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For fantasy fans who have yet to discover newcomer Jonathan Stroud’s “The Bartimaeus Trilogy,” get ready to indulge. Stroud’s writing is superb, his characters–and his demons–are funny and variant, and now the final installment in this three-book saga about the trials and tribulations of magicians, commoners, and several species of demons in Britain is out…

I had the fortune to attend the stage debut in Burlington, VT, last weekend of “A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl” (Wendy Lamb/Random House), based on Tanya Lee Stone’s novel of the same name. The story–about three high school girls who all have the misfortune (or is it fortune?) to date and…

“You think you know who you are, but you have no idea.” That line is both an ominous warning and a promise of hope, and it exemplifies the moral complexity of the Oscar-nominated film “Crash.” Forget the gay cowboys, unconscionable terrorists, eccentric authors, and desperate transgender parents; “Crash” has been slowly picking up speed by…

I understand the evangelical Christian t-shirt industry’s impulse to turn every catchphrase and mass-culture motto to Jesus’ purposes. A good “Got Jesus?” surfer tee reminds the faithful to keep their eyes on the prize and telegraphs to nonbelievers that serious religion can have a sense of humor. But isn’t it a tweak too far when…

Sophie Scholl, executed in 1943 at age 21 for resisting the Nazi regime, has long been a heroine of conscience in Germany, even though the full details of her interrogation and demise weren’t known until recently. A new feature film, “Sophie Scholl: The Final Days”–an Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film–opens in New York this…

Sure we watch the Olympics for the fantastic athletic competitions, but what we really love is the human drama behind those achievements. And while the past few days have been full of drama–Michelle Kwan relinquishing her spot, Bode Miller not medaling–it’s the truly Olympic moments of overcoming adversity and elevating the human spirit that keep…

What was the best spiritual film of 2005? I’m not talking about the latest “Left Behind” flick, or even “The Gospel,” but rather: What big, mainstream film offered both the highest-quality filmmaking and a meaningful, thoughtful spiritual message? That’s the question we’re trying to answer with the first-ever Beliefnet Film Awards. We’ve put together a…

It’s an idea that’s been done to death–what would you do if you knew this was your last day?–but still last night’s Part 2 of the “Code Black” episode on “Grey’s Anatomy” triumphed despite being laden with clichés. The show had it all: In one incredulous storyline, intern Meredith Grey was holding an unexploded bomb…

What was that I just heard? Was that the collective voice of America sighing in sympathy when it heard that ice skating darling Michelle Kwan–winner of silver and bronze Olympic medals and numerous national and world championships–decided to drop out of this year’s competition because of a nagging groin injury? Kwan, 25, was somber and…

My wife and I viewed two movies this weekend, and we saw a lot of killing. “Firewall” is the new Harrison Ford release. In it, he’s the “good guy” and kills a lot of the “bad guys” who are holding his family hostage. We also finally saw “Munich,” in which Eric Bana plays the “good…
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