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Ah summer...a time for big blockbusters and increasingly, female-centric comedies. After the success of Legally Blonde, counter-programming these types of films seems like a good strategy. (not that the Christmas season is immune from such counter-programming, with Two Weeks Notice and Maid in Manhattan as two of the most recent examples). One of the contenders for the 2003 Legally Blonde summer counter-programming award is Uptown Girls (though it should face stiff competition from the clear front-runner in this regard, Legally Blonde 2).

Girls stars Brittany Murphy as a socialite who loses her fortune and is forced to take a job as the nanny for a record executive's daughter (played by Heather Locklear and Dakota Fanning, respectively). In the course of caring for her young charge, Murphy's character learns a about herself and her worth as a person. After the success of her January comedy Just Married, and her supporting turns in such hits as 8 Mile, Clueless and Don't Say a Word, Murphy has turned into a somewhat valuable commodity. The release date of mid-August should help, as it is a safe from Legally Blonde 2, which bows in early July and the big blockbusters which are scheduled for much earlier in the summer. Look for solid box office numbers as teens off from school flock to the theaters searching for something to do. (Calvin Trager/BOP)

Vital statistics for Uptown Girls Main Cast Brittany Murphy, Dakota Fanning, Heather Locklear Supporting Cast Jesse Spenser, Megan Corletto, Donald Faison, Marley Shelton Director Boaz Yakin Screenwriter Julia Dahl, Mo Ogrodnik, Lisa Davidowitz Distributor MGM Official Site http://www.mgm.com/uptowngirls/ Rating PG-13 Running Time 92 minutes Screen Count 2,495 Talent in red has entry in The Big Picture

Comparison films for Uptown Girls
Title	Date	Opening	Adjusted Opening	Screens	PSA	Adj PSA	Total BO	Adjusted Total	Mult
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days	2/7/03	23.77	23.77	2923	8134.00	8134.0	105.81	105.81	4.45
Legally Blonde	7/13/01	20.38	21.75	2620	7778.00	7984.5	95.66	102.09	4.69
Maid in Manhattan	12/13/02	18.71	19.45	2838	6593.00	6593.0	93.93	97.65	5.02
Just Married	1/10/03	17.55	17.55	2766	6345.00	6345.0	56.13	56.13	3.20
Two Weeks Notice	12/20/02	14.40	14.97	2755	5227.00	5227.0	93.35	97.05	6.48
Never Been Kissed	4/9/99	11.84	14.10	2455	4823.00	5506.6	55.47	66.10	4.68