Andy Tennant

Sneaks list: Last Sunday's roundup of this year's movies omitted stars Freddie Prinze Jr. and Taryn Manning from an item about the comedy "Jack and Jill vs. the World." Also, the Weinstein Co. drama "Boy A" was mistakenly listed as "A Boy." And the listing for the comedy "College" described the main character as a university freshman. He is a high school senior. Finally, the title and description of this comedy were omitted: "Fool's Gold": Matthew McConaughey stars as a charismatic treasure hunter seeking the long-lost 18th century Queen's Dowry.

Washington and Hollywood share some obvious habits, including people who will say anything ("Jim Carrey couldn't have been easier to work with!") to get ahead. When it comes to elections and the box office, the two towns exhibit something else in common: attracting crossover supporters. Just as Sen. John McCain is wooing independents and Sen. Barack Obama is courting women, the two new movies in wide release this weekend hope to capture a segment of moviegoers outside the typical target audience.

Washington and Hollywood share some obvious habits, including people who will say anything ("Jim Carrey couldn't have been easier to work with!") to get ahead. When it comes to elections and the box office, the two towns exhibit something else in common: attracting crossover supporters. Just as Sen. John McCain is wooing independents and Sen. Barack Obama is courting women, the two new movies in wide release this weekend hope to capture a segment of moviegoers outside the typical target audience.

Sneaks list: Last Sunday's roundup of this year's movies omitted stars Freddie Prinze Jr. and Taryn Manning from an item about the comedy "Jack and Jill vs. the World." Also, the Weinstein Co. drama "Boy A" was mistakenly listed as "A Boy." And the listing for the comedy "College" described the main character as a university freshman. He is a high school senior. Finally, the title and description of this comedy were omitted: "Fool's Gold": Matthew McConaughey stars as a charismatic treasure hunter seeking the long-lost 18th century Queen's Dowry.

With Leonardo da Vinci as the fairy godmother and Drew Barrymore as a feisty tomboy who initially spurns the prince as arrogant, out of touch with his people and anything but charming, the latest remake of the Cinderella story forces the lovers to earn their glass slippers. In this revisionist version, the stepsisters are beautiful, not ugly--even though Megan Dodds as Marguerite, the prettier of the pair, possesses an inner child of incomparable nastiness.

Here are this week's key releases on video/DVD, available beginning Tuesday. *--* Video/DVDs BOX OFFICE (MILLIONS) DOMESTIC FOREIGN "Sweet Home $126.4 $7.6 (United Kingdom only) Alabama" Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas; directed by Andy Tennant "Igby Goes Down" $4.7 -- Kieran Culkin, Susan Sarandon; directed by Burr Steers "Formula 51" $5.1 $6.1 (United Kingdom only) Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Carlyle; directed by Ronny Yu *--* *--* Source: Internet Movie Database *--*

I appreciate the fact that Susannah Grant has a very good agent and obviously an even better publicist ("Her Type Is Strong, Not Silent," by Charlotte Innes, April 2), but I'd like to offer a free copy of her final draft to anyone who believes she wrote "Ever After." RICK PARKS Van Nuys The credits for "Ever After" read: "Screenplay by Susannah Grant and Andy Tennant & Rick Parks."

No fooling. That was the mandate from director Andy Tennant for the stunt work in "Fool's Gold," like this shot featuring Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson underwater searching for treasure secreted in a cavern only accessible via blowhole at low tide. The blowhole was created by the special effects crew on location in Queensland, Australia. The cavern set measured 30 meters long by 20 meters wide, and mostly filled a 15-meter-deep studio tank.

"Sweet Home Alabama" Reese Witherspoon, Patrick Dempsey Touchstone, $30 Director Andy Tennant reveals on the digital edition of this lamebrain romantic comedy -- which did boffo at the box office last fall -- that an entire subplot was removed after test screenings gave it thumbs down. The subplot revolved around the assistant of Witherspoon's perky fashion designer having a crush on her boss' fiance (Dempsey).

"Fools Rush In" is the kind of love story that Hollywood does better than anywhere else when it puts its mind to it. It has magic, glamour and romance yet never forgets that it's taking place in a recognizably real world. It also represents a major breakthrough for its stars, Matthew Perry (of TV's "Friends") and radiantly beautiful Salma Hayek. It's the perfect Valentine's Day release.

With Leonardo da Vinci as the fairy godmother and Drew Barrymore as a feisty tomboy who initially spurns the prince as arrogant, out of touch with his people and anything but charming, the latest remake of the Cinderella story forces the lovers to earn their glass slippers. In this revisionist version, the stepsisters are beautiful, not ugly--even though Megan Dodds as Marguerite, the prettier of the pair, possesses an inner child of incomparable nastiness.