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American Morning

Entertainment Editor Sam Rubin Looks at Weekend Movies

Aired July 01, 2002 - 09:21   ET

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

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADAM SANDLER, ACTOR: Was that awesome?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Every guy in this room just winced at the same time. Gee, that's hard to look at as a guy.

Adam Sandler may be playing it safe with a familiar movie role, but "Mr. Deeds" is getting it done, folks. The film opened this weekend and emerged number one at the box office, making more than $37 million. Not too bad. It was followed by "Lilo & Stitch," "Minority Report," "Scooby Doo," and "The Bourne Identity."

Now, let's talk about Sandler's done deeds, and two other leading men, as well in the news.

From Los Angeles, joining us now is KTLA entertainment editor Sam Rubin.

Good to see you, Sam, how are you?

SAM RUBIN, KTLA ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR: How are you?

HARRIS: I'm all right, and a bit surprised that this opening by "Mr. Deeds" here. That's not too bad. It's surprising to me, I mean, it came out and knocked Tom Cruise all the way to number three.

RUBIN: Well, Roger Ebert said the movie was a desecration. The reviews for the Adam Sandler film were terrible. They generally are for Sandler's movies. For the box office was good. Studio was hoping for around for $30 million -- it was in the high $30s, and the studio executives this morning are saying this a great business to be in: the Adam Sandler business.

We won't hear about this movie come awards time at all, but, I guess, Adam Sandler probably doesn't care. Giving the audience, particularly young teens, what they want. I mean, it's decidedly lowbrow stuff. But, obviously, draws people to the box office.

Tom Cruise shouldn't be disappointed, though. "Minority Report" is on track to make $100 million, and that's -- you know what -- not bad business either. And the two, Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg, teaming up together, still fairly well, though dropping from number one from last week to number three, as you mentioned.

HARRIS: You know, you're putting it mildly when you talked about the reviews of "Mr. Deeds." I've got one line here. This is, I think, from the "Times," here: "The direction of Steven Brill is devoid of grace, style, rhythm, and consistent tone." Yes, and it still made $37 million. Is it going to be a big one for the summer, you think, or what?

RUBIN: I, actually, don't think it will hold up over the long term. And you know, one thing that's very interesting is the week that really tells the tale, Leon, is always that second weekend, and in that way, this is a better weekend, very likely, for Tom Cruise than for Adam Sandler, because "Minority Report" more or less holding up. When we talk next week, I think you'll see a big dive in the Adam Sandler movie. I don't think people are going to tell their friends to rush out and see it.

HARRIS: Now, that may be, though, because, you know, "Men in Black 2" is coming out, and that's -- that one has got pretty much everybody saying this is going to be an instant winner.

RUBIN: Well, this is Will Smith very much playing to form. I think he was a little bit disappointed, not in his performance in "Ali," but in the box office reception for "Ali." Everyone thinks that "MIB 2" is going to be enormously big. Of course, the original is, you know, from several years ago. But this is where an actor similar to Adam Sandler, very much playing the type, giving the audience what they want. Is it the best that Will Smith can do? Probably not. But at the same time, it's always helpful to have another big hit under your belt.

HARRIS: Yes, you know, the original came out, as well, on July 4 weekend, did it not? I think I read somewhere it did, and it came up with $84 million on that four-day weekend. Do you expect that same performance with this one?

RUBIN: Well, you know what, Will Submit often prided himself as being the king of the July Fourth weekend. Of course, "Independence Day" had this enormous opening on the holiday weekend. He sort of felt he owned the holiday weekend. The "Wild West" was the disappointment. Eighty-four million dollars is a huge number. I don't think it'll get that high on the opening, but I will -- certainly will do well, you know, a big -- over $50 million for sure.

HARRIS: All right. Last one. We got to get to this one. I heard this this morning, that you, actually, got a chance to sit down and talk to Tom Hanks.

RUBIN: I did talk to Tom Hanks, in Chicago, last week. The new movie, "Road to Perdition," and this is very, very interesting. His movie will open in mid-July. This is a serious drama. Tom and I here talking about can a movie, from the director of "American Beauty," that isn't a big popcorn movie, that is a gangster film with serious overtones, some real acting involved, real story involved -- can a movie like this make any money? And Tom Hanks says he sure hopes that it does, because if it doesn't, then you know what? It's "Men in Black III," "Spider-Man II," "Scooby Doo 8," that kind of thing. That adult audiences will show up for kind of, quote, unquote, Oscar movies, even in the summer, not just the fall and the end of the year.

HARRIS: But, you know what, ...

RUBIN: ... I hope that's the case. It's a very good movie.

HARRIS: Yes, you know what I think it has working for it, though? There's a curiosity factor. Nobody's really seen Tom Hanks be a bad guy. You know, in this particular case, he's really stretching himself.

RUBIN: That's a very, very good point, Leon. The thing that Tom Hanks does -- and I think we've seen this in "Saving Private Ryan," I think we've seen this in "Castaway" -- he is able to lead audiences places that we haven't gone with him before. So Tom Hanks is as good a bet as any. We'll see how it does.

HARRIS: All right. Good deal. Thanks, Sam. Sam Rubin, KTLA.

RUBIN: You bet.

HARRIS: Take care, buddy. See you in a bit.

RUBIN: Thank you.

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