'Rendition' opens Oct. 19

BY BOB STRAUSS>FILM WRITER

Reese Witherspoon has a theory as to why it's taken so long for Hollywood to address Iraq and the war on terror - which about a half dozen movies, including her own "Rendition," are finally doing this year.

"It takes time for people to build a perspective and come up with a human angle on these things," she says. "So much of what you see on the news is so impersonal, and I think sometimes it takes a while for filmmakers to find the stories that really come out of these experiences.

"I think that's what we're seeing now, more personal accounts of people looking for people and practices that are happening due to war. This film is derived from a couple of particular cases that inspired a writer to create a fictional account."

In "Rendition," Witherspoon plays the pregnant American wife of an Egyptian-born engineer. When he doesn't come home from an overseas business trip, she heads to Washington to get some help finding him. Meanwhile, a CIA analyst played by Jake Gyllenhaal is unnerved by what he sees at an offshore interrogation center. And yes, the two stories are related.

Fresh off her Oscar-winning role as June Carter Cash in "Walk the Line," mother of two Witherspoon says that, while "Rendition's" emotional demands were daunting, she was equally determined to get her character's ninth-month waddle just right.

"I thrive in bringing authenticity to pregnancy on film," she says with a laugh. "Being a woman who's actually been through two pregnancies, I really get excited about being accurate."

After strong, back-to-back dramatic tests, the "Legally Blonde" star is looking forward to her next role, a holiday comedy with Vince Vaughn.

"I'm thrilled!" she says. "It'll be so nice to go on the set and laugh. We're writing the script now and having a great time. You need to sort of break it up and mix it up."