Cindy Crawford Returns to Acting

By C. Young

12/13/2001 at 10:35 AM EST

Supermodel Cindy Crawford's first move into feature films, 1995's "Fair Game," died an ugly death at the box office, garnering jeers from fans and critics alike. Now she's back with romance "The Simian Line," opening nationwide Dec. 17 -- and this time, things are different, Reuters reported. For one, the film is an indie shot on a small budget. For another, whereas "Fair Game" had Crawford playing opposite Billy Baldwin, "The Simian Line" boasts an ensemble cast including veterans William Hurt, Lynn Redgrave, Eric Stoltz, Harry Connick Jr., and Tyne Daly. "It was like acting camp for two weeks," Crawford told Reuters. The film follows three couples who are told by a psychic that one pair will break up by New Year's Eve, and is a small slice-of-life picture being released amid a sea of Hollywood blockbusters such as "Lord of the Rings," "Vanilla Sky" and "Ocean's Eleven." Crawford is playing the acting game coolly. Of "Fair Game" she told Reuters: "It's not the best movie, nor is it the worst, and I'm not ashamed of it. It was an action movie. I felt a little unfairly held up to high expectations."