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Jack Nicholson Coming to Town?

"The Untitled James L. Brooks Project" -- the romantic triangle starring Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson and Paul Rudd set to start shooting here in mid-June -- is negotiating with Jack Nicholson (who won Oscars for the Brooks films Terms of Endearment and As Good as It Gets) to play the role of Rudd's father. According to Variety, Nicholson would replace the notoriously noncommital Bill Murray, initially slated to co-star.

As you no doubt know, in the untitled film Witherspoon is torn between businessman Rudd and ballplayer Wilson.

Brooks has a good track record of eliciting restrained performances from wild men (think Adam Sandler in Spanglish; and the unbilled Nicholson as a magisterial Dan Rather-type anchorman in Broadcast News.)

Diabolical Jack (The Shining, Batman, The Departed) doesn't age well for me. I prefer unflappable Jack to flipped Jack. My most cherished performances of his are Easy Rider, The Last Detail, Chinatown, Reds, the Brooks movies and Something's Gotta Give. You? Tell me why.