Jodie Foster is the screen queen of strong women who don't need men. In "Panic Room," a philandering husband dumps her, so she moves into a cavernous brownstone in NYC with her sullen teen-age daughter. The late eccentric owner installed the titular room as a safe fortress, and a game of cat-and-mouse ensues as three would-be thieves try to coax the girls out.

The house itself becomes a character in the film as the camera seamlessly glides through walls and ceilings, through keyholes and countertops.

Forest Whitaker is great as a thief with a heart o' gold, and fans of Dwight Yoakum's villainy in "Sling Blade" will enjoy the Yoakum/Foster standoff.

"Panic Room" scores high in originality and suspense, but the plausibility of the plot may leave you scratching your head as you leave the theater.

- Fawna Jones, mom