The Box
The Box is a bloated retelling of a 1970’s short story that became an episode of the rejuvenated Twilight Zone in the 1980’s. Cameron Diaz and James Marsden are Norma and Arthur Lewis, a mid seventies professional couple that even with two incomes have money issues. Their situation changes when they come face to face (or at least most of his face) with lightning strike survivor Arlington Steward (Frank Langella) who offers them a million dollars if they will simply push the button on a wooden box. The catch is that on the completion of the task someone they don’t know will die. There’s also a corollary that they only find out about when they get the cash in that the box will be reprogrammed and the next time the button is deployed it could mean trouble for the Lewis’. The movie starts to show some promise after that but eventually gets bogged down trying to decide what it wants to be with references to alien manipulation and a hint of religion, not to mention veiled misogyny (think Adam and eve and the apple). Richard Matheson, the author of the original short story Button Button was so unhappy with the changes made when it was adapted for television that he took writing credit under a pseudonym. Goodness knows how he feels about this latest take on his work but even he might forewarn that if you’re looking for a good movie, think outside The Box.