MADELEINE BRAND, host:
OK, from the little screen to the big one, here to tell you about what the nation's critics are saying about the new movie releases is Mark Jordan Legan with Slate's Summary Judgment.
MARK JORDAN LEGAN: The Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Doubt" has been adapted for the big screen, and Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, and Philip Seymour Hoffman star in this intense drama set at a Bronx Catholic school in 1964. A new charismatic priest is suspected of a horrible crime by the strict no-nonsense sister who runs the place with an iron hand.
(Soundbite of movie "Doubt")
Unidentified Woman: What would be the point of a secular assault?
Unidentified Man: That's fun.
Unidentified Woman: Frosty the Snow Man.
Unidentified Man: That's a good one. We could have one of the boys dress up as a snowman, dance around.
Unidentified Woman: Which boy?
LEGAN: Many of the critics are certain in their praise of "Doubt." Real Views raves, "an engrossing intellectually and emotionally exhausting experience." The Wall Street Journal calls it, "fascinating," and the Chicago Sun Times cheers, "'Doubt' has exact and merciless writing, powerful performances and timeless relevance." Opening in limited release is the romantic drama, "The Reader." Based on the best- selling novel, the story is set in post World War II Germany, where a teenage boy meets an older woman who loves to be read to, and they embark on a secret and passionate affair.
(Soundbite of "The Reader")
Mr. DAVID KROSS (As young Michael Berg): (Speaking in German).
Ms. KATE WINSLET (Actress): (As Hanna Schmitz) It's beautiful.
Mr. KROSS: (As young Michael Berg) How can you tell? How do you know when you've no idea what it means?
Ms. WINSLET: (As Hanna Schmitz) What are you studying in German?
Mr. KROSS: (As young Michael Berg) I'm studying a play. You can read it.
Ms. WINSLET: (As Hanna Schmitz) I'd rather listen to you.
MARK JORDAN LEGAN: The movie is getting more good than bad reviews, but everyone praises Kate Winslet's lead performance. USA Today says, "though the effort is uneven, it's a well-acted romance." And Rolling Stone applauds, "Winslet's fierce portrayal goes beyond acting, becoming a provocation that will keep you up nights." Hopefully, the next movie will also keep you up and not put you to sleep. It's the remake of the classic Robert Wise 1951 sci-fi film, "The Day The Earth Stood Still." Government agents and scientists race to unravel the mystery behind the appearance on Earth of an alien named Klaatu. Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly star.
(Soundbite from the movie "The Day The Earth Stood Still")
Unidentified Man: This is the most important discovery in the history of mankind. The DNA samples we've taken seem human.
(Soundbite of beeping machine)
Ms. JENNIFER CONNELLY (Actress): (As Helen Benson) What were you before you were human?
LEGAN: It's one of those awkward first date questions I always got. Well, the critics aren't too impressed with Klaatu's visit, even though the Seattle Post-Intelligencer smiles, "It's a decent enough stab at being what the old movie was." Variety dismisses it as, "A botched remake," and the Austin Chronicle sighs, "A dull, unnecessary film." You see, there are many people who really love and admire the original and with most of today's remakes, they tend to change the story and feel the need to hurry things along so as not to bore the audiences of today. In fact, the studio felt the title itself, "The Day the Earth Stood Still," was too passive. So they were toying with changing the title to things like "The Day the Earth Protected a Mute Orphan Who Witnessed a Mob Hit" to "The Day the Earth Saved the Earth." No, none of these? OK, how about "The Day Became a Rogue Cop and Hunted Down Osvaldo, the Drug Kingpin, the S.O.B. Who Killed His Partner?" All right, I guess, we'll go with "Stood Still."
BRAND: Mark Jordan Legan is a writer living in Los Angeles.
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