Supernatural romance conjures plenty of ‘Twilight’ comparisons (both good and bad) from critics. By Amy Wilkinson Alice Englert in “Beautiful Creatures” Photo: Warner Bros.
Southern goth-chic gets a swoony supernatural makeover in Beautiful Creatures , a teen franchise-starter that suggests what Twilight might have looked like with a reasonable budget, a competent script and halfway-decent special effects, but still saddled with next-best source material. Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl’s book, the first of four, reps a calculated synthesis of proven YA-lit elements and recent publishing success tactics, which makes for ingratiating storytelling on the page. Fortunately, writer-director Richard LaGravenese has jettisoned most of the novel and refashioned its core mythology and characters into a feverishly enjoyable guilty pleasure, unapologetic in its mass-market rebel ‘tude. Though Beautiful Creatures has what it takes to support a series — a “gifted” girl, a smitten guy and powerful evil forces determined to keep them apart — the film could face trouble winning over cynical young auds who view it as the latest shameless attempt to cash in on the fantasy craze, which of course it is. And yet, now that the Twilight and Harry Potter series have run their course, the timing seems right for a soapy romance in which a sensitive small-town hunk (Alden Ehrenreich) falls hard for the new girl in town, not really minding that she’s a witch — or “caster,” as they prefer to be called here. With a dark-haired, pale-skinned look more likely to inspire 1920s audiences than today’s supermodel-obsessed tastes, Alice Englert ( Ginger and Rosa ) brings a refreshingly relatable quality to the role of 15-year-old Lena Duchannes, who’s moved to dead-end Gatlin, S.C., after things got out of control at her last school. Lena wants to keep a low profile while counting down the days until her 16th birthday, when a family curse predicts she will be “claimed” as a dark witch, but Ethan recognizes her as the mysterious girl he’s been dreaming about for months, and insists on getting to know this melancholy stranger. The best young-adult offerings tap into deeper themes that resonate with teens, but this one trades mostly in dopey wish fulfillment, granting magical powers and a devoted admirer to girls who imagine themselves as outsiders. It’s about feeling different, having a secret and discovering that special soulmate in whom one can confide. With his heavy brow knit in an expression of deep concern, Ehrenreich looks the way a young Orson Welles might if cast on a CW series, with a plucky Southern accent in place of a sonorous radio voice. Though the film preserves the idea of Ethan as narrator, it ditches the novel’s off-puttingly snide tone, allowing the popular girls — led by self-righteous ex-g.f. Emily (Zoey Deutch) — to damn themselves, while saving the amusing putdowns for Gatlin. Nearly everything about the book has been streamlined for the screen, which may rankle fans (who are likely to miss the ethereal song that binds Ethan to Lena, at least), but it makes for a far cleaner plot. While Lena spices up a traditional teen courtship with doses of magic — as when she caps a date by conjuring snow out of thin air on a muggy December afternoon — her powerful dark relatives (a vampy cousin played by Emmy Rossum and shape-shifting undead mom Sarafine, played with lip-smacking relish by Emma Thompson ) arrive to demonstrate what happens when witches go bad. The film goes out of its way to forge memorable character introductions, which will serve the series well, should sequels follow (more confusing is a scene toward the end when Ethan, a sophomore in the book, is shown leaving for NYU). By granting LaGravenese the freedom to refashion the novel as he sees fit, Warner Bros. gives Beautiful Creatures an edge over other recent hit fantasy-series adaptations, which have often shown stiff, gospel-like fidelity to their source material. By contrast, this project comes across as downright blasphemous — and not only against the potboiler that inspired it; LaGravenese’s script takes on Bible-beaters, book-banners and all who invoke God to justify small-minded prejudice. In one particularly campy scene, Sarafine goes head-to-head with Lena’s guardian ( Jeremy Irons , the picture of drawling Old South gentility) in the local church, dabbing holy water behind her ears like perfume as she dismisses the superstitious townsfolk’s notions of religion. Considering how little it takes to get certain groups riled up about what their kids are reading, the film goes awfully far out of its way to align itself with blacklisted literature, offering up Viola Davis’ voodoo “seer” (and resident librarian) as its high priestess. Garcia and Stohl clearly saw To Kill a Mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye as models for the series, although Beautiful Creatures demonstrates few of their insights into human nature, hewing closer to Judy Blume and Twilight fan fiction. Likewise, while Ethan and Lena turn one another onto Vonnegut and Bukowski, throwing their names around for punk credibility, either writer would surely recoil to see himself quoted in this context. The film ultimately plays like so much teenage girl poetry, heavy on the angst, endearingly naive in its notions of love and yet brought vividly to life by a game cast, evocative locations (both indoors and out) and stunning anamorphic lensing. Louisiana works nicely for Civil War-obsessed Gatlin, suggesting a tween-friendly True Blood . RELATED: ‘Beautiful Creatures’ NYC Premiere: Twi-Hard With A Vengeance? Follow Movieline on Twitter.
The people spoke last night, as the list People’s Choice Award winners includes The Hunger Games cast, Supernatural , Sanda Bullock and more. But now it’s time for the people to speak again, this time when it comes to the fashion donned by two beautiful stars on the event’s red carpet. Are you a fa of Taylor Swift and her plunging neck-line? How about Heidi Klum and her one-piece? While Harry Styles questions his recent life decisions, vote between the stars now: Fashion Face-Off! Taylor Swift Click Here To Vote for Taylor Heidi Klum Click Here To Vote for Heidi Taylor Swift or Heidi Klum? Which of these beauties looked better at the People’s Choice Awards? View Poll »
The nominations for the 2013 People’s Choice Awards (Jan. 9) are in. After more than 93 million ballots were cast, and the nominees were announced Thursday, with the biggest of the big names leading the way. The Voice’s Adam Levine is up for six awards, while Justin Bieber earned five nods, including for favorite male artist and favorite pop artist. Sexiest Man Alive Channing Tatum leads men in acting nominations with four; Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrence (pictured) are up for three each. On the TV side, people really love their Glee and Vampire Diaries apparently. Follow the jump for the full list of 2013 People’s Choice Awards nominees: MOVIES Favorite Movie: “The Amazing Spider-Man” “The Avengers” “The Dark Knight Rises” “The Hunger Games” “Snow White and the Huntsman” Favorite Movie Actor: Channing Tatum Johnny Depp Joseph Gordon-Levitt Robert Downey, Jr. Will Smith Favorite Movie Actress: Anne Hathaway Emma Stone Jennifer Lawrence Mila Kunis Scarlett Johansson Favorite Movie Icon: Emma Thompson Maggie Smith Meryl Streep Michelle Pfeiffer Susan Sarandon Favorite Action Movie: “The Amazing Spider-Man” “The Avengers” “The Dark Knight Rises” “The Hunger Games” “Men in Black 3” Favorite Action Movie Star: Chris Evans Chris Hemsworth Christian Bale Robert Downey, Jr. Will Smith Favorite Face of Heroism: Anne Hathaway, “The Dark Knight Rises” Emma Stone, “The Amazing Spider-Man” Jennifer Lawrence, “The Hunger Games” Kristen Stewart, “Snow White and the Huntsman” Scarlett Johansson, “The Avengers” Favorite Comedic Movie: “21 Jump Street” “Dark Shadows” “Pitch Perfect” “Ted” “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” Favorite Comedic Actor: Adam Sandler Ben Stiller Channing Tatum Will Ferrell Zach Galifianakis Favorite Comedic Actress: Cameron Diaz Emily Blunt Jennifer Aniston Mila Kunis Reese Witherspoon Favorite Dramatic Movie: “Argo” “The Lucky One” “Magic Mike” “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” “The Vow” Favorite Dramatic Movie Actor: Bradley Cooper Channing Tatum Jake Gyllenhaal Liam Neeson Zac Efron Favorite Dramatic Movie Actress: Charlize Theron Emma Watson Keira Knightley Meryl Streep Rachel McAdams Favorite Movie Franchise: “The Avengers” “The Dark Knight” “The Hunger Games” “Madagascar” “Spider-Man” Favorite Movie Superhero: Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man Chris Evans as Captain America Chris Hemsworth as Thor Christian Bale as Batman Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man Favorite On-Screen Chemistry: Emma Stone / Andrew Garfield, “The Amazing Spider-Man” Jennifer Lawrence / Josh Hutcherson / Liam Hemsworth, “The Hunger Games” Kristen Stewart / Chris Hemsworth, “Snow White and the Huntsman” Rachel McAdams / Channing Tatum, “The Vow” Scarlett Johansson / Jeremy Renner, “The Avengers” Favorite Movie Fan Following: Potterheads, “Harry Potter” Ringers, “The Lord of the Rings” Rum Runners, “Pirates of the Caribbean” Tributes, ” The Hunger Games ” Twihards, “Twilight” TELEVISION Favorite Network TV Comedy: “The Big Bang Theory” “Glee” “How I Met Your Mother” “Modern Family” “New Girl” Favorite Network TV Drama: “Gossip Girl” “Grey’s Anatomy” “Grimm” “Once Upon a Time” ” Revenge ” Favorite Cable TV Comedy: “Awkward” “Hot in Cleveland” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” “Melissa & Joey” “Psych” Favorite Cable TV Drama: “Burn Notice” “Leverage” “Pretty Little Liars” “The Walking Dead” “White Collar” Favorite Premium Cable TV Show: “Dexter” “Game of Thrones” “Homeland” “Spartacus” “True Blood” Favorite TV Crime Drama: “Bones” “Castle” “Criminal Minds” “CSI” ” NCIS ” Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Show: “Doctor Who” “Once Upon a Time” “Supernatural” “The Vampire Diaries” “The Walking Dead” Favorite Comedic TV Actor: Chris Colfer Jesse Tyler Ferguson Jim Parsons Neil Patrick Harris Ty Burrell Favorite Comedic TV Actress: Jane Lynch Kaley Cuoco Lea Michele Sofia Vergara Zooey Deschanel Favorite Dramatic TV Actor: Ian Somerhalder Jared Padalecki Jensen Ackles Nathan Fillion Paul Wesley Favorite Dramatic TV Actress: Ellen Pompeo Emily Deschanel Ginnifer Goodwin Nina Dobrev Stana Katic Favorite Daytime TV Host: George Stephanopoulos, Josh Elliott, Lara Spencer, Robin Roberts, Sam Champion, “Good Morning America” Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan, “Live with Kelly & Michael” Ellen DeGeneres, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie, Matt Lauer, Natalie Morales, “The Today Show” Barbara Walters, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Joy Behar, Sherri Shepherd, Whoopi Goldberg, “The View” Favorite Late Night Talk Show Host: Chelsea Handler Conan O’Brien David Letterman Jimmy Fallon Jimmy Kimmel Favorite New Talk Show Host: Jeff Probst Katie Couric Michael Strahan Ricki Lake Steve Harvey Favorite Competition TV Show: “American Idol” “America’s Got Talent” “Dancing with the Stars” “The Voice” “The X Factor” Favorite Celebrity Judge: Adam Levine Britney Spears Christina Aguilera Demi Lovato Jennifer Lopez Favorite TV Fan Following: Gleeks, “Glee” Little Liars, “Pretty Little Liars” Oncers, “Once Upon A Time” SPNFamily, “Supernatural” TVDFamily, “The Vampire Diaries” Favorite New TV Comedy: “Ben & Kate” “Go On” “Guys with Kids” “The Mindy Project” “The Neighbors” “The New Normal” “Partners” Favorite New TV Drama: “666 Park Avenue” “Arrow” “Beauty & The Beast” “Chicago Fire” “Elementary” “Emily Owens, M.D.” “Last Resort” “The Mob Doctor” “Nashville” “Revolution” “Vegas” MUSIC Favorite Male Artist: Blake Shelton Chris Brown Jason Mraz Justin Bieber Usher Favorite Female Artist: Adele Carrie Underwood Katy Perry Pink Taylor Swift Favorite Pop Artist Adele Demi Lovato Justin Bieber Katy Perry Pink Favorite Hip Hop Artist: Drake Flo Rida Jay-Z Nicki Minaj Pitbull Favorite R&B Artist: Alicia Keys Beyonce Bruno Mars Rihanna Usher Favorite Band: Green Day Linkin Park Maroon 5 No Doubt Train Favorite Country Artist: Blake Shelton Carrie Underwood Jason Aldean Taylor Swift Tim McGraw Favorite Breakout Artist: Carly Rae Jepsen Fun. Gotye One Direction The Wanted Favorite Song: “Call Me Maybe,” Carly Rae Jepsen “One More Night,” Maroon 5 “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” Taylor Swift “We Are Young,” Fun. ft. Janelle Monae “What Makes You Beautiful,” One Direction Favorite Album: “Believe,” Justin Bieber “Blown Away,” Carrie Underwood “Overexposed,” Maroon 5 “Some Nights,” Fun. “Up All Night,” One Direction Favorite Music Video: “Boyfriend,” Justin Bieber “Call Me Maybe,” Carly Rae Jepsen ” Gangnam Style ,” Psy “Part of Me,” Katy Perry “Payphone,” Maroon 5 Favorite Music Fan Following: Beliebers, Justin Bieber Directioners, One Direction KatyCats, Katy Perry Lovatics, Demi Lovato Selenators, Selena Gomez
Can aliens be bigger drama queens than vampires? Next spring will tell. With the last installment of The Twilight Saga opening this weekend, Summit Entertainment has begun priming Twi-Hards for its next Stephenie Meyer project, The Host , which hits the big screen on March 29. The scenario laid out in the trailer bears some similarities to early Twilight , except the roles seem reversed. Melanie Ryder ( Saoirse Ronan ) and Jared Howe ( Max Irons ) comprise the Bella Swan-Edward Cullen core of the story, but in this case it’s Melanie who is altered — by an extraterrestrial, not supernatural force. (It’s unclear whether that means Jared plays a really passive dude in the picture.) Parasitic aliens are using humans as hosts to take over the planet — steely blue irises are the giveaway that a person has been infected — and Melanie, who, with Jared, is part of a rebel group fighting back against the invasion, eventually becomes one of them. Or does she? Meyer’s book is about how Mel, who remains partially conscious, fights back against the parasite controlling her body using her emotions and memories and eventually forms a bond with it that could help save the human race. (Cue dramatic score.) As you might expect from a Meyer novel, romantic complications, angst and action scenes ensue. Andrew Niccol , who directed the 1997 sci-fi gem Gattaca, helmed The Host , so my expectations are higher than usual, but I hope the movie isn’t as exposition heavy as this trailer. Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
Former New York Yankees pitching prospect Brien Taylor was sentenced to 38 months in prison today after pleading guilty to distributing crack cocaine. Taylor, 40, told U.S. District Court Judge Louise W. Flanagan during his sentencing that he was sorry for causing so much pain to his family and his five daughters. ”I made poor decisions,” he said. His mother, Betty Taylor, and sisters and friends were in the courtroom for the hearing. They, along with Halerie Mahan, Taylor’s attorney, declined to comment. Flanagan said Taylor had been forthright and warned him to be mindful of his conduct as well as whom he associates with when he is released from prison. He’ll face three years of supervised release after his prison term. No financial penalty. ”There will be no fine, since you have children to support,” Flanagan said. Taylor, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1991 draft, could’ve received between 5-40 years in prison. He had been in custody since his March arrest for selling crack and powder cocaine to undercover agents with the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office over several months. In all, Taylor had distributed more than 200 grams of crack cocaine and about 100 grams of powder cocaine, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. A federal grand jury indicted Taylor in June.
Is Kristen Stewart back together with Robert Pattinson ? The actress refuses to answer . But regardless of their status off screen, these stars are doing awfully well on screen in Breaking Dawn Part 2, as evidenced in the following clip. Prepare for some serious spit to be swapped and watch now: Breaking Dawn Part 2 Clip: Make Out Alert! Elsewhere, one fateful discovery/admission will drive the movie’s storyline toward its climax. See what we mean in the following sneak peek: Breaking Dawn Part 2 Clip: Reporting a Crime And, finally, we have a good ol’ fashion supernatural showdown. Hit Play and then keep your eye on that calendar. It’s nearly November 16th! Breaking Dawn Part 2 Clip: Supernatural Showdown
Also in Thursday evening’s round-up of news briefs, Bennett Miller’s Channing Tatum – Steve Carrell drama heads to theaters; Stellan Skarsgård joins a comedy/drama; And Wreck-It-Ralph is on track to dominating the weekend’s box office. Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher Heads to U.S. Theaters The film starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Sienna Miller, Vanessa Redgrave and Anthony Michael Hall has been picked up by Columbia Pictures which took U.S. rights. The deal reunites Miller with Columbia, having previously collaborated with the studio on last fall’s release of the Academy Award-nominated picture, Moneyball . The film revolves around John du Pont, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and killed Olympic wrestler David Schultz. Sheryl Crow Contributes Original Song to Brooke Shields & Darly Hannah’s The Hot Flashes The song is titled Leaning in a New Direction and will be the closing track to the film. The comedy, written by Brad Hennig and directed by Oscar-nominated Susan Seidelman centers on five middle-aged Texas women who decide to start an unlikely basketball team and go to comic extremes to prove themselves on the court. The film will make its world premiere at the American Film Market in Santa Monica on November 3rd. Stellan Skarsgård Joins Hector and the Search for Happiness Skarsgård joins Simon Pegg ( Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol ), Rosamund Pike ( Jack Reacher ) and Oscar-winner Christopher Plummer ( Beginners ) in the comedy/drama by Peter Chelsom. The film revolves around Hector (Pegg), an eccentric yet irresistible London psychiatrist in crisis: he’s going nowhere and his patients are just not getting any happier! Until one day, armed with buckets of courage and child-like curiosity, Hector breaks out of his sheltered vacuum of a life into a global quest to find out if happiness exists. More importantly, if it exists for Hector. And so begins an exotic, dangerous and hysterical journey. Oma and Bella Heads to U.S. Theaters Alexa Karolinski’s documentary revolves around two older Jewish women who are best friends living together in Berlin. Having survived the Holocaust and then stayed in Germany after the war, Oma and Bella spend their days telling stories, cracking jokes, dispensing advice, and devoting the majority of their time to their greatest love of all – cooking. Through their cooking and their conversation, an intimate portrait emerges of two incredibly strong, funny, endearing women who look candidly at their lives as they both wrestle with the past and engage with the present. Oscilloscope Laboratories picked up North American rights to the film, which will have its New York premiere at the upcoming DocNYC on November 10th. It will be available beginning today via VOD. Around the ‘net… Colin Firth and Michael Fassbender Set for Genius The story revolves around the relationship between author Thomas Wolfe and renowned editor Max Perkins, the film will be directed by Michael Grandage. John Logan will adapt the script from A. Scott Berg’s award winning biography Max Perkins: Editor Of Genius , Deadline reports . Box Office Preview: Wreck-It-Ralph Set for $45M at Weekend Most of the 300 theaters closed earlier in the week have re-opened. If Wreck-It-Ralph reaches the figure in its 3,600 screen debut, it could score the top non-holiday opening for a Disney animated title, minus Pixar movies, THR reports .
You think navigating a press junket after a personal controversy goes public is potentially awkward? Try braving throngs of journalists clamoring for an answer to The Twilight Saga ‘s curious “imprinting” storyline , as Taylor Lautner did today when the franchise-ending Breaking Dawn Part II press tour kicked off. For the record, both parties in the reportedly reunited Robsten supercouple acquitted themselves ably and congenially in back-to-back press conferences as they discussed their four-year journey with the vampire franchise. [ Mild spoilers follow, if you haven’t read the books .] But Kristen Stewart and Rob Pattinson aren’t the only Twilight kids who’ve matured in the interim as the worldwide phenomenon has turned them and their cast mates into global megastars. Twenty-year-old Lautner came off with charisma even as he broached the subject of his character’s eyebrow-raising onscreen soul mate attachment to a child in Breaking Dawn . “It’s a fine line, and I was worried about it,” Lautner admitted of Jacob Black’s supernatural, (platonic — for now) love at first sight connection to the half-human, half-vampire offspring of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. (By comparison, Edward’s a century older than Bella, so in the grand scheme of things it’s not that bad…) Played by 9-year-old Mackenzie Foy, Renesmee grows from infant to school-age girl in a superhuman span of time — and as in the books, Jacob is compelled by his Quileute legacy to instantly “imprint,” or attach, himself to her side in a manner that eventually will take on romantic undertones. Understandably he had concerns, so he went to the source for advice: Stephenie Meyer. “There was nobody better to ask about it than her,” Lautner said. “And she basically told me, ‘Stop overcomplicating it. Think here and now, that’s all you really have to focus on.’” “It’s simple — she said it’s a lifelong bond between two people and that’s it,” he continued. “At this point the girl’s like, what, ten years old? So it’s more of a protective thing, like a brother-sister. That’s really all it is. I couldn’t allow myself to think ahead and go beyond that, so that’s kind of the zone I had to stay in.” The weirdness of the Jacob-Renesmee bond is not lost on Jacob in the film, who encounters a furious Bella when she awakens from human death to find her best friend has imprinted on her newborn baby. But Lautner’s Jacob finds himself in a more than few awkward situations in Breaking Dawn . Another scene found Lautner stripping down in front of Billy Burke’s Charlie in one of the surprisingly comical moments sprinkled throughout the film. “It actually was pretty funny in person,” Lautner laughed. “I love Billy Burke to death and he’s one of the coolest people alive, so it was a little uncomfortable for me — it’s always uncomfortable when I have to take my shirt off or something because I’m always the only one doing it!” “The weather conditions we film in, and everybody’s bundled up in like seven layers and I’m the only one in jean shorts… that was a new one,” he said. “I think the pants came off in that one too. But it was a funny, funny scene. I was so nervous to film it because it was written so hilariously and I wanted it to come across that way and I hope it does, but it was a blast to shoot.” Stay tuned for more on The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Pt. II , which hits theaters November 16. Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Despite making over $2 billion at the box office, Twilight is still persona non grata in some circles — even in Hollywood! At this month’s New York Comic Con, Richard LaGravenese and his cast were eager to point out that their February flick Beautiful Creatures , adapted from the bestselling young adult fantasy book, might be about a human falling in love with a supernatural being, but that’s where the comparison ends. So, how is Beautiful Creatures different? Check out the video below to find out as LaGravenese, Alden Ehrenreich, Thomas Mann and Zoey Deutch all dish on their southern gothic romance — plus, I ask Ehrenreich a question he has yet to be asked! Beautiful Creatures is set to hit theaters February 13, 2013. Follow Movieline on Twitter . Follow Grace on Twitter .
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