(3 of 4)
[IN A PHRASE] Home Alone, but the kid is a rodent
[CHRISTMAS WISH] Third DreamWorks film is its first monster hit
[NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION] Change name of Katzenberg's anti-Disney studio from DreamWorks to MouseHunt
[TITLE] TITANIC
[OPENS] Dec. 19
[PLAYERS] Leonardo di Caprio, Kate Winslet; dir. James Cameron
[IN A PHRASE] The big one
[CHRISTMAS WISH] Critics, audience love it; industry forgives Cameron
[NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION] After Waterworld, Speed 2 and this: Never ever ever make a movie on water
[TITLE] TOMORROW NEVER DIES
[OPENS] Dec. 19
[PLAYERS] Pierce Brosnan, Teri Hatcher, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Pryce
[IN A PHRASE] James Bond vs. evil media baron
[CHRISTMAS WISH] To clone Goldeneye's glamorous grosses
[NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION] Hope Saddam sticks around long enough to be model for next Bond villain
[TITLE] AS GOOD AS IT GETS
[OPENS] Dec. 23
[PLAYERS] Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear; dir. Jim Brooks
[IN A PHRASE] Old meanie, single mom, sensitive gay
[CHRISTMAS WISH] Remember Brooks' Terms of Endearment?
[NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION] Forget Brooks' I'll Do Anything
[TITLE] JACKIE BROWN
[OPENS] Dec. 25
[PLAYERS] Pam Grier, Sam Jackson, De Niro; dir. Quentin Tarantino
[IN A PHRASE] Pam steals bad guys' booty, kicks same
[CHRISTMAS WISH] Pulp Fiction numbers and notoriety would be nice
[NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION] After Tarantino's recent career goofs, expect only a Pulp Fraction
[TITLE] KUNDUN
[OPENS] Dec. 25
[PLAYERS] All-Tibetan cast in Dalai Lama biopic; dir. Martin Scorsese
[IN A PHRASE] Seven Years Old in Tibet
[CHRISTMAS WISH] Spiritual child has natural appeal on Feast of Nativity
[NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION] Prepare for Tibet taboo in Hollywood. (If Brad Pitt couldn't sell the Dalai Lama...)
[TITLE] MR. MAGOO
[OPENS] Dec. 25
[PLAYERS] Leslie Nielsen; dir. Stanley Tong (Rumble in the Bronx)
[IN A PHRASE] Cartoon bumbler in live-action comedy
[CHRISTMAS WISH] Remember Flintstones, George of the Jungle?
[NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION] Remember the flop Boris and Natasha
[TITLE] THE POSTMAN
[OPENS] Dec. 25
[PLAYERS] Kevin Costner (also director), Will Patton, Larenz Tate
[IN A PHRASE] Costner leads 21st century revolution
[CHRISTMAS WISH] Dances with Wolves ($424 mil. worldwide), take two
[NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION] Change title; audience thought it was a little film about an Italian mail carrier
[TITLE] WAG THE DOG
[OPENS] Dec. 26
[PLAYERS] De Niro, Hoffman, Harrelson, Heche; director Barry Levinson
[IN A PHRASE] Hollywood and D.C., David Mamet-style
[CHRISTMAS WISH] Star power puts over dark political satire
[NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION] Don't make satire about the two most hated power groups in America
[TITLE] THE BOXER
[OPENS] Dec. 31
[PLAYERS] Daniel Day-Lewis reteams with dir. Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot)
[IN A PHRASE] My Left Fist