DATE=9/8/2003

TYPE=ENGLISH PROGRAMS FEATURE

NUMBER=7-37830

TITLE=HOLLYWOOD HIGHLIGHTS 2003-36a (Top 5 Films)

BYLINE=ALAN SILVERMAN

TELEPHONE=

DATELINE=HOLLYWOOD

EDITOR=ROB SIVAK 202-619-2023

CONTENT=

(INSERTS AVAILABLE FROM AUDIO SERVICES; VOICED VERSION 4:16vo)

Intro: With youngsters back in school and professional football back on television, North American movie audiences dwindled dramatically this week. A new comedy starring David Spade opened to only mediocre business, but it was enough to put it on top of the box office chart. Alan Silverman lists to the top five films at North American theaters starting with a police action-drama at number five:

AUDIO CUT ONE "S.W.A.T." CLIP

"All right, let's get something straight: 'S.W.A.T.' is the most honored and most professional police division in the world. We get the call to match up with the worst of the worst."

TEXT: Samuel L. Jackson stars as a veteran police sergeant who transforms a ragtag collection of officers into an elite Special Weapons and Tactics or "S.W.A.T." team. "S.W.A.T." ends up in fifth place.

In the comedy "FREAKY FRIDAY," Jamie Lee Curtis stars as an overworked mom who learns some important lessons about her teenaged daughter's life when the two magically switch bodies:

/// OPT /// AUDIO CUT TWO CURTIS

I think movies are entertainment. This is a fun family comedy. It's a movie that you're supposed to be able to go to with your family. I don't think it's reaching for any big messages. There's a nice sort of 'walk a mile in my shoes' message at the core of the movie, but ultimately it's a family comedy entertainment and it's designed to be a movie that a father and mother and their teenager and even their eight year old can go to. There isn't objectionable stuff in it; you're n-o-t covering the eyes and ears of somebody You can leave there maybe having a conversation. I don't think it reaches for more than that. . /// END OPT ///

AUDIO CUT THREE "FREAKY FRIDAY" CLIP

"Are you kidding? Do you think you can be me?"

"Of course I can. Watch me. 'Oh, everyone is out to get me. You're ruining my life.'"

"Well, it's easy to be you. I'll just suck the fun out of everything."

"I do n-o-t suck the fun out of everything."

"Fun sucker."

TEXT: Lindsay Lohan co-stars as the daughter and "FREAKY FRIDAY" drops to number four:

AUDIO CUT FOUR "PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL." CLIP

"Do you think it's wise, boy, to cross swords with a pirate?" (swordfight sfx)

TEXT: Johnny Depp stars as Captain Jack, a scoundrel of a buccaneer in the action-comedy "PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL:"

/// OPT /// AUDIO CUT FIVE DEPP

Old Captain Jack came from many directions. The first thing that came to mind was the pirate of the 18th century seemed like the rock and roll star of today; and to me the greatest rock and roll star of all time, hands down, is Keith Richards. So I kind of incorporated the idea of Keith . . . n-o-t an imitation of Keith or anything, but just that wisdom that he carries, that sort of confidence that he has, that attack that he has. /// END OPT ///

TEXT: Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley and Geoffrey Rush co-star and "PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL," inspired by a ride at the Disneyland theme parks, moves up the chart to third place:

AUDIO CUT SIX "JEEPERS CREEPERS 2" CLIP

"It isn't dead."

"It looks dead to me." (sfx)

TEXT: A surreal winged creature with an unhealthy appetite menaces a school busload of teenagers (on a lonely country road, of course) in the horror sequel "JEEPERS CREEPERS TWO." Followup to the original "JEEPERS CREEPERS" that come out 2001, "JEEPERS CREEPERS TWO" opened in first place last week, but it's bumped from the top by the new comedy starring David Spade as Dickie Roberts, a fictional former child star on television, who, now grown up has n-o-t been able to get or keep an acting job for years:

AUDIO CUT SEVEN "DICKIE ROBERTS FORMER CHILD STAR" CLIP

"I will do any form of drastic cosmetic surgery to change my appearance to get a part in your movie."

"Dickie, you're a mess. You've completely missed out on the basic foundation of adulthood which is a childhood. For you to research this part you'd probably have to relive your entire childhood.'"

TEXT: /// OPT /// Star and co-writer Spade invited a number of real life former child stars to take cameo roles in the film, especially an ensemble song at the closing credits; but he says n-o-t all of them were pleased to be remembered in this way:

AUDIO CUT EIGHT SPADE

Overall they were happy and had a great time, but some were kind of bummed (and) some were kind of mad. There is obviously pride involved and ego and you're telling them to come into a movie where they're admitting it's n-o-t working. That's why a lot of them wouldn't do it.

TEXT: Also featuring Spade's former Saturday Night Live cohort Jon Lovitz, /// END OPT /// "DICKIE ROBERTS, FORMER CHILD STAR" debuts as the new most popular movie at North American theaters. (signed)

AS/RMS