the press dumped on it a little too much. It was a silly pretentious movie. I thought the special effects scenes were amazing. And I would see that movie again just to watch those action scenes like the one on the highway. But, look, whatever you think of the movie, even if you think "Matrix Reloaded" was terrible, they got away with it.

HEMMER: The most influential person in film this past year.

LEMIRE: Jack Valenti (ph), but go ahead. Go ahead.

ADAMS: Jack Valenti (ph).

HEMMER: All right, is it because he's leaving?

LEMIRE: No, because he's the whole Oscar screener, the actor where they couldn't send screeners out to the critics because the threat of piracy. That was reversed by the judge. But he was just the villain of Hollywood this year.

ADAMS: Hollywood big guy? Arnold Schwarzenegger! Come on! The guy went from Hollywood to government. I mean, that's the biggest power play.

HEMMER: And that is going to be the last word. Thelma, Owen, Christy. That does it, the last word on movies in 2003.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.