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Idol Chatter

The only double award winner for drama at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival was James C. Strouse’s powerful debut film, “Grace is Gone.” John Cusack gives a remarkably restrained performance as Stanley Philips, a father of two girls, confronted by a shocking reality. Stanley’s wife, Grace, dies serving as a soldier in Iraq. How and…

In business these days, children are a fact of life. Working from home to stay with a sick child is an allowable indulgence. If anyone remarks on a small voice in the office or in the background on a conference call, it’s most often to note it warmly. In 1973, when Roe v. Wade was…

Who would guess that the Sundance Film Festival would offer not one, but two compelling stories of life inside Russian Orthodox monasteries? “The Island” is a dark, foreboding, but ultimately transcendent film set on an icy Russian setting. “The Monastery: Mr. Vig and the Nun” is a Danish documentary filled with eccentric humor and profound…

It couldn’t have gotten any worse on “24” when the first of five nuclear bombs was detonated, presumably by Muslim terrorists. And so the eagerly anticipated season began, with Muslim extremists as the villain this time around. There’s been a venerable smorgasborg of baddies on “24,” the popular Fox drama that follows agent Jack Bauer,…

The fake controversy surrounding Dakota Fanning’s new film, “Hounddog“–in which the child actress plays a victim of abuse who, in one much-discussed scene, is raped–demonstrates the unfortunate and continuing power of a press release. Political activists on both sides of the aisle have learned that well-timed (and unsubstantiated) accusations can be an effective fundraising tool…

Don’t mistake “Eagle vs. Shark” for your average love story. This “romantic comedy turned on its head” by New Zealand director Taiko Waititi was one of the most talked-about premieres at Sundance. I heard at a previous screening someone called it “the best movie ever made.” When I arrived at the line early, the waiting…

I finally saw “The Aristocrats” this weekend, and will refrain from adding–at this late date–to the reams of commentary on this documentary about the telling and retelling of a single, legendary, vile joke by professional comedians. In a completely unrelated aside, however, Robin Williams did offer this gem, which may be old news for lots…

Last week my husband returned from Seattle on Delta Airlines, and told me he had some “Idol Chatter blog-worthy” news: As they crossed the country at 35,000 feet, they were treated to quite the interesting version of the Golden Globe-winning “The Queen.” All the references to “God” were bleeped out, he explained in shock. And…

For the most part, there isn’t always a lot of grace shown at “Grey’s Anatomy’s” Seattle Grace Hospital. The show dabbles with the “diseases” of the human condition, those murky, dirty, selfish gray areas of torrid love affairs, ruthless competitiveness, the keeping of dark secrets, and cutting the LVAD wire keeping your boyfriend alive so…

Many year’s ago, a relative of mine joked that she may have to induce the birth of her third child since the expected due date was the same as the Super Bowl and she wanted her husband to be there for the birth. Luckily, said child arrived naturally three days before the big game, and…
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