In Theatre

Gus Van Sant’s last film, 2008′s Milk, was nominated for eight and won two Academy Awards (Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor in a Leading Role). Before that, his 2007 drama Paranoid Park won an Independent Spirit Award, the Cannes Film Festival’s 60^th anniversary prize, and Best Director and Best Cinematography from the Boston Society of Film Critics. It’s clear that Van Sant’s style appeals to both mainstream and independent tastes, which bodes well for his new film, Restless. However, it’s unclear when exactly we’ll get to see it, since the film has been pushed back from its original January 28, 2011 release date. No new date has been set, and the film has been pulled from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.The trailer for the PG-13-rated film has already been released. It stars Mia Wasikowska (In Treatment, Alice in Wonderland) as Annabel Cotton, a hospital patient who falls in love with a boy she meets at a funeral. Unbeknownst to her, the boy, Enoch Brae (Henry Hopper), has been “crashing” funerals in the area, and also has regular conversations with a ghost named Hiroshi (Ryo Kase). As their relationship grows more complex, they are forced to deal with the same issues that brought them together in the first place.Restless is being distributed by Columbia Pictures through the Imagine Entertainment studio, founded by director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer in 1986. Actress Bryce Dallas Howard is also producing the film.The reason for the film being pushed back is unknown. Some bloggers believe Sony may be trying to increase the film’s chances for Oscar nominations by releasing it later in the year. This seems likely, as Van Sant’s impressive resume makes a repeat performance likely. His best known film, 1997′s Good Will Hunting, was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won two. While Restless seems to be a more intimate production than Van Sant’s last filmthe new film’s budget is 8 million compared to Milk‘s 20 millionthe trailer’s blend of humor and drama suggests it has a good chance of winning over critics of its own. It’s a shame that we’ll have to wait longer to find out nowbut who can guess the whims of Hollywood? Meanwhile, among the films still releasing in January 2011 are Dominic Sena’s Season of the Witch, Ron Howard’s The Dilemma, Michel Gondry’s The Green Hornet, and Ivan Reitman’s No Strings Attached.