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20 YEARS AGO

Absolute Power - February 14, 1997
Still writing three decades after earning an Oscar for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, William Goldman’s screenplay (based on the David Baldacci novel) tells the story of a career catburglar (Clint Eastwood, who also directed) who witnesses a crime of passion and coverup by the President of the United States (Gene Hackman).  Ed Harris plays a detective on the case, and Laura Linney plays Eastwood’s estranged daughter.  Audiences made the film the leading new release at #2 behind the Special Edition of Star Wars (still #1 in its third week) with $16.7 million over the President’s Day holiday weekend from 2,568 theaters.  The film’s final $50 million gross was a modest result for Eastwood compared to previous successes Unforgiven ($101 million) and The Bridges of Madison County ($71 million).

Vegas Vacation - February 14, 1997
The fourth entry in this classic comedy franchise followed some time off after the first three were released in the 1980s.  Clark and Ellen Griswold (Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo) take their kids Audrey and Rusty (Marisol Nichols and Ethan Embry) to Las Vegas and the Hoover Dam, meeting Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) there.  Christie Brinkley has a cameo, reprising her role from the original National Lampoon’s Vacation.  This vacation earned poor reviews and the weakest box office of the series, opening at #4 with $12.8 million and a final total of $36.4 million.  The series then took a longer hiatus until the 2015 sequel/remake starred Ed Helms as Rusty, with a brief scene featuring Chase and D’Angelo.

Fools Rush In - February 14, 1997
Matthew Perry got his first starring role while in the third season of Friends in this romantic comedy along with Salma Hayek about a one-night stand that turns into impending parenthood and a rushed marriage.  Reviews weren’t great but as the only romance this Valentine’s Day, it opened at #5 with $9.7 million and managed to gross $29.4 million overall.

That Darn Cat - February 14, 1997
Disney’s remake of the 1965 hit stars Christina Ricci as a girl whose cat gets her involved with a kidnapping investigation, headed by an FBI agent played by Doug E Doug.  Dean Jones, who played the FBI agent in the original - his first film for Disney (followed by stardom as Herbie’s driver) -  appears in supporting role, which turned out to be his last appearance in a wide release film.  This remake opened to weak reviews at #6 with $6.4 million and finished with $18.3 million.

Dangerous Ground - February 14, 1997
Ice Cube stars as an ex-pat from South Africa who returns for family matters and is drawn back into the violent environment.  Elizabeth Hurley co-stars as a drug addict.  Reviews were lousy and the soundtrack album (featuring the single “The World is Mine”) arguably did better than the film, which opened at #12 with $2.6 million in moderate release and finished with only $5.3 million

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