NOW PLAYING

Shortcut to Happiness
(based on the short story "The Devil & Daniel Webster"
by Stephen Vincent Benét and "Scratch" a play written
by Archibald MacLeish)

UPDATED NOVEMBER 29, 2002

From Hugin Financial News

SPLENDID MEDIEN AG IN FIRST NINE MONTHS OF 2002

Application for admission to new listed companies segment “Prime Standard” at the German Stock Exchange

- Group revenues of EUR 27.1 million, cash and cash equivalents of EUR 7.8 million
- Nine-month loss to the sum of EUR 29.0 million results primarily from high amortisation on securities and screen rights and from start-up financing at Splendid Pictures  

(Cologne, Germany) – Splendid Medien AG of Cologne has achieved sales revenues for the Group in the first nine months of 2002 amounting to EUR 27.1 million (against 28.7 million last year). The most important business sector was trading in licences, accounting for 71.2 % of total revenues. In second place was the Home Entertainment business unit with 24.0% ahead of Postproduction with its 4.8 % contribution to revenues. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) amounted to EUR 5.1 million (16.8 last year). Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) stood at – EUR 29.0 million (+ 0.3 last year). The Group net loss amounted to EUR 29.0 million (against a profit of 0.7 last year).  

With its future-oriented evaluation and amortisation practices, Splendid Medien AG is aiming to sustainably boost the Group’s earnings capability for the future. To this end, the following measures have been adopted:   The shares in IM Internationalmedia AG were revalued to the sum of EUR 6.8 million. This means that the shares were written down to EUR 0.52 per share as at the closing date for the quarter, 30 September 2002.   Amortisation undertaken on screen rights amounted to EUR 32.9 million (against 15.8 last year). This figure includes write-downs on the stock of film rights to the sum of EUR 12.2 million resulting from the impairment test as at the closure date for the period and applies primarily to film titles which were acquired in the last 2-3 years.

Further proceeds can be expected from the sale of licence rights.   In the last nine months, the start-up costs invested in the subsidiary company Splendid Pictures amounted to EUR 6.2 million. This expenditure is directly related to the incorporation of Splendid Pictures at the beginning of 2002 and with the company’s film projects which in the main will only be reflected in Group income and earnings from the 2003 financial year. At present there are four films in postproduction at this subsidiary company. One film is at present under production and there are six films in the pre-production phase. Another 14 projects are in the project development phase at present.  

The partial deliveries of the comedy “The Devil and Daniel Webster“ with Anthony Hopkins and Jennifer Love Hewitt announced for mid-December 2002 and involving revenues to the sum of approx. EUR 8.5 million which were planned for inclusion in the Group sales revenues for the year 2002 have had to be provisionally postponed until mid-January 2003. This means that the annual sales revenues figure forecast in August 2002 for the current financial year to the sum of EUR 45 million will have to be corrected provisionally to EUR 36 million.  

Despite the on-going difficult situation in the general economic environment and in particular in the media sector, Splendid Medien AG is still standing by the corporate and growth strategies it has initiated. The Group regards the application for admission to the new “Prime Standard” segment of the stock market on the German Stock Exchange as a statement of its commitment to transparency, shareholder value and to its internationalisation-oriented business policy.   In comparison with the 2002 half-year closing date, cash and cash equivalents within the group increased from EUR 2.5 million to EUR 7.8 million. The Group has created the preliminary conditions for secure liquidity for the year 2003 and beyond in particular through the sales contracts concluded with TV broadcasting companies.    

The nine-month report is available for downloading on our home page under www.splendidmedien.com.  

Further information can be obtained from :

Splendid Medien AG
Dr. Gert Fisahn
Alsdorfer Str. 3
50933 Cologne
Tel.: +49-221-95 42 32 34
Fax: +49-221-95 42 32 8
gert.fisahn@splendid-medien.com

Splendid Medien AG
Karin Opgenoorth
Alsdorfer Str. 3
50933 Cologne
Tel.: +49-221-95 42 32 99
Fax: +49-221-95 42 32 8
karin.opgenoorth@splendid-medien.com

Story: © 2002 Hugin. All Rights Reserved.

UPDATED NOVEMBER 22, 2002

From BBC News

LOVE HEWITT FILM SCRAPPED?

Jennifer Love Hewitt is denying claims her latest film has been scrapped over money problems.

The actress and singer co-stars with Sir Anthony Hopkins in 'The Devil And Daniel Webster'.

It's based on a supernatural short story and was directed by Alec Baldwin.

Word is the drama faced a bleak future after filming wrapped in March 2001 over financial troubles.

But Jennifer reckons the film is just about finished and will be released:

"It's moving forward - that's all I can say. There's actually a copy of it that's done now. I think they're going back and re-editing. And what I've heard is hopefully in the next couple of years (laughs) - you know, I'll be 90 when it'll come out. Which will be good because I won't look the same and I'll have footage at least of some point in my career."

Jennifer plays Satan in the flick about a down-and-out writer who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for fame and fortune. She says she really enjoyed making it:

"I had fun with the fact that probably most people would go to the theatre and go 'yeah, right - Jennifer Love Hewitt is Satan'. So I tried to have as much fun as possible with the fact that I got a part that was a miracle for me to get. Because when you think of me hopefully you don't think of Satan."

Story: © 2002 British Broadcasting Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

UPDATED NOVEMBER 20, 2002

From My Love Hewitt Websites

NO RELEASE DATE

From the story on THE FBI AND THE DEVIL,The December 3rd date mentioned in the story is when the picture will be finished. Not a release date.  "The Devil and Daniel Webster" is in its completed form.  Splendid Pictures' David Glasser thinks it is running about two weeks behind due to ADR/Scoring.  The composer scoring the movie is Christopher Young ("Entrapment", "Shipping News"). 

Then at this point Splendid Pictures/Devil Productions LLC will make the US deal for the movie.  Splendid has a first look deal on the movie with Universal Pictures (a Vivendi Universal company) for domestic distribution.  There is no DVD/VHS deal.  Splendid's full intent is for the picture to be a theatrical release, first.

More to come.... 

Just when the demons seemed exorcised from "The Devil and Daniel Webster," the FBI's gotten involved......

UPDATED NOVEMBER 8, 2002

From Reuters

THE FBI AND THE 'DEVIL'

A man was charged with fraud for penning a letter on Bank of New York stationery apparently to help the film get its completion bond. Jay Berkman's name was on a missive to Worldwide Film Completion Co., promising an imminent $5.59 million wire transfer to be made by producer Jed Baron's JAG Productions. Berkman claimed to be a BondNet VP, but was merely a marketing consultant, according to the complaint.

Money trouble on indie pics is hardly uncommon, but this remake has been bedeviled more than most. It stars Alec Baldwin, Anthony Hopkins and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Baldwin directed the picture but removed his name after clashes with producer David Glasser over postproduction funds.

Berkman's letter was discovered during an FBI investigation of possible fraud in garnering loans for the "Devil" budget, and his exact role in the drama won't come clear until Berkman finds out if he'll be indicted, said his attorney, Maurice Sercarz. "My client asserts his innocence and did not intend to defraud anyone," said Sercarz, who said Berkman's not in the film biz. "He looks forward to the day that all the facts surrounding the drafting of this letter to come to light."

News of the arrest drew expressions of surprise at the Mifed film market in Milan from Glasser and Lewis Horwitz, the banker who made the loan.

"I did get a copy of this letter, after we'd agreed to finance the film," said Horwitz. "It made no difference to me because we saw everything we needed to satisfy the conditions for making the loan."

Glasser said he was peripherally aware of Berkman, but never met or spoke to him. Glasser said Baron was just one of several potential investors who dropped out and made his life hellish the past two years trying to cover budgetary shortfalls on "Devil" and "Narc," the latter of which has been garnering sleeper hype. Baron didn't return calls, but JAG's website lists "Devil" and "Narc" among its credits.

Why would the FBI exert manpower on a small picture? Since the investigation originated on Long Island, it could relate to Nassau County getting stiffed on rental fees for an abandoned warehouse leased for filming. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Schoeman wouldn't elaborate on what prompted the investigation or how far it will go. Glasser and Horwitz said Berkman's trouble has no effect on the finished print of "Devil" finally due December 3, 2002.

"Glasser has been outstanding in putting up the funds to complete the picture," Horwitz said. "Frankly, it is one of the best loans we have on the books."

Story: © 2002 Reuters Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Hopefully.....

UPDATED OCTOBER 1, 2002

From TV Guide

JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT THAT ELUSIVE 'DEVIL'

Moviegoers have long awaited The Devil and Daniel Webster, co-starring Jennifer Love Hewitt as Evil Incarnate and Alec Baldwin as the object of her temptation. Anthony Hopkins plays the lawyer who looks for loopholes in their infernal compact. So where the hell is this flick already? "It's moving forward," Hewitt hedges. "That's all I can kind of say. There's actually a copy of [the film] that's done now. They're going back in and re-editing, and hopefully in the next couple of years..."

Um, hold up a sec. Did she say years? "I'll be 90 when it comes out," she jokes, going on to admit: "I'm not sure what's going on." Word is, Baldwin — who directed Devil — has lost his financing and thus, can't finish it. That's sad, since it sounds like Love really dug her claws into the rotten role you may never see.

"I made a pretty good Satan," she enthuses. "I paid a lot of attention to how I chemically reacted during PMS — which is very good preparation for that [role]. If you take the Midol away, wow. Let me tell you, I can be quite scary!

"I had fun with the fact that most people — if it ever came out — would go to movie theaters like, 'Yeah right, Jennifer Love Hewitt as Satan.' So I tried to have as much as fun with that as possible."

"And the guy felt awful," she laughs. "He felt so bad. I didn't even want to tell him, but I was not at the point yet where I had gotten tough. It was my first day doing stunts and so I was still a girl at that point — and I started crying." Later, she adds, "another guy hit me in the face with a nightstick by accident!" So much for treating stars with kid gloves.

Story: © 2002 TV Guide Magazine Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Image: © 2001 Devil Productions LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Up in the air.....

UPDATED SEPTEMBER 25, 2002

From Fangoria Magazine

LOVE TALKS 'DEVIL'

"I hope that eventually I'll get to see it. It's kind of an editing mystery right now."

In response to Anthony Hopkins' statement at the RED DRAGON junkets that the movie ran out of money and would never be finished.

Hewitt replies, "I think it's finished. I it's just a question of getting the right version edited that will actually show the movie in the right light. That happens sometimes with independent movies. It's a gamble every time that you do one, but they're some of the greatest films to make, so you have to do them for the art of it. But, sometimes they get put away."

Story: © 2002 Starlog Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Image: Devil Productions LLC. All Rights Reserved.

No 'deal'.....

UPDATED SEPTEMBER 16, 2002

From SciFi News Wire

HOPKINS: 'DEVIL' IS DEAD

Anthony Hopkins told SCI FI Wire that the new film version of Stephen Vincent Benet's supernatural short story "The Devil and Daniel Webster" will never be finished.

"They pulled the money out, apparently, so it'll never be seen," Hopkins said in an interview. "The producers have no money to finish it."

Hopkins played Webster, a lawyer representing a writer who sold his soul to the devil. Alec Baldwin made his directorial debut and co-starred in the film as the writer, Jabez Stone.

Hopkins was positive about Baldwin's take on the short story, which was previously made into a play and a 1941 film. But he added that even Baldwin has abandoned the project.

"He's good, a fine director," Hopkins said. "He's good to work with, but I don't know if Alec is even interested in [completing] it. We finished filming it a long time ago."

Jennifer Love Hewitt starred as the devil. Filming wrapped in March 2001.

Story: © 2002 SciFi.com. All Rights Reserved.

UPDATED SEPTEMBER 7, 2002

From My Love Hewitt Websites

IT'S SPLENDID

The good news will have to hold back until 2003. But the movie will be released. Everyone involved in the project believe in this movie. And it's possible that the producers want to give the movie its world premier at the next Robert Redford's Sundance Film Festival in 2003. I'll keep you updated on that, ASAP.

Anyhow, this company called SPLENDID PICTURES and its German parent company, SPLENDID-MEDIEN AG are enjoying success producing MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, GANGS OF NEW YORK, and NARC starring fellow "Heartbreakers" RAY LIOTTA. So THE DEVIL & DANIEL WEBSTER is next up as a success for Splendid Pictures.

UPDATED AUGUST 16, 2002

From LukeFord.net

MICHAEL Z. GORDON

by Luke Ford

I spoke by phone to producer Michael Z. Gordon August 16, 2002.

Michael: I've been in the music business almost my entire [adult] life. I was working on a couple of projects such as Pulp Fiction. Through Pulp Fiction, I made some contacts that led me to [producer] David Glasser. He was raising money for the movie The Devil and Daniel Webster. I represent an investment group and we decided to put some money into the movie. It became a two-picture deal with Narc. We were mainly in it for The Devil and Daniel Webster but it turns out that Narc may be the one that saves us on this thing. We've had many problems on Devil but with Narc, you couldn't ask for more. We've completed principle photography on Devil. We've finished a producer's cut. Alec Baldwin was the director. His first film. He had taken on much more than he could handle. It was nothing but problem after problem. He walked off the set in the middle of shooting to take his family to Hawaii for two weeks. Then he filed a lawsuit against David Glasser to get some director's money supposedly owed him. Meanwhile, Alec had invested a sizable amount of money in the film. It was like cutting off your nose to spite your face. There were some other sordid details that held up the film. Now we're looking for a domestic distributor.

Luke: You've got many big stars. Alec Baldwin, Dan Akroyd, Anthony Hopkins, Jennifer Love Hewett, Kim Cattrall.

Michael: It's a $30 million independent production. It really isn't a bad movie.

Luke: What was your role on the project?

Michael: Anybody who put in money got to be a producer. We came in during principle photography to salvage the thing when it looked like it would go over to the bonding company. I knew somebody who put a million dollars into the film. It still wasn't enough. The film was like a big black hole that kept eating everything up that we put into it. It took a year to edit the thing. It took Baldwin months to finish his cut. Then it took months for us to do a producer's cut.

Luke: The director's cut wasn't commercial?

Michael: It had a lot of problems.

Luke: And Narc?

Michael: Whoever puts in money gets to be a producer. There are 17 producers on Narc. He who puts in the most money wins. David Glasser did everything he could to get these pictures done. I didn't give much credence to Narc at first. Devil was such a big film with such big names. Narc didn't seem to be in the same league. Tom Cruise saw the film Narc and liked it so much he went to Paramount, who bought the domestic rights on his behalf. He became the executive producer.

Luke: You've been in the music business most of your life.

Michael: I've written and produced music for movies, TV and commercials. I wrote my first song when I was 20 and it was a hit called, Surfer's Stomp. I wrote many hits including, Outer Limits. I toured as leader of the Marketts and The Routers. My first movie was with the Routers in Surf Party and second was with the Marketts in, The Name of The Game is Kill. I have produced music for movies such as Pulp Fiction, Angels In the Endzone, From The Earth To The Moon and for such commercials as The National Car Rental Commercial Let's Go! and more.

Luke: And what has been your principle contribution to Devil and Narc?

Michael: Financial. Keeping these projects afloat.

Luke: Have you put your own money into them?

Michael: Yes, unfortunately. Well, I shouldn't say that. At first it looked bleak but now it looks better.

Luke: And you are credited as a producer on the movie Angels in the Endzone. What was your role?

Michael: I did the music.

Luke: And you're credited as a producer on From the Earth to the Moon. You did music as well?

Michael: Yes.

Luke: What do you envision for your movie producing career from here?

Michael: To be honest, I'm thinking about just getting out of the business soon when I have all my commitments fulfilled. I went to the doctor after a year and a half of this and my blood pressure was through the roof. And my cholesterol was sky high. He said, 'What happened to you?' I said, 'I'm in the movie business. That will do it every time.' A lot of sleepless nights, like you can't believe. You can't believe what people tell you. They'll say anything and it doesn't come through when you're counting on it. We were involved with a picture called Northfork, with a great cast including Nick Nolte, Daryl Hannah, James Wood, Peter Coyote. They were filming in Montana. I'm waiting for a wire to go through so they can continue the principle photography. And the wire never came through. I don't know if this sort of things happens just to me.

Luke: Other people have told me similar stories.

Michael: That's comforting. I have to tell you that it is an exciting business.

Luke: Exciting like cancer.

Michael: I wanted to graduate into films from music. I thought this would be a great opportunity. In a sense it has been. I've gotten a lot of offers and a lot of projects sent my way. I'm not 20 anymore. I've got a family. I just discussed this last night with my wife. They want me to go to Europe for six weeks for another film. I said I didn't know if I could do that. I have two boys, aged six and nine. This is my second marriage. On my first one, I was a raving lunatic for 20 years. This time round, I'm much more settled. I enjoy being home and working around the house. I've sold two scripts but neither have been made.

Luke: Did you visit the set of Daniel Webster?

Michael: One time. It was trying to plug holes to keep the ship from sinking. It wasn't a question of whether the shoot was going well...

Luke: I've always wondered why people invest in movies.

Michael: It's a terrible investment. Terrible. The difference between me and 99% of investors is that the money I put in personally was in the form of a loan backed up by personal guarantees and collateral. My wife is a conservative person and she wouldn't talk to me for the first six weeks after I first loaned the money...

Luke: Yet you still couldn't sleep and your blood pressure went way up.

Michael: After we did more due diligence, it was frightening to look at the whole situation. I had to do some drastic measures to make sure that I got my money back.

Luke: I thought the music business was a rough business.

Michael: This is terrible. I come from a conservative background, despite being in the music business. It just blows my mind that people get away with this. But I'm taking it easier now. I'm on blood pressure medication and at least my blood pressure is normal now.

Luke: Didn't you know about Alec Baldwin's reputation as a troublemaker?

Michael: I didn't. To be a director, you have to be a people person to get the most out of your cast and crew. He is the most anti-social person I've met in my life. He had a disagreement with the editor and he decked him.

Story: © 2002 Luke Ford. All Rights Reserved.

UPDATED JULY 13, 2002

From Newsday

BALDWIN FILM'S UNKIND CUT

We're almost there to see Love as the Devil.....

There could hardly have been a better way for Alec Baldwin, Massapequa boy turned movie star, to show affection for the place where he grew up.

Baldwin announced that for his first attempt at directing, he would rent from Nassau County a former Northrop Grumman airplane factory to film "The Devil and Daniel Webster.” In November 2000, his crews arrived at the cavernous building in Bethpage.

"It was a fabulous opportunity for us,” Baldwin recalled last week.

It didn't turn out so well for Nassau County, however. Only three months after Baldwin, a self-declared liberal Democrat, appeared in local newspaper pictures with then-Republican County Executive Thomas Gulotta, the actor's film production company stopped paying its $15,000 a month rent.

In November, Nassau decided to sue Devil Productions, which also stiffed other vendors, including a local delicatessen, county officials said. To date, the county hasn't received a dime of the unpaid rent.

Baldwin, in an interview from London, where he is shooting his latest movie, blamed the whole mess in Nassau on David Glasser, his partner in the project. "The Devil and Daniel Webster,” which besides Baldwin stars Anthony Hopkins and Jennifer Love Hewitt, is about a farmer who sells his soul to the Devil and then reneges on the deal. The film, based on a short story by Stephen Vincent Benét, is scheduled to be completed in September.

Baldwin said Glasser, a Los Angeles producer and distributor, informed him on the eve of production that an investor had backed out, but convinced everyone to continue filming. Baldwin has disavowed the movie and filed suit against Glasser in California for fraud and breach of contract.

"He has all of the financial responsibility and authority and we had all of the creative responsibility,” Baldwin said.

Glasser promised that Nassau would have its money soon. "Alec does not have any financial responsibility,” Glasser said. "He's done everything in his power to make sure everybody gets paid.”

Gulotta did not respond to requests for comment.

But County Executive Thomas Suozzi, a Democrat, said the actor could help Nassau eliminate a deficit projected at more than $400 million by 2005.

"Alec, get us the $30,000, OK?” Suozzi said. "You can afford it, and if it's not your responsibility, get the other guy to send it to us.”

Baldwin, 44, whose film credits include "Ghosts of Mississippi” and "The Hunt for Red October,” maintains a presence on Long Island with a house in Amagansett and teaching stints at Southampton College. He's also flirted with running for political office.

Baldwin called the effort to get work in Nassau for film crews -- who were paid -- "a success.” He wasn't afraid that this incident would reflect poorly on him.

"I have no worries about it in terms of appearances,” Baldwin said. "We wanted to do the film here, Tom was very cooperative ... and our financial partners flaked out on us. ... Glasser owes me a million in cash.”

Glasser, who heads Cutting Edge Entertainment in Los Angeles, said his company already has repaid $2 million of the $3 million owed on the film. He said the Navy might already have been paid, though that couldn't be confirmed, and that Nassau would be, too.

"That money will be paid to them very shortly,” Glasser said. "We could have all just thrown our hands up and said let's forget about the movie, which is what most producers do.”

Story: © 2002 Newsday, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Image: © 2002 Devil Productions LLC. All Rights Reserved.

UPDATED APRIL 29, 2002

From My Love Hewitt Websites

UNIVERSAL 1ST LOOK

UNIVERSAL PICTURES, a division of Vivendi Universal has first look for domestic distribution (North America/USA) for Cutting Edge Entertainment who is distributing the film for international countries.

But as of now, the motion picture is in its final editing and looking towards a Fall release.

Good news coming!

Image: Universal Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

UPDATED FEBRUARY 1, 2002

From Welsh Living

A DEVIL OF A JOB

More of the devilish acting performances.....break out the Kleenex.....

by Rob Driscoll  

Wales' grand old man of cinema faced one of his greatest challenges when he had to coax back on to the set a young Hollywood Actress---who was terrified by his acting ability. 

She's one of the sexiest, sassiest, most confident young actresses in the new ranks of Hollywood stardom---but it took a rather older, Welsh superstar to reduce the gorgeous Jennifer Love Hewitt to quivering bag of nerves.

The event in question took place on the set of the recently completed "The Devil and Daniel Webster" (a remake of the 1941 comedy classic) directed by and starring Alec Baldwin, Hopkins' costar from "The Edge".  And when the cameras rolled for Sir Anthony Hopkins' climatic speech, 21 year-old Miss Hewitt---who plays the Devil, and Hopkins' greatest enemy---was so amazed by the veteran actor's immaculate performance that she felt totally inadequate, and rushed to her trailer.

"We actually only have this one long courtroom scene at the end together," explains Hewitt, star of this month's new release, "Heartbreakers" for MGM.  "I had this huge speech to present to the jury.  And then, of course, Sir Anthony has to get up and present his speech.  well, the second I sat down I was like 'Yeah, I've done a good job, I'm happy with this,' and he got up and did his speech, but unfortunately the camera was on me and I started bawling my eyes out and ran to my chamber, because I suddenly realized I couldn't act, that I'd been completely lied to, and that I'd lied to myself."

With such an extraordinarily dramatic statement, Hewitt takes a deep breath and continues with her bizarre, but rather endearing recollections.  (It helps just a little to know that so far she's probably most famous on the big screen as something of a scream queen, thanks to the boogey-man chiller "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and its sequel, hence her reference to horror acting).

Whoa, girl, hold on, indeed!  In the cheer-leading world of sorority babes where anecdotes become marathon gossiping sessions, Hewitt reigns supreme.  She tends to tell you every little detail, but we want to cut to the chase.  Just imagining her "totally, right?" world colliding with the gravitas of Port Talbot's finest export is an hilarious thought in itself.  But back, dudes, to the plot.

"And then Anthony comes in and he's like "What's the problem?" in that great voice, and I'm like, 'Nothing---I can't act!'  And so I told him the whole story and he's like, 'You know, I used to feel exactly the same way, until I realized it didn't matter, because you're obviously here for a reason, and I think you're doing a great job, and I'm very proud of you, so why don't you come back out and we'll do it again and again and again, and then I think you'll feel really good'."

"So we did, and it was great," says Hewitt, barely pausing for breath.  Never mind her, as an audience I'm exhausted, but we're in the home run now.  "Then, when I did it again, he say off camera and said, 'Since I'm your biggest fear, you're going to do your entire speech, not to the jury, but just to me.  And everytime you're going to be scared out of your mind that I'll think you can't act---and maybe sometimes, I'll think that and maybe sometimes I won't---it doesn't matter because you're going to be strong and you're going to be powerful because you're Satan and you're going to be great'!"

And so ended the acting masterclass according to the Welsh College of Music and Drama?  Back to Hewitt, babe; she'll tell us straight.  "And I did, and at the end he (Hopkins) was crying, and told me I did a great job and gave me a big hug and it made my life, so if I never work again, after that moment, I'm set.  So, needless to say, it was an experience I'll never forget."

Phew!  Needless to say?  Bless her!  And it's an experience we'll never forget either, Jennifer, love.  But you get the picture.  How sweet can you get?  Old Hoppo reduced to tears and making a girl a third of his age confident!  Remind me to ask him for his version.

As for Hewitt, it's pretty hard to believe she's the kind of girl who'd dash off in moments of self-doubt---or, more to the point, that she'd ever have any.

In "Heartbreakers", the canny black comedy in which Sigourney Weaver and her play mother-and-daughter confidence tricksters making mincemeat of a parade of gullible men, she looks cool, confident and irresistible.

True, half of the dresses she wears are so short---in both directions---the most of the male audience won't be bothering to listen to the dialogue.  As for Hewitt, she just hopes her dear old Grandma won't mind her outfits.

But what will Hewitt's Grandma think an (admittedly hilarious scene) where she finds herself on her knees and awkwardly attached to Ray Liotta's fly-zip?  (Don't ask how that happens).

Story: © 2001, 2002 Welsh Living/Copyright Control. All Rights Reserved.
Image: © 2001 Devil Productions LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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