Cinema: Hitchcrock a Time of Destiny

David Puttnam had a good idea when he took over Columbia Pictures in 1986. He would match Hollywood actors with daring directors from Britain, Europe and the U.S. independent bloc. The films that emerged from this cultural Marshall Plan in reverse might not be better than the usual teenpix and dime-novel dramas, but they ought to be more exciting.

Puttnam left Columbia last fall, before he could harvest the fruits of his scheme. But if he looks at A Time of Destiny, with two Oscar-winning actors (William Hurt and Timothy Hutton) and the team that made the off-Hollywood hit El Norte,...