Niche films compete for summer viewers

Among this season’s films with female star power are the comedy “Knocked Up,” featuring Katherine Heigl of “Grey’s Anatomy” as a career-minded woman who gets pregnant from a drunken one-night stand with a slacker (Seth Rogen), and the romantic drama “No Reservations,” starring Catherine Zeta-Jones as a work-obsessed chef whose poor interpersonal skills are tested by her young niece (Abigail Breslin) and an easygoing sous chef (Aaron Eckhart).

“It’s certainly not a ‘Spider-Man’ or a ‘Batman,”’ Zeta-Jones said of “No Reservations,” a remake of the 2002 German charmer “Mostly Martha.” “I really love the movie, but it’s out of my control, the way it’s programmed and marketed. ... I just thought that it’s a story that could be brought to a broader audience.”

“No Reservations” director Scott Hicks said he was happy distributor Warner Bros. had enough confidence in the film to put it out in the busy summer rather than waiting for fall, when most films aimed at older adults hit theaters.

“We hope to sort of weave our way through the behemoths as they come thundering down the tracks,” Hicks said. “It will provide some counterprogramming for the big summer fare. Beyond that, it’s in the hands of the audience gods now.”

David Lee / AP Catherine Zeta-Jones, left, and Abigail Breslin in a scene from "No Reservations."

Along with Heigl’s appeal, “Knocked Up” benefits from the track record of writer-director Judd Apatow, who scored a big-screen smash with “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” which co-starred Rogen, now elevated to leading man.

“We talked about making a movie where I was the lead, but no one was going to let us, which is not surprising,” said Rogen, who also co-starred in Apatow’s beloved TV shows “Freaks and Geeks” and “Undeclared.” “If you look at me, there’s nothing that screams, ‘I want to stare at this for two hours.”’

Apatow managed to convince Universal Pictures, whose posters for “Knocked Up” take advantage of Rogen’s average looks, presenting a tight shot of his face as he stares goofily, with a scruffy stubble of beard. The slogan: “What if he got you pregnant?”

It’s reminiscent of the marketing campaign for “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” which had a similarly straightforward title that spells out the story. The poster used a close-up image of star Steve Carell looking innocent and hopeful.

Offer something unexpected
The success of sleeper hits such as “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” or “Napoleon Dynamite” hangs on offering something unique or unexpected that movie lovers would not get from studio films aimed at the broadest possible mainstream audience.

The Broadway adaptation “Hairspray” presents something wildly different: John Travolta in drag as an overweight Baltimore housewife, a role originated by Divine in the 1980s cult film that inspired the stage version.

“Hairspray” also is unique as this summer’s one big musical, a genre reborn in recent years with hits such as “Chicago” and “Dreamgirls.”

“It’s like the Western or science fiction. You just have to do them well and people will want to see them,” Travolta said. “People just have more tolerance for comedy and drama not done well, but musicals you have to do full-blast, everyone on their best game, their A-plus game. Then you can pull it off.”

As she does in “Stardust,” Pfeiffer plays the villain of “Hairspray,” the story of a plump teen who leads a fight to integrate a TV dance show in the 1960s.

“Stardust” director Vaughn figures his thoughtful fantasy will offer something fresh after audiences have gorged themselves on blockbuster after blockbuster.

“The movie’s sort of unique, so I’m thinking, people love chocolate cake, it tastes fantastic, but once you’ve had six slices, you’ve had enough,” Vaughn said. “Hopefully, we’ll be the sorbet to cleanse the palate.”

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