"Crossing Over" in '07?

email this story
read comments (22)
post a comment

There's some doubt in the air about whether the Weinstein Co. is going to give Wayne Kramer's Crossing Over, a Traffic-like drama about the immigration situation between Mexico and the U.S., a modest platform-type release in December. One of the reasons for uncertainty is that the Weinstein Co. recently mailed a list of '07 films to Academy members, and Crossing Over wasn't on it.

Kramer (The Cooler, Running Scared) directed and wrote with Harrison Ford, Cliff Curtis, Ashley Judd, Sean Penn, Ray Liotta, Alicia Braga, Alice Eve and Jim Sturgess topping the cast. My personal suspicion is that the Weinsteiners will mainly be pushing The Great Debaters (a Denzel Washington-inspires-the- students drama, based on a true story) along with I'm Not There and Control, but a person on the Crossing Over team believes nonetheless that some kind of limited opening will happen before 12.31.07.

"There's a very strong possibility that we'll platform in December (probably mid to late) and go wider in January," he says. "A Crossing Over trailer should be coming out in the next couple of weeks, and Harvey [Weinstein] seems very supportive of the film. Anything can change, as it often does in this business, but the goal is to release in 2007, specifically because the immigration issue is white hot right now and the film is set in 2007 (in the week that the immigration bill failed in Congress).

"And Harrison Ford, by the way, gives one of the best performances of his career in our film. For all his fans who were disappointed that he didn't participate in Traffic or Syriana, this one is for them. Also, Summer Bishil from Nothing is Private is a revelation, and look for good performances from Alice Eve and Jim Sturgess. And from Sean Penn, of course, who is incapable of delivering a false moment."

Parallel stories<< previous | next >>Recalling Benicio

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on October 6, 2007 at 12:22 PM

comment #1

Devin Faraci says ...

"Is this one of yours? I found her on my lawn. I'm keeping her ball, though!"

Posted by Devin Faraci at October 6, 2007 1:10 PM

comment #2

BurmaShave says ...

God Damn he looks old, but it's nice to see he finally has a decent haircut again.

Posted by BurmaShave at October 6, 2007 1:12 PM

comment #3

BurmaShave says ...

"And from Sean Penn, of course, who is incapable of delivering a false moment."

Clearly this person didn't see ALL THE KING'S MEN, and since they love Sean so much, I WON'T LEEEET THEEEEM!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by BurmaShave at October 6, 2007 1:14 PM

comment #4

jeffmcm says ...

Or I Am Sam. Actually he was fine in that, it was the rest of the movie that was fake full of crap.

Posted by jeffmcm at October 6, 2007 1:36 PM

comment #5

MickTravis says ...

Indy looks like all the air in his body has gone to the front of his belly.

He should've just done "Traffic" back when he had the damn chance.

Posted by MickTravis at October 6, 2007 1:50 PM

comment #6

houmas says ...

Sean Penn is always delivering false moments. All The Kings Men was full of it. He's a professional ham.

Posted by houmas at October 6, 2007 1:54 PM

comment #7

Wrecktum says ...

Weinstein will find a way to screw up the distribution of this one. Maniacs.

Posted by Wrecktum at October 6, 2007 2:04 PM

comment #8

DarthCorleone says ...

"Is that...my...daughter...in...there?!!?!?!?!"

I like Penn. For some reason that particular delivery never worked for me, though.

Posted by DarthCorleone at October 6, 2007 3:50 PM

comment #9

lazarus says ...

Wow, Harrison Ford actually appearing in a honest-to-God good film?

I'd have to go back to 1993's The Fugitive to find something substantial, and if you dismiss that as an overrated thriller, we're talking Working Girl in 1989.

Unless you're a Regarding Henry fan.

Posted by lazarus at October 6, 2007 4:03 PM

comment #10

TheJeff says ...

"Is that...my...Oscar...in...there?!!?!?!?!"

Posted by TheJeff at October 6, 2007 4:12 PM

comment #11

lazarus says ...

How dare YOU cross the border?

Posted by lazarus at October 6, 2007 6:24 PM

comment #12

lawnorder says ...

One of the reasons that Weinstein isn't pushing CROSSING OVER so hard - and I heard this from someone over there (who thinks it's really good) is that Harvey thinks the film has too much graphic sex and the Academy won't go for a film with a lot of nudity. I think there are some raunchy scenes between Alice Eve and Ray Liotta - she's being blackmailed into having sex for a greencard. There may be some stuff with some other characters as well. I guess Harvey has forgotten about some of his own Academy Award winning or nominated films: The English Patient, Shakespeare in Love... and others that got nominated or won: American Beauty, Midnight Cowboy, Babel, Coming Home, Crying Game, Leaving Las Vegas, Monster's Ball, The Piano... just a few I can recall.

Posted by lawnorder at October 6, 2007 6:31 PM

comment #13

le corbeau says ...

"Wow, Harrison Ford actually appearing in a honest-to-God good film?"

Oh, I thought that was David Brinkley.

Posted by le corbeau at October 6, 2007 6:40 PM

comment #14

btwnproductions says ...

A friend who went to a NY test screening wasn't overly impressed. She said it was very CRASH-like (mileage will obviously vary on how good or bad that is), hyped-up, and contrived. (And Penn apparently just bookends the film, appearing only at the beginning and end as a border cop.) She's not a real film buff, though, and once I learned it was a new Wayne Kramer picture I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt, having liked THE COOLER and RUNNING SCARED and wondering what his take on a more conventional "issue" picture might be.

Posted by btwnproductions at October 6, 2007 8:03 PM

comment #15

btwnproductions says ...

She also said it was three hours long, but I'm not sure she was keeping time with cinephile precision.

Posted by btwnproductions at October 6, 2007 8:04 PM

comment #16

gr81lives says ...

The Weinstein Company publicity department has been horrible the past few years when it comes to pushing their movies at Oscar time. I don't know if it's Harvey and Bob losing that magical touch or is it the lack of brains in Publicity. If they have hope in this movie they should do all the press they can on this. Harrison Ford is sort of back in the public eye right now and Sean Penn in this movie should bring a lot of attention as well.

Posted by gr81lives at October 6, 2007 11:49 PM

comment #17

Terry McCarty says ...

Re Alice Eve:
Had THE HEARTBREAK KID been remade into something resembling the Elaine May original, Ms. Eve would have been ideal in the Cybill Shepherd role.

Posted by Terry McCarty at October 7, 2007 1:03 AM

comment #18

JaySmack says ...

Damn! Harrison Ford's face looks like death! I knew all those years of drinking and hard living have taken their toll, but he's starting to look like a third-stage cancer patient now.

Hope he's seeing a physician.

Posted by JaySmack at October 7, 2007 2:50 AM

comment #19

le corbeau says ...

"Damn! Harrison Ford's face looks like death! I knew all those years of drinking and hard living have taken their toll, but he's starting to look like a third-stage cancer patient now."

Oh honestly, he looks like nothing of the sort. He looks like a fairly fit 65-year-old man, which is what he is.

Posted by le corbeau at October 7, 2007 7:01 AM

comment #20