Northwest Herald from Woodstock, Illinois • Page 61

SIDETRACKS NORTHWEST HERALD Friday, March 10, 1995 Page 5 I Lf.l 'Outbreak' suffers from identity crisis "Outbreak" is one of those frustrating movies that has everything it needs to succeed, but just can't get it all to come together. Wolfgang Petersen, who maintained start-to-finish intensity in "Das Boot" and "In the Line of Fire," fails to exert the same grip on this thriller about an apocalyptic virus. Suspense lingers at the edges of most scenes, but it 'q "-1 never takes hold. "Outbreak" exists in a state of genre flux. The story can't decide what type of thriller it wants to be.

It opens by mixing the Jeffrey Westhoff MOVIE CRITIC ex-wife (Russo) never clicks either. Whether separated or together, Hoffman and Russo just don't make a convincing couple. Easily the film's most successful sequences come in the beginning. The virus' introduction in Africa is a scary setup, a promise maintained by chilling moments as Motaba claims its first three victims in America. But as the disease spreads, "Outbreak" loses its way.

Many of the scenes with gas-masked Army troops invading the small town simply look silly, which is fatal to the tension. From then on, the plot becomes routine. Even the nifty helicopter chase at the end provides only moderate thrills. "Outbreak" does gain strength from its supporting cast. Sutherland is at his most ghoulish as the soulless Gen.

McClintock. Spacey alternates between intense and affable as Daniels' best friend. Hoffman, though, is essentially playing a Harrison Ford role, and he seldom seems comfortable in it especially when the emphasis shifts to action. The producers should have gone for the genuine article. Ford's stronger presence might have pulled together the film's disparate elements.

Hoffman may be one of the greatest actors of his generation, but 'not every movie star was meant to dangle from a helicopter. Rating: 12 Jeffrey Westhoff is a feature writer who has been reviewing films for the Northwest Herald since 1989. Photo provided Kevin Spacey, Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo and Cuba Gooding Jr. (clockwise from left) star in the medical thriller "Outbreak." literary styles of Robin Cook and Tom Clancy: a medical crisis just this side of science fiction with a hero (Dustin Hoffman) who works for the Pentagon. Hoffman's character, the Army's top infectious disease specialist, Col.

Sam Daniels, M.D., isolates a virus that wiped out a village in Zaire. Named the Motaba virus, the vicious bug is highly infectious with a 100 percent fatality rate. It first manifests itself as a mild flu, but within three days it turns your major organs to liquid. Once the exposition is out of the way, "Outbreak" turns into a 1950s sci-fi movie when the Motaba virus pops up in the small California town of Cedar Creek and decimates its population. Daniels and his team (Gooding, Rene Russo and Kevin Spacey) racing against time to find a serum, to the military officials (Morgan Freeman and Donald Sutherland) considering a more drastic solution, to the frightened residents of Cedar Creek.

For a leaner, more compelling movie, Petersen should have left the townspeople in the background. Most of their scenes are clumsily inserted into the plot, falling way short of the tenor for which Petersen strives. Ultimately, these scenes are dead weight that pad out an overlong script. The emotional subplot with Daniels hoping to reunite with his Parallels to "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" arise as the Army cordons off the town, hoping to keep the disease within Cedar Creek's borders. If it does get out, everyone in America will be dead or dying within 48 hours.

In its final 40 minutes, "Outbreak" transforms again, this time into flat-out action movie as Daniels and his protege, Maj. Salt (Cuba Gooding buzz across Northern California in a stolen helicopter, trying to find the key to killing the virus. Petersen also fails to keep his characters in sharp focus. The script, by Laurence Dworet and Robert Roy Pool, too often changes point of view from The ASSOCIATED PRESS LOS ANGELES Chevy Chase's comedy "Man of the House" earned $9.5 million In its debut weekend, chasing The Brady Bunch Movie" out of the top spot in what was a drab box-off Ice weekend. The Brady Bunch Movie" (ell to second place, ahead of Jeff Goldblum's "Hideaway." Peter Falk's "Roommates" had an unimpressive fifth-place debut, while "Pulp Fiction" and "Forrest Gump" continued to benefit from their Academy Award nominations.

Overall box-office business for the first quarter is down 1 2 percent from last year so far. The following are top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters from Friday through Sunday, followed by studio, gross, number of screens, receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled by Exhibitor Relations Co. inc. and Entertainment Data Inc.

from actual returns and studio estimates: 1. "Man of the House," Disney, $9.5 million, 2,013 locations, $4,706 per location, $9.5 million, one week. 2. The Brady Bunch Movie," Paramount, $5.7 million, 1,941 locations, $2,961 per location, $33 million, three weeks. 3.

"Hideaway," TriStar, $5.2 million, 1,900 locations, $2,744 per location, $5.2 million, one week. 4. "Just Cause," Warner $4.9 million, 2,059 locations. $2,402 per location, $26.1 million, three weeks. 5.

"Roommates," Disney, $4 million, 1 ,262 locations, $3,200 per location, $4 million, one week. 6. "Pulp Fiction," Miramax, $2.1 million, 966 locations, $2,209 per location, $85.8 million, 21 weeks. 7. "Forrest Gump," Paramount, $2.03 million, 1 ,1 05 locations, $1 ,841 per location, $309.5 million, three weeks in re-release.

8. "Billy Madison," Universal, $1.98 million, 1.708 locations, $1,165 per location, $20.7 million, four weeks. 9. "Legends of the Fall." TriStar, $1.84 million. 1,203 locations, $1,537 per location, $59.7 million, 1 1 weeks.

10. "Heavyweights," Disney, $1.83 million, 1,732 locations. $1,058 per 3.3 million, three weeks. 11. "Nobody's Fool," Paramount, $1.48 million, 1,107 locations, $1 ,339 per location, $35.3 million, 1 1 weeks.

12. The Shawshank Redemption," Columbia, $1.45 million, 762 locations, $1,914 per loca- Hon, $20.6 million, 24 weeks. 13. The Walking Dead," Savoy, $1 .26 million. 896 locations, $1 ,41 1 per location, $4.2 million, two weeks.

14. The Hunted," Universal, $1.25 million, 1,560 locations. 805 per location, $4.8 million, two weeks. 15. The Madness of King George," Goktwyn, $1 .24 million, 336 locations, $3,694 per location, $8 million, 10 weeks.

16. "Boys on the Side," Warner $1.1 million, 1,032 locations, $1 .097 per location, $20.4 million, five 17. The Mangier," New Line, $934.000, 800 locations, $1,167 per location, $934,000, one week. 18. "The Quick and the Deed," TriStar, $791,000, 1,001 locations, $790 per location, $16.8 million, four 1 9.

"Dumb and Dumber," New Line, $761 ,000. 774 locations, $983 per location, $116.8 million, 12 weeks 20. "Star Tretc Generations," Paramount, $532,000, 665 locations, $799 per location, $74.6 million, 16 WJAAeffal Chicago Film Critics bestow honors Monday toWeUville" Martin Landau, "Ed Wood" Chazz Palmlnteri, "Bullets Over Broadway" Gary Sinise, Torrest Gump" John Turturro, "Quiz Show" BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Claire Danes, "Little Women" Kirsten Dunst, "Interview With the Vampire" Lena Olln, "Romeo is Bleeding" Uma Thurman, Tulp Fiction" Dlann Wlest, "Bullets Over Broadway" MOST PROMISING ACTOR Jim Cany, 'Ace Ventura: Pet Detective," The Mask" Jeremy Davie, "Spanking the Grant, "Sirens," Tour Weddings and a Funeral" ten Hart, "Backbeat" Brad Rerrfro, The Client" MOST PROMISING, ACTRESS Sandra Bullock, "Speed" Claire Danes, Uttle Women" Kirsten Dunst, "Little Women," "Interview With the Vampire" Una Majorlne, "When a Man Loves a Woman," "Corrida, Corrtna." "Andre" Jade Pinkett, "Jason's Lyric." "Low Down Dirty Shame" Stefan Czapsky, "Ed Wood" Roger Deaklna, The Hudsucker Proxy" Phillip Rousselot, "Interview With the Vampire" AndrzeJ Sekula, "Pulp Fiction" Karyn Rachtman, "Pulp Fiction" Trent Reznor, "Natural Bom Killers" Howard Shore, "Ed Wood" Alan Sltvestrl, Torrest Gump" Han Zimmer, The Lion King" BEST ACTOR Johnny Depp, "Ed Wood" Tom Hanks, Torrest Gump" Samuel Jackson, "Pulp Fiction" Tommy Lee Jonas, "Cobb" John Travolta, "Pulp Fiction" BEST ACTRESS Linda Ftoranttno, The Last Seduction" Jodie Foster, "Net" Jessica Langs, "Blue Sky" Jennifer Jason Leigh, "Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle" Winona Ryder, "Little Women" BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Morgan Freeman, The Shawshank Redemption" Anthony Hopkins, The Road BEST PICTURE "Forrest Gump" "Hoop Dream" "Pulp Fiction" "Quiz Show" "The Shaw hank Redemption" BEST FOREIGN FILM "Boy of St Vincent" "Four Wedding end Funeral" "Heavenly Creatures" "Three Color: Blue, White and Red" "To Live" BEST DIRECTOR Tim Burton, "Ed Wood" Stave Jam, "Hoop Dreams" Krzysztof KlestowskL Three Colore: Blue, White and Red" Quentln Tarantlno, "Pulp Fiction" Robert Zantac Ua, Torres! Gump" BEST SCREENPLAY Paul Attanaato, "Quiz Show" Richard Curtis, Tour Weddings and a Funeral" Frank Darabont, The Shawshank Redemption'' Erie Roth, Torrest Gump" Quarrtln Tarantlno, "Pulp Flcaon1' BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Don Burgess, Torrest Gump" its Commitment to Chicago award to actor William Petersen. The award is given to an individual who has elevated the reputation or supported the growth of the city's film community.

Petersen has starred in "To Live and Die in L.A.," "Manhunter," "Young Guns II" and the forthcoming "No Fear." He remains active in Chicago theater. Recently, he performed in "Night of the Iguana" at the Goodman Theatre. Among the evening's scheduled presenters is Gary Sinise, who played Lt. Dan in "Forrest Gump." Sinise is also one of the Chicago Film Critcs' nominees for best supporting actor. Tickets cost $75.

For reservations, call (312) 509-8155. HERALD NEWS SERVICE CHICAGO Current Brady mom Shelley Long will host the seventh annual Chicago Film Critics Awards, which takes the stage Monday at Park West, 322 W. Armitage Ave. This year's best picture nominees, as chosen by Chicago-area critics, are "Forrest Gump," "Hoop Dreams," "Pulp Fiction," "Quiz Show" and "The Shawshank Redemption." The winner in this category and 11 others will be announced at the ceremony, which begins at 6 p.m. A champagne hour will precede the show, and a reception will follow it In addition to the balloted awards, the Chicago Film Critics Association will present.