Who would have thought the live-action 101 Dalmatians, written and produced by John (Home Alone) Hughes and directed by Stephen Herek (who last brought us the sappy yawner Mr. Holland's Opus), would be so enjoyable? Well, give these two a timeless tale, Glenn Close as the wicked, fur-loving Cruella DeVil, and a slew of adorable animals, and they'll do all right. Yes, there's Hughes, who nowadays can't make a movie without pratfalls that would make Larry, Curly, and Moe turn in their graves. Yes, there were more than a few moments when I expected Herek to have Jeff Daniels start singing and signing, "Beautiful Dog." And Daniels as Pongo's owner, Roger (now a video-game designer), at times mysteriously still thinks he's in Dumb and Dumber. But, hey, I'm just looking for things to complain about. The film is a faithful, updated retelling of the animated classic. Joely Richardson is a sweet but strong leading lady; Joan Plowright is sufficiently grandmotherly as her nanny; and if Close freaked the shit out of you in Fatal Attraction, now she'll do it again for your kids. At the Copley Place, the Fresh Pond, and the Chestnut Hill and in the suburbs.