MPAA Making Concessions to Critic of Studios' Marketing Practices; Barbra Streisand to Stop Giving Live Concert Performances
JIM MORET, CO-HOST: Hi, everyone. I'm Jim Moret in Hollywood. Laurin Sydney is in New York. The Motion Picture Association of America is making concessions to critics who say that the studios market adult materials to kids. The MPAA's leader, Jack Valenti, held a news conference in Washington Tuesday, outlining the industry's plans to reform their marketing practices. Valenti held a press hearing because he was not invited to Wednesday's congressional hearings, at which studio bosses are scheduled to testify. Valenti says one solution to the marketing dilemma is for studios to have their marketing plans evaluated before a movie is released. He also apologized for past mistakes.</s>JACK VALENTI, PRESIDENT, MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA: We are going to take a fresh new look at the way we market our films, from an R-rated films to children's. And if we have made some mistakes in the past, it is our intention not to repeat those mistakes in the future</s>LAURIN SYDNEY, CO-HOST: Amnesty International handed out its fourth annual Media Spotlight Awards in New York Monday night. Harrison Ford was honored, as was Sting's wife, Trudie Styler. The awards honor individuals for their contributions in promoting awareness of human rights issues through work in the media and the arts. Susan Sarandon was among the evening's presenters.</s>SUSAN SARANDON, ACTRESS: Amnesty shines the light where, you know, the everyday press isn't going, and makes you aware of what's going on around the world. And I think, you know, globalization and the Internet and all kind of things we have, we can no longer pretend we don't know about things that are going on.</s>MORET: An event on the West Coast turned into the Sally and Hallie show. Sally Field came to the premiere of "Beautiful," the movie she directed, co-starring young Hallie Eisenberg. Among the other beauties there: Joey Lauren Adams and Kelly Preston. When pressed on what her experience as an actress gives her as a director, Field had this to say.</s>SALLY FIELD, DIRECTOR: If I bring anything, I bring 35 years of what it is like to be an actor, and of studying, and of being in front of a camera in every varying situation. And that is worth something. It doesn't make you a director, but it's better than nothing.</s>MORET: Sally Field will have some competition at the box office this weekend from Denzel Washington. While he didn't call the shots from behind the camera, he was barking orders in front of it. He plays a high school football coach in "Remember the Titans." Jodi Ross has more.</s>BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "REMEMBER THE TITANS") DENZEL WASHINGTON, ACTOR: Why are you smiling?</s>DONALD FAISON, ACTOR: Because I love football. Football is fun.</s>WASHINGTON: Fun, sir!</s>FAISON: Fun, sir.</s>WASHINGTON: Is fun?</s>FAISON: Yes.</s>WASHINGTON: You sure?</s>JODI ROSS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nobody had more fun making "Remember the Titans" than Denzel Washington.</s>WASHINGTON: I loved it. I loved it. I mean, we were playing football. What's hard about that? I'm blowing whistles. They're doing what I say. And we win.</s>ROSS (on camera): What could be better?</s>WASHINGTON: Yes, what's the hard part? (</s>BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "REMEMBER THE TITANS") WASHINGTON: Listen up. I don't care if you're black, green, blue, white or orange.</s>ROSS (voice-over): Based on a true story, Washington plays a football coach at an integrated high school in Virginia, 1971. (</s>BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "REMEMBER THE TITANS") WASHINGTON: You're the colonel. You're going to command your troops tonight, you understand?</s>ROSS (on camera): You often tell important stories through your characters. Is it an important story to tell?</s>WASHINGTON: This is a fun story, you know. And sometimes, when you say important, that sounds like: Oh, that's not entertainment. This is a very entertaining picture. It's a fun, upbeat, rah-rah, make-you-feel-good, you know, cry-a-little-bit kind of film.</s>ROSS (voice-over): But it wasn't all fun and games for the cast of fresh faces. Two grueling weeks at football camp left these boys slightly bruised.</s>FAISON: I was the one walking around saying: "Yes, I want to take a hit! I'm ready for a hit! Hit me! Hit me!" And then I got hit and I shut up real quick.</s>ROSS: The football action is exciting and, according to experts, pretty authentic. But this is a Jerry Bruckheimer film, the same guy who gave us "Top Gun" and "Armageddon."</s>WASHINGTON: Yes, but we didn't blow nothing up.</s>ROSS (on camera): Nothing explodes. It only costs $20 million to make. Why do a film like this?</s>JERRY BRUCKHEIMER, PRODUCER: I loved the screenplay. I loved the characters. It was a true story. It moved me emotionally. And that's why I make movies.</s>WASHINGTON: I think our prospects are good. I think our prospects are fin.</s>ROSS (voice-over): Washington's character is based on real-life coach Herman Boone. Will Patton plays rival coach, Bill Yoast. (on camera): Did the two of ever think in a million years, they'd make a movie about you?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, good lord.</s>ROSS (voice-over): And some of the young actors never thought they'd be making a movie with the Oscar-winning Washington. He played the part of coach both on screen and off.</s>FAISON: Sort of like Michael Jordan makes basketball players better basketball players, Denzel makes you a better actor.</s>ROSS: That's a lesson the young "Titans" will remember. (</s>BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "REMEMBER THE TITANS") WASHINGTON: All right, defense!</s>ROSS: Jodi Ross, CNN Entertainment News, New York.</s>SYDNEY: This week, in New York, Barbra Streisand is scheduled to give the last two live concert performances of her career. Now, if that sounds familiar, it might be because she said that her millennium eve concert in Las Vegas was her last. Mark Scheerer reports that she may not be the only musician who has fans puzzled about performances and finales.</s>MARK SCHEERER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Shortly after Barbra Streisand rang in the new millennium at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, she told "TV Guide" magazine -- and we quote -- "This is the last time I'm going to do any kind of concert." But then, last week, there she was doing two live shows in Los Angeles, with two more to follow in New York.</s>QUESTION: Are you sad to know that this is one of her last performances?</s>JOHN TRAVOLTA, ACTOR: I always am. But I don't know if I buy it. I don't know if I believe it. But I -- of course, if it were actually true, I would be. But I'm just glad to be here.</s>SCHEERER: Streisand's manager, Marty Erlichman, says she decided to add the New York and L.A. concerts so she can conclude her public performance career in the two cities most closely associated with her work. It's a bit reminiscent of Billy Joel, who appeared to be swearing off rock 'n' roll, as he launched in 1998 what some called informally the "Farewell to Rock Tour."</s>BILLY JOEL, MUSICIAN: I want to spend time doing other things. I'd like to be writing more. I'd like to be doing other kinds of music.</s>SCHEERER: But there he was, two years later, on New Year's Eve at Madison Square Garden. In his case, there was a significant distinction that might have been lost in media coverage or in public comprehension: He was swearing off touring, but not ruling out rocking ever again.</s>JOEL: I'm not saying I'll never pop up somewhere and do a show here or there.</s>SCHEERER: But Billy and Barbra can't hold a candle to The Who when it comes to quitting and unquitting. They've had more reunions than the class of 1955. (</s>BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, 1989) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Seven years after their North American farewell tour, the members of The Who are getting together for a 25th anniversary reunion.</s>SCHEERER: That was in 1989. In 1999, there was another reunion tour, not to mention the Quadrophenia performances of 1996 and Live Aid in 1985, and a couple of shows in 1994, celebrating Roger Daltrey's 50th birthday. Is that clear?</s>PETE TOWNSHEND, THE WHO: One thing is clear: The Who stopped making records in 1982. And, as a result, I knew that The Who could not be a continuing touring entity, marketing new albums which we weren't going to make.</s>SCHEERER: A new album might be behind Streisand's decision to go on stage again. The live album from the New Year's concerts has just been released. In any event, fans of some musicians can't be blamed for wanting to say, "How can we miss you, when you won't go away?" Mark Scheerer, CNN Entertainment News, New York.</s>SYDNEY: We climb every mountain -- well, the beautiful Blue Mountains of Australia, to tell you the truth. And speaking of which, that old favorite of a game show is making comeback.