<<< November 22-24, 2002 >>>

With his fearless comic performance in the upcoming Spike Jonze-directed, Charlie Kaufman-scripted ADAPTATION, and his stunning directorial debut with the haunting drama SONNY, about a young male prostitute in New Orleans in the early 1980’s, Nicolas Cage continues to prove himself one of the only major Hollywood stars of his generation who moves easily from mega-watt mainstream movies (THE ROCK, FACE/OFF, GONE IN SIXTY SECONDS) to groundbreaking independent projects (LEAVING LAS VEGAS, WILD AT HEART, RED ROCK WEST). Combining an unerring knack for choosing challenging, subversive roles with the incendiary, rock ‘n roll energy of icons like Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson, Cage has carved out an enviable, ever-changing career in an industry that prides itself on pigeon-holing actors.

Born in 1964 in Long Beach, the son of literature professor August Coppola, Cage studied theatre at Beverly Hills High School before getting his first roles as a moody teen rebel in films like VALLEY GIRL, RUMBLE FISH and RACING WITH THE MOON. With his breakout performance in Alan Parker’s BIRDY in 1984, Cage first exhibited his startling range as an actor, followed by memorable comic roles in PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED, RAISING ARIZONA and MOONSTRUCK. He quickly became a favorite of unconventional filmmakers like the Coen Bros., David Lynch, John Dahl and Francis Ford Coppola (Cage’s uncle); in 1995, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his tragic performance as a self-destructing alcoholic in LEAVING LAS VEGAS. Recently, Cage has branched out successfully as a producer with the indie hit SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE in 2000, and the upcoming SONNY.

We are thrilled to welcome the recipient of the 2001 American Cinematheque Award, Nicolas Cage, to the Egyptian Theatre for the first major Los Angeles Retrospective of his work, featuring special Sneak Preview Screenings of SONNY and ADAPTATION - !!

Friday, November 22 – 7:30 PM

Special Sneak Preview! Nicolas Cage, James Franco & Mena Suvari In Person!!

SONNY, 2002, Saturn Films, 110 min. Nicolas Cage makes a stunning directorial debut with this haunting, beautifully acted drama of a young male prostitute (James Franco, from TV’s "James Dean") who returns to his hometown of New Orleans in 1981, determined to give up the skin trade. Once he’s back at home with mother/madame Jewel (Brenda Blethyn) and her amiable low-life boyfriend Henry (Harry Dean Stanton), Sonny finds himself inevitably drawn back into the world of sex-for-hire. Mena Suvari (AMERICAN BEAUTY) co-stars as a call-girl who hooks up with Sonny in a couples act, and hopes to reach the emotions kept locked away inside the young man. Discussion following with director Nicolas Cage and actors James Franco, Mena Suvari (schedule permitting). Special Ticket Price of $10.00 General, $9.00 Students & Seniors and $8.00 Cinematheque Members for this screening only.

Saturday, November 23 – 3:30 PM

Double Feature:

RAISING ARIZONA, 1987, 20^th Century Fox, 94 min. Dir. Joel Coen. This staggeringly hilarious chronicle of the romance between inept bad boy Nicolas Cage and straight arrow cop Holly Hunter was an unexpected follow up to the Coen Bros.’ chilling BLOOD SIMPLE. The kidnap scheme that follows when the loving couple learn they can’t conceive kids is guaranteed to provoke more laughs per minute than any American comedy since the heyday of 1930’s screwball cinema. With John Goodman, William Forsythe.

MOONSTRUCK, 1987, MGM, 102 min. Dir. Norman Jewison. Wonderfully lunatic comic gem from screenwriter John Patrick Shanley, starring Cher as Loretta Castorini, a sexy, smart-mouthed widow who’s resigned herself to an upcoming marriage to terminally-indecisive Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello) – until Johnny’s wildly passionate, one-handed brother Ronny (Nicolas Cage) professes his undying love for her. Academy Award winner for Best Actress (Cher), Supporting Actress (Olympia Dukakis) and Screenplay (Shanley).

Saturday, November 23 – 8:00 PM

Special Sneak Preview!!

ADAPTATION, 2002, Columbia Pictures, 114 min. From the team who brought us BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, ADAPTATION is a brilliantly offbeat comedy starring Nicolas Cage as "Charlie Kaufman", a confused L.A. screenwriter overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy, sexual frustration and self-loathing – and by the screenwriting ambitions of his freeloading twin brother Donald (also played by Cage!) While struggling to adapt "The Orchid Thief" by Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep), Kaufman’s life spins from pathetic to bizarre. The lives of Kaufman, Orlean and John Laroche (Chris Cooper), the orchid poacher and the subject of Orlean’s book, become strangely intertwined as each one’s search for passion collides with the others’. Discussion following with actor Nicolas Cage and director Spike Jonze, screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and actor Chris Cooper (schedules permitting). Special Ticket Price of $20.00 General, $18.00 Students/Seniors, $15.00 Cinematheque Members for this screening only.

Sunday, November 24 – 3:00 PM

WILD AT HEART, 1990, Samuel Goldwyn (MGM/UA), 124 min. Blending elements of THE WIZARD OF OZ and CINDERELLA (!) with a catalogue of film noir subplots, director David Lynch leads us on an intoxicating, bizarrely perverse Southwestern odyssey with romantic ex-con and Elvis fan Sailor (Nicolas Cage) and his teen girlfriend Lulu (Laura Dern) as they flee psycho matriarch Diane Ladd (Dern’s real-life mom). With an unforgettable Willem Dafoe as demonic slimeball Bobby Peru. Also starring Harry Dean Stanton, Isabella Rosselini. Discussion following with actor Nicolas Cage (schedule permitting).

Sunday, November 24 – 6:15 PM

Double Feature:

LEAVING LAS VEGAS, 1995, MGM/UA, 111 min. Dir. Mike Figgis. Nicolas Cage gives arguably his finest performance as Ben Sanderson, a burnt-out former Hollywood player who sets fire to his unread scripts, sells his house and heads to Las Vegas, determined to drink himself to death in five weeks. Elisabeth Shue is equally brilliant as the spiritually-wounded hooker who shelters Cage during his descent into the abyss, and finds some glimmer of hope from his tragic self-destruction. Academy Award Winner for Best Actor (Cage).

RED ROCK WEST, 1992, Roxie Releasing, 94 min. Director John Dahl wins the trophy for "keeper of the film noir flame" in the early 1990’s with films like KILL ME AGAIN and THE LAST SEDUCTION. Here, he plummets likeable drifter Nicolas Cage into a spiraling nightmare when Cage is mistaken for the killer sent to rub out bar-owner J. T. Walsh’s spouse, Lara Flynn Boyle. Double and triple whammies follow as tables are turned and finally the hot- tempered real hitman (Dennis Hopper) arrives in town. Taut, surprisingly fresh and suspenseful, RED ROCK WEST was originally shown on cable TV, but became a popular cult sleeper, eventually receiving theatrical release in the U.S. and overseas. Actor Nicolas Cage to introduce screening (schedule permitting).