Looking for a niche on the big screen

Cherry Jones's prominence on the stage has not been matched on screen. She's had small to middling roles in 16 movies, including "The Horse Whisperer, " "The Perfect Storm, " "Erin Brockovich, " "Signs, " and "Ocean's Twelve. "

"I hope I can get a little niche in the film world and keep doing my little parts," Jones says, "because I enjoy that -- and it's such a good reliable source of income."

Why Jones hasn't had a bigger film career is "kind of a mystery," says John Patrick Shanley , author of "Doubt" and an Academy Award winner for his "Moonstruck" screenplay.

Shanley has no doubts, though, as to why Jones is so at home in the theater.

"I think it's love," he says. "I have seen actors -- stars -- who step on stage and shrink and shrivel in terror. And I've seen actors who step on stage and come to life. Cherry is one of those. You can see her love of the theater the minute she walks on stage."

MARK FEENEY