ARLINGTON ROAD Directed by Mark Pellington   Starring Jeff Bridges, Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack   May 14

The Premise As the summer's first major thriller, Arlington Road pits Jeff Bridges as Michael, a college professor who specializes in domestic terrorism--an interest spawned by the fact that his FBI agent wife was killed by extremists. When a new family, the Langs (Tim Robbins and Joan Cusack) move in next door and start acting suspiciously, Michael comes to suspect that his all-American neighbors may actually be terrorists. Is it simply paranoia or something much more frightening?

What to Look For Early trailers seem to portray the film as a cat-and-mouse thriller between Bridges and Robbins, but inside buzz suggests that an abundance of meaty plot twists make the story much more complex. Any which way, Arlington Road is a big step up for director Mark Pellington, a music video veteran who debuted with the little-seen 1997 flick Going All the Way. Word from the studio is that the film is more than your standard action-thriller--it's just as much about the inner struggle of a man caught up in the grip of paranoia.

The Buzz An intriguing plot and inspired casting in Cusack and the versatile Robbins. But with the unaffecting Bridges in the lead role (whose similarly themed Blown Away was a dud) and an opening date just five days before Star Wars, Arlington Road could be in for a rocky trip.

THE LOVE LETTER   Directed by Mark Pellington   Starring Kate Capshaw, Ellen Degeneres, Blythe Danner   May 14

The Premise Based on best-selling novel by Cathleen Schine, this quaint little romantic mystery examines the ultimate question: how do you fall in love? Helen, the perfectly complacent, satisfied and divorced bookstore owner and mother receives a passionate, unsigned love letter. When she discovers its author is her college student employee, she tries to resist temptation.

What to Look For This is the U.S. debut of Hong Kong director Peter Chan. Filming took place in the quaint, idyllic, sleepy, picturesque town of Rockport, Mass. Star Kate Capshaw, best known as Steven Spielberg's wife, best remembered as the second Indiana Jones girl, long ago made The Love Letter her pet project when she optioned the movie rights of the book. Expect it to have a pleasingly female perspective on what it means to fall in love. The Buzz Dreamworks is taking a gamble by releasing the film during the first Phantom Menace weekend, the idea being that women, their significant others and people who couldn't get tickets to see Yoda and Obi-wan will settle for this instead. The studio openly admits that the movie is directed at women; this should be a warning, and maybe encouragement, to us all.

STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE   Directed by George Lucas   Starring Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd   May 14

The Premise Not content to create our childhood myths, George Lucas will now launch us into adulthood, finally made possible through computer 3-D effects.

What to Look For Disappointment. Every moment will tug at our heart strings, but you can only say, "You're all clear kid, let's blow this thing and go home" once.

The Buzz The buzz is itself. Who ever thought the Force could cloy? JUNE

LIMBO   Directed by John Sayles   Starring David Strathairn, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio   June 4

The Premise The film centers around a fisherman (David Strathairn) left high and dry by a traumatizing sea accident. When a lounge singer (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) and her daughter (Vanessa Martinez) show up in town, the three meet and their lives forever change. In a touching moment of cliche, they even end up stranded together on a deserted island.

What to Look For Writer and director John Sayles won acclaim for Lone Star, his 1996 drama about a working-class Texan who must come to terms with his storied past. This summer Sayles brings us Limbo, a drama about a working-class Alaskan who must come to terms with his storied past. Deja vu aside, considering Sayles' proven track record, this art-house release may be worth checking out.

The Buzz Small films such as this one often struggle amidst the shoot-'em-up spectaculars of summer; but Sayles and his solid (if not star-filled) cast give Limbo a bit of a leg up.

BIG DADDY   Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld   Starring Adam Sandler   June 25

The Premise In Big Daddy, Sandler plays Sonny Koufax, a toll collector who has never relaly grown up (sound familiar?) That becomes a major problem when he decides to adopt a kid in a misguided attempt to woo his ex-girlfriend back. The first thing Sonny learns about fatherhood is that children do not come with a money-back guarantee. After accepting that, he learns a lot more--about raising a child and about himself.

What to Look For Adam Sandler is a hot commodity right now: the two films he starred in last year--The Wedding Singer and The Waterboy--together did $241 million worth of box office. It's no wonder, then, that Sony has high hopes for Sandler's upcoming summer comedy. If it sounds like a bit more serious of a role than Sandler's Bayou-dwellling, alligator eating, Gatorade-toting "Waterboy," it is. Of course, there will still be plenty of Sancdler's trademark humor to go around, but the film's director claims that Big Daddy will actually feature--of all things--acting.

The Buzz The buzz could be either good or bad for the movie's prospects. It might make for a more complete film, but if Big Daddy starts piling on the inevitable schlock too soon, fans hoping for a bunch of bodily-function jokes will be disappointed.

THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR   Directed by Josef Rusnak   Starring Armin Mueller-Stahl, Craig Bierko   June 25

The Premise Loosely based on the novel Simulacron-3 by Daniel F. Galouye, The Thirteenth Floor is the latest in an increasing number of science-fiction films which delve into the nature of reality and creation. The story revolves around two corporate visionaries, Doug (Bierko) and Fuller (Armin Mueller-Stahl), who create a complete virtual reality simulation of 1937 Los Angeles on a computer chip. However, when Fuller is murdered and Doug becomes the prime suspect, he must plunge into a mystery that has him questioning the thin line between the real and the simulated.