DATE=4/11/2002

TYPE=ENGLISH FEATURE

NUMBER=7-36162

TITLE=HOLLYWOOD HIGHLIGHTS 2002-15b (Frailty)

BYLINE=ALAN SILVERMAN

TELEPHONE=619-1024 (editor)

DATELINE=HOLLYWOOD

EDITOR=vicki swaney

CONTENT=

( INSERTS AVAILABLE FROM AUDIO SERVICES; VOICED VERSION 4:56vo, 9:25mo )

Intro: Actor Bill Paxton, whose film roles have ranged from the treasure hunter of "TITANIC" to a storm-chaser in "TWISTER," makes his feature film-directing debut with a murder-mystery that has spiritual overtones. Alan Silverman has a look at "FRAILTY:"

CUT ONE "FRAILTY" CLIP

"ARE YOU AFRAID? ONLY DEMONS SHOULD FEAR ME. YOU'RE N-O-T A DEMON, ARE YOU?"

TEXT: "FRAILTY" begins with the arrival of a soft-spoken young man at the office of an F-B-I agent who is investigating a serial killer who claims to be acting on orders from heaven:

CUT TWO "FRAILTY" CLIP

"I KNOW WHO THE 'GOD'S HAND' KILLER IS."

"ALL RIGHT, I'LL BITE. WHO?"

"YOU HAVEN'T EVEN HEARD ME OUT YET AND ALREADY YOU DOUBT ME. WHY IS THAT?"

"BECAUSE IN A CASE LIKE THIS, NOBODY JUST WALKS INTO YOUR OFFICE AND TELLS YOU WHO THE KILLER IS. IT JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN THAT WAY."

"SOMETIMES TRUTH DEFIES REASON."

TEXT: Matthew McConnaughey stars as the narrator of the grisly tale:

/// OPT /// CUT THREE MCCONAUGHEY

IN THIS STORY, GOD'S HANDS ARE HUMANS HERE ON EARTH WHO BELIEVE THAT THEIR JOB, THEIR MISSION, HERE ON EARTH IS TO RID THE EARTH OF DEMONS AND THEY BELIEVE THAT DEMONS INHABIT THE EARTH IN THE FORM OF THE HUMAN BODY. THEY'RE N-O-T RED DEVILS RUNNING AROUND WITH HORNS STICKING OUT OF THEIR HEADS. THEN IT WOULD BE SIMPLE TO GET RID OF THEM. /// END OPT ///

TEXT: "FRAILTY" flashes back to McConnaughey's character as a child and the night he and his brother were awakened by their father who told of an amazing revelation:

CUT FOUR "FRAILTY" CLIP

"THERE ARE DEMONS AMONG US. THE DEVIL HAS RELEASED THEM FOR THE FINAL BATTLE. IT'S BEING FOUGHT RIGHT NOW, BUT NOBODY KNOWS IT EXCEPT US AND OTHERS LIKE US."

"I'M SCARED, DAD."

"THERE IS NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF, TIGER. WE'VE BEEN CHOSEN BY GOD. HE WILL PROTECT US. HE'S GIVEN US SPECIAL JOBS TO DO. WE DON'T FEAR THESE DEMONS. WE DESTROY THEM. WE PICK THEM UP ONE BY ONE AND WE PITCH THEM OUT OF THIS WORLD. THAT'S GOD'S PURPOSE FOR US."

/// OPT /// CUT FIVE PAXTON

IT SHAKES PEOPLE UP A LITTLE BIT. IT'S AN INTENSE FILM, HAVING THE CHILDREN WITNESS WHATEVER THEY'RE WITNESSING, WHETHER IT'S A DIVINELY INSPIRED DAD OR A GUY WHO IS DISINTEGRATING INTO MADNESS. /// END OPT ///

TEXT: Bill Paxton directs "FRAILTY" and stars as the dad who commits murder in the name of God:

CUT SIX PAXTON

THIS MOVIE IS N-O-T THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO US. IT'S A 'WHAT IF?' MOVIE; AND THE WORLD OF "FRAILTY" IS RULED BY AN OLD TESTAMENT TYPE OF DEITY . . . WHO IS A GOD OF VENGEANCE AND WANTS HIS ATONEMENT. HE WANTS THE EVILDOERS TO BE PUNISHED. IS THAT MY PERSONAL BELIEF? I DON'T THINK SO. I'M N-O-T PRO VIGILANTISM OR CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. TO ME THE MOVIE HAS ALWAYS BEEN FAMILIAL TRAGEDY BECAUSE YOU MEET THIS LOVING FATHER WITH HIS TWO GREAT KIDS AND WHETHER THEY SAW THIS THING OR N-O-T, WHETHER IT WAS TRUE OR N-O-T (IN OUR MOVIE WE SAY IT IS), IT JUST CAUSES MADNESS AND CHAOS AND DEATH AND DESTRUCTION. THOSE OLD TESTAMENT GODS ARE N-O-T TO BE MESSED WITH.

/// OPT /// CUT SEVEN "FRAILTY" CLIP

"LISTEN TO ME, ADAM. DAD KILLS PEOPLE."

"NO HE DOESN'T. HE'S A DEMON SLAYER."

"THAT'S ALL LIES, ADAM."

"NO IT'S N-O-T. I SEE IT WHEN HE TOUCHES THEM."

"NO YOU DON'T. DAD HAS BRAINWASHED YOU. IT'S ALL A BIG LIE. HE'S A MURDERER AND YOU HELP HIM."

"NO! WE'RE JUST SERVING GOD'S WILL. I'M TELLING DAD ON YOU." /// END OPT ///

TEXT: Paxton says he spent several years developing the script with writer (and fellow Texan) Brent Hanley and "FRAILTY" was completed long before the September eleventh attacks; but Paxton acknowledges that world events since then have given the film an unexpected resonance:

CUT EIGHT PAXTON

I DIDN'T MAKE THIS MOVIE WITH A POLITICAL AGENDA AT ALL. WHAT GRABBED ME ABOUT THE FILM AND WHAT THE MOVIE DERIVES ITS HORROR FROM IS THE IMPOTENCE OF CHILDREN IN A WORLD KIND OF GONE CRAZY. IT'S A SCARY, SCARY TIME. THE MOVIE WAS MADE BEFORE ALL THE EVENTS OF LAST YEAR, BUT WEIRDLY ENOUGH IT IS ABOUT MAN'S INSANITY: THE FOLLY OF MAN'S EGO WHEN HE DECIDES HE'S GOING TO ORDAIN HIMSELF AS GOD'S EXECUTIONER. IT'S FRIGHTENING.

CUT NINE "FRAILTY" CLIP

"THE ANGEL CALLED US 'GOD'S HANDS.'"

"SO WE'RE LIKE SUPER-HEROES?"

"THAT'S RIGHT. WE'RE A FAMILY OF SUPER-HEROES AND WE'RE GOING TO HELP SAVE THE WORLD."

"DAD, THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE."

"I KNOW IT SOUNDS THAT WAY, SON, BUT IT'S THE TRUTH."

TEXT: "FRAILTY" introduces young Matt O'Leary as the son who doubts his father's divine guidance. Veteran character actor Powers Boothe plays the skeptical F-B-I agent. (signed)

MUSIC from the "FRAILTY" score by Brian Tyler