** Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star
David Spade gives it his all, but mostly in the acting department, not in his script co-writing. This comedy about a once-big child star who's now floundering as an adult has a great beginning and a top-notch ending (during the credits). But the hour in the middle, which tells of his attempt to find his inner child by renting a family to live with, falls flat despite the goodly amount of slapstick and the inordinate number of cameos. (ES) Rated PG-13
The Order -- Why would somebody as hunky as Heath Ledger join the priesthood? We don't know. But we do know that in The Order, Heath plays a New York City priest who is called upon to help a beautiful detective (Shannyn Sossamon) solve the murder of a French ambassador. Monsieur is discovered with occult symbols all over his mort body, and both priest and detective believe the murder to be the work of an ancient Christian order known as the Sin Eaters. Rated: R
*** Secret Lives of Dentists -- Alan Rudolph, the once-diverting prot & eacute;g & eacute; of Robert Altman, has of late veered from the sublime cracked romance of Choose Me to the inanity of Breakfast of Champions and Trixie. But in taking a completed script (based on a Jane Smiley novel), Rudolph returns to sterling form, making a serious (comic) study of middle-aged infidelity and its effect on a married couple who are both dentists. With Campbell Scott and Hope Davis. (RP) Rated: R
Whalerider -- It's been getting rave reviews all over, and finally this winner of the audience award at this year's Sundance Festival is here. Pai (Keisha Castle Hughes) feels destined to become the next chief of her New Zealand tribe, in spite of the facts that she's only 11 and that her tribe follows the patriarchal old tradition of choosing only males as leaders. As a huge gathering of whales masses off the rocky coast of New Zealand, Pai's grandfather desperately searches for a suitable (and male) candidate for the chiefhood. Rated: PG-13
**** Don't Miss It *** Worth $8 ** Wait For The Video * Save Your Money
& lt;i & Capsule reviews are written by Ed Symkus (ES) and Ray Pride (RP), unless otherwise noted. & lt;/i &
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Publication date: 09/04/03
