Filmed in the summer of 2004, The Amateurs has been in the can for over three years. The movie's title has gone through several changes, and imdb still lists it as The Moguls. The film has had a whopping six release dates going back to 2005, but it finally sputters into theaters today -- in Los Angeles and Dallas, anyway. Movies often have distribution trouble (you can read more about the problems this one faced in the Los Angeles Times), but the struggle of The Amateurs surprised me because it had all the makings of a sleeper hit. It's got a killer premise (think The Full Monty with porno) and an amazing cast. The film's struggle surprised me...until I saw it.

A queasy mixture of Boogie Nights sleaze and Patch Adams sentimentality, The Amateurs takes place in the small town of Butterface Fields (ho-HO!). That's where you'll find Andy Sargentee (Jeff Bridges, in shaggy dog Lebowski mode), a divorced dad who is down on his luck. His son (Alex D. Linz) is now living with a wealthy stepfather (the typically solid Steven Weber), and this makes Sargentee insecure. He's got to make some money, and fast. So, naturally, he decides to enlist the help of his friends and make an amateur porno flick.

So while I might not be the biggest Jackie O or Jeanne Tripplehorn aficionado, I will say this: they do look an awful lot alike. The Hollywood Reporter announced that Tripplehorn has signed to play the iconic Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in the HBO Films 'remake' of Grey Gardens. Tripplehorn will be joining Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange in the 'true' story of two of the most eccentric women you could ever meet.

Back in 1975, Albert and David Maysles, Susan Froemke, Ellen Hovde, and Muffie Meyer made a documentary about the lives of Edith "Big Edie" Ewing Bouvier Beale and her daughter Edith "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale. They were the aunt and cousin to Onassis and lived a bizarre life in almost total isolation in a ramshackle mansion by the name of Grey Gardens. After trying for years to have the home brought up to code, the two were finally separated when "Big Edie" died in 1977 (Little Edie finally sold the house in 1979 to a former editor for the Washington Post). The documentary inspired an award winning stage musical in 2006 starring Christine Ebersol as Little Edie. The new film from HBO will not be a musical (thankfully, I might add) and instead was based on the original documentary.

The cast also includes Daniel Baldwin as Julius Krug, the former secretary of the interior and true love of Little Edie (Barrymore). Tripplehorn is doing some post-production work for Winged Creatures, an ensemble drama about a group of people who survive a shooting in an L.A. diner (I guess it will be kind of like Crash, but with more gunfire). Grey Gardens is being directed by Michael Sucsy (who also co-wrote the script with Patricia Rozema) and is currently shooting on location in Toronto, Canada. Grey Gardens will hit theaters in 2008.

Jeanne Tripplehorn (the hottest wife on Big Love? I say yes.) and Embeth Davidtz have joined the extremely talented cast of Winged Creatures, which we brought you a bit of news on last month. Winged Creatures -- is this some sort of badass flying monster fest? Sadly, no. "The story follows the witnesses to a brutal murder suicide in a fast food restaurant as they cope with the aftermath of the incident and how they affect the people who help them along the way." Also in the film: Kate "I'm More Attractive Than You" Beckinsale, Forest "I Have An Oscar Now!" Whitaker, Jackie "Damn you, Whitaker!" Earle Haley, Dakota "Creeps Me Out" Fanning, and Guy "Good Lord, LA Confidential Was Awesome" Pearce. The film will be directed by Rowan Woods.

Not sure what to make of this character description, but Davidtz will play "a wife suffering from migraines who places her husband's needs above hers." Guess that means she doesn't use the old "Not tonight honey, I have a headache" excuse? Tripplehorn is playing Fanning's mother, who tries to help her daughter get over the tragedy. If Dakota Fanning were my daughter, I think I'd be the one asking her for help and advice. She seems a good deal smarter than me. Hopefully we'll get more details on the plot soon, but I will say I'm intrigued as to what could cause a "brutal murder suicide in a fast food restaurant." Must have been that breakfast cutoff time. When you've got Egg McMuffin on the brain, a Big Mac ain't gonna cut it.