A List of Fall Movie Releases By Rita Kempley Washington Post Staff Writer

2 – "What Dreams May Come," a gorgeously crafted look at the hereafter, celebrates undying love and devotion. Robin Williams, as a restless spirit, goes through hell and back in search of his late wife's soul (Annabella Sciorra), with Cuba Gooding Jr. as his angelic guide.

2 – "Night at the Roxbury," a "Saturday Night Live" skit writ large, follows the escapades of the tragically unhip Butabi brothers (SNL regulars Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan).

2 – "The Imposters," a screwball farce written and directed by star Stanley Tucci ("Big Night"), revolves around the mishaps of a pair of impoverished actors (Tucci and Oliver Platt) who stow away on a cruise ship.

9 – "Holy Man," a comedy with Eddie Murphy as a New Age televangelist, abides by a new commandment: Nonstop shopping leads to a state of higher consciousness. Somebody say amen.

9 – "A Simple Plan," based on Scott Smith's novel, considers the dire consequences of ill-gotten gains. Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton are brothers whose quiet country lives are forever changed when they discover $4 million in cash in a downed airplane.

16 – "Beloved," a drama set in Ohio after the Civil War, follows the story of a former slave (Oprah Winfrey) who is haunted by the ghost of her murdered child. Danny Glover co-stars in this Jonathan Demme-directed adaptation of Toni Morrison's wrenching novel.

16 – "Practical Magic," based on Alice Hoffman's novel, focuses on the bewitching Owen sisters (Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman). They've inherited the family curse: Any man who falls in love with an Owen woman is doomed to an early death. Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing co-star as the sisters' spooky aunts.

16 – "Bride of Chucky," or "Child's Play IV," reunites Chucky with Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly), the love of his life. After killing Tiffany and reanimating her, the two dolls visit Chucky's grave, where with the aid of a soul-transferring amulet, they hope to regain human form.

16 – "The Mighty," like September's "Simon Birch," tells the story of two young outcasts – a slow-witted giant (Elden Ratliff) and a crippled egghead (Kieran Culkin) – who join forces in their quest for glory. Sharon Stone and Gena Rowlands also star in Peter Chelsom's adaptation of the children's classic.

23 – "Pleasantville," a modern fairy tale reminiscent of "Back to the Future," compares a modern teen's lot with those of characters in a "Leave It to Beaver"-like sitcom. Reese Witherspoon and Tobey Maguire play siblings who accidentally zap themselves into the '50s TV utopia.

23 – "Soldier," a futuristic action thriller, pits a war-hardened survivor (Kurt Russell) against a genetically engineered warrior (Jason Scott Lee) in a battle over a remote planet peopled by pacifists.

30 – "American History X," a hard-hitting drama directed by Brit Tony Kaye, stars Edward Norton as a reformed skinhead who tries to save his brother (Edward Furlong) from a lifetime of bigotry and violence.

30 – "Life Is Beautiful," written, directed and starring Italy's Roberto Benigni, is a Chaplinesque fable that promises to be the top contender in this year's race for a Best Foreign Film Oscar. When a shopkeeper and his son are sent to a concentration camp, the father convinces the boy that they've entered an elaborate contest to win an army tank.

30 – "John Carpenter's Vampires," a western-horror hybrid from the director of "Halloween," recounts the latest battle in the Vatican's ongoing war against its ancient enemies. James Woods plays a New Mexico-based mercenary who leads a posse against a powerful 600-year-old vampire.

NOVEMBER

6 – "Jack Frost," a fantasy with shades of "Ghost," stars Michael Keaton as a musician on the verge of success when he dies in a Christmas car crash. A neglectful father and husband in life, he comes back to make amends in the body of a snowman.

6 – "Elizabeth," an unorthodox biography directed by Indian Shekhar Kapur, includes a sexual relationship between Her Royal Highness (Cate Blanchett) and hunky Lord Dudley (Ralph Fiennes). So much for the Virgin Queen.

6 – "I'll Be Home for Christmas," a seasonal comedy of errors from Disney, concerns a self-absorbed prep school student's cross-country trek.

6 – "The Waterboy," a Southern-fried football farce, reunites Adam Sandler with Frank Coraci, the director who transformed him from doofus to muffin in "The Wedding Singer." Sandler appears to be back to his old shtick as a slow-witted boob who becomes a gridiron hero.

6 – "The Siege," destined to become a cause celebre for Islamic advocacy groups, stars Denzel Washington and Annette Bening as agents charged with tracking down the terrorists behind a bombing campaign that has paralyzed New York City. But before they can accomplish their mission, the public clamor for safety threatens the tenets of democracy.

6 – "Living Out Loud," inspired by an Anton Chekhov story, follows the courtship of an elevator operator (Danny DeVito) and a petite divorcee (Holly Hunter).

13 – "Meet Joe Black," a romantic fable inspired by 1934's "Death Takes a Holiday," showcases Brad Pitt in the role originated by Fredric March. In the guise of a recent fatality, Death visits the world of the living in hopes of learning why people fear him. Claire Forlani and Anthony Hopkins co-star in this film from Martin Brest ("Scent of a Woman").

13 – "Dancing at Lughnasa," an adaptation of Brian Friel's Tony Award-winning play, takes place in Ireland in the 1930s, after many of the lads had emigrated. Among those affected by the man shortage are five lonely sisters (Meryl Streep, Catherine McCormack, Sophie Thompson, Kathy Burke and Brid Brennan).

20 – "Very Bad Things," a comedy with very good buzz, marks the writing-directing debut of "Chicago Hope" star Peter Berg. A twisted tale in the vein of "Pulp Fiction," the trouble begins when a bridegroom-to-be (Jon Favreau) has a fling with a stripper who expires at his bachelor party. The ensemble cast includes Cameron Diaz, Christian Slater and Daniel Stern.

20 – "Celebrity," Woody Allen's annual offering, pokes fun at those who have achieved their 15 minutes of fame. The star-studded cast includes Kenneth Branagh, Judy Davis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Melanie Griffith, Joe Mantegna and Winona Ryder.

20 – "A Bug's Life," a Disney animated feature from the team behind "Toy Story," boasts cuter critters and a greater variety of same than the earlier "Antz." But the protagonist here is also a tradition-bucking ant (Dave Foley) who saves the colony from hostile takeover.

20 – "Rugrats," a feature-length romp based on the cable TV series, records the ruckus following the birth of the Pickles' new baby, Dil.

20 – "At First Sight," based upon a case study of Oliver Sacks, stars Val Kilmer as a blind man whose sight is surgically restored. Mira Sorvino, as his sighted girlfriend, learns that there's more to love than meets the eyes.

20 – "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer," a sequel set on a tropical island, brings more of the same mayhem.

25 – "Enemy of the State," a political thriller reminsicent of "The Man Who Knew Too Much," finds Will Smith playing it straight as a yuppie lawyer caught up in yet another internecine government plot. Gene Hackman portrays the crusty ex-operative who comes to the bewildered innocent's aid. Tony Scott ("Top Gun") directs.

25 – "Velvet Goldmine," a portrait of London in the '70s, centers on a mythical glam-rocker (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) who was at the epicenter of the decadent scene.

25 – "Babe: Pig in the City," a sequel to the 1995 adventure, follows the endearing sheep-hog to a storybook city far from his home with Farmer and Mrs. Hoggett (James Cromwell and Magda Szubanski reprise their roles). There he befriends a menagerie of strange urban beasts and learns how a kind heart can heal a sorry world.

DECEMBER

11 – "Star Trek: Insurrection," the ninth installment of the 32-year-old series, takes Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and crew to an idyllic planet. There, they discover an evil conspiracy involving the highest levels of the Federation. Data, No. 1, et al. make the flight.

11 – "Waking Ned Devine," already dubbed this year's answer to "The Full Monty," looks at what happens to an Irish village when an unclaimed lottery ticket is discovered.

18 – "The Prince of Egypt," an animated epic nurtured by DreamWorks' Jeffrey Katzenberg, sets the story of Moses to music with help from two of Disney's top music men, Stephen Schwartz and Hans Zimmer. The production features the vocal talents of Val Kilmer and Ralph Fiennes as Moses and his "brother," Ramses.

18 – "The Hi-Lo Country," set in New Mexico after World War II, captures the waning of the Old West via a love triangle. Woody Harrelson and Billy Crudup, as compadres since before the war, come home to find their old way of life disappearing. To make matters worse, a woman (Patricia Arquette) threatens to destroy their friendship.

18 – "You've Got Mail," a romantic comedy set in cyberspace, reunites "Sleepless in Seattle" director Nora Ephron with stars Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Here, they're real-life rivals who unwittingly court each other via modem. Inspired by Ernst Lubitsch's "The Shop Around the Corner," the screenplay was written by Ephron and her sister, Delia.

18 – "Mighty Joe Young," a remake of the poignant 1949 adventure, follows a fearsome 15-foot gorilla and the orphan (Charlize Theron) who raised him from their remote mountain home in central Africa to an animal preserve in Southern California. Of course, poor Joe escapes and tries to go home. But the terrified Angelenos are less than civil in their dealings with the noble beast.

25 – "The Thin Red Line," Terrence Malick's adaptation of James Jones's 1962 novel, tracks the men of Charlie Company into the massive battle for Guadalcanal Island. As in "Saving Private Ryan," the film focuses on a dozen or so individuals: the efficient killer (Sean Penn), the captain (Elias Koteas), the mouthy New Yorker (Larry Romano), the cowardly clerk (Adrien Brody) and so on.

25 – "Blast From the Past," a romantic comedy in "The Sleeper" mode, stars Brendan Fraser as a 30-year-old who has spent his entire life in a bomb shelter. When he emerges to restock the larder and find a wife, he discovers an unfamiliar world. Alicia Silverstone, Sissy Spacek and Christopher Walken lend support.

25 – "A Civil Action," a legal thriller based on a true story, stars John Travolta as a small-time personal injury lawyer who butts heads with two corporate giants in an epic courtroom showdown. The stellar cast includes Robert Duvall, Kathy Bates, John Lithgow and William H. Macy.

25 – "Patch Adams," a dramedy about a real-life medico, stars Robin Williams as a former mental patient who decides to go to med school. He quickly realizes laughter is the best medicine, only the medical establishment doesn't get the joke.

25 – "Stepmom," a tearjerker along the lines of "Beaches," stars real-life chums Susan Sarandon and Julia Roberts as a single mother and the woman who marries her former husband (Ed Harris). When the former becomes gravely ill, she decides to teach her successor how to raise her daughter (Jena Malone).