Must See: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

(Above: Taraji P. Henson and Brad Pitt earned Screen Actors Guild nods for their work)

The film adaptation of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button doesn’t share much with the story by F. Scott Fitzgerald beyond the title and the name of the central character. Still, the film embodies the spirit of that whimsical short story. It contemplates what it means to be young, to age, to lose. And the shock of the title character’s passing – as an infant in the arms of a caretaker – is still palpable.

The movie stars Brad Pitt in the title role, but its soul belongs to Kate Blanchett and Taraji P. Henson. Blanchett is Daisy, “a dancer, bohemian and all-around free spirit who ages gracefully, before our eyes, into a stately modern matron and then into a wasted, breathless old woman.”

Henson plays Queenie, Benjamin’s adopted mother, and she ages from 26 to 71 in the film. Her performance earned accolades, including a Critics’ Choice and Screen Actors Guild nods.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a satisfying epic, held together by powerful performances and a subtly of direction. It doesn’t feel like your standard dramatic fair. There isn’t a huge legal battle, government conspiracy, plot to murder or overtly obvious CGI effects. What you get is what the New Republic’s Christopher Orr called a “a film of mood, not motion.” But David Ansen of Newsweek described it best: “Lyrical, original, misshapen and deeply felt, this is one flawed beauty of a movie.”

Screen Actors Guild Nods Announced

Nominations for the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® for outstanding performances in 2008 in five film and eight primetime television categories were announced this morning in Los Angeles at the Pacific Design Center’s Silver Screen Theater in West Hollywood.

15th ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS® NOMINATIONS

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
RICHARD JENKINS / Walter Vale - "THE VISITOR" (Overture Films)
FRANK LANGELLA / Richard Nixon - "FROST/NIXON" (Universal Pictures)
SEAN PENN / Harvey Milk - "MILK" (Focus Features)
BRAD PITT / Benjamin Button - "THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON" (Paramount Pictures)
MICKEY ROURKE / Randy - "THE WRESTLER" (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
ANNE HATHAWAY / Kym - "RACHEL GETTING MARRIED" (Sony Pictures Classics)
ANGELINA JOLIE / Christine Collins - "CHANGELING" (Universal Pictures)
MELISSA LEO / Ray Eddy - "FROZEN RIVER" (Sony Pictures Classics)
MERYL STREEP / Sister Aloysius Beauvier - "DOUBT" (Miramax Films)
KATE WINSLET / April Wheeler - "REVOLUTIONARY ROAD" (Paramount Vantage)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
JOSH BROLIN / Dan White - "MILK" (Focus Features)
ROBERT DOWNEY, JR. / Kirk Lazarus - "TROPIC THUNDER" (Paramount Pictures)
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN / Father Brendan Flynn - "DOUBT" (Miramax Films)
HEATH LEDGER / Joker - "THE DARK KNIGHT" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
DEV PATEL / Older Jamal - "SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE" (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
AMY ADAMS / Sister James - "DOUBT" (Miramax Flms)
PENÉLOPE CRUZ / Maria Elena - "VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA" (The Weinstein Company)
VIOLA DAVIS / Mrs. Miller - "DOUBT" (Miramax Films)
TARAJI P. HENSON / Queenie - "THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON" (Paramount Pictures)
KATE WINSLET / Hanna Schmitz - "THE READER" (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (Paramount Pictures)
DOUBT (Miramax)
FROST/NIXON (Universal Pictures)
MILK (Focus Features)
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Fox Searchlight Pictures)


PRIMETIME TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
RALPH FIENNES / Bernard Lafferty - "BERNARD AND DORIS" (HBO)
PAUL GIAMATTI / John Adams - "JOHN ADAMS" (HBO)
KEVIN SPACEY / Ron Klain - "RECOUNT" (HBO)
KIEFER SUTHERLAND / Jack Bauer - "24: REDEMPTION" (FOX)
TOM WILKINSON / Benjamin Franklin - "JOHN ADAMS" (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
LAURA DERN / Katherine Harris - "RECOUNT" (HBO)
LAURA LINNEY / Abigail Adams - "JOHN ADAMS" (HBO)
SHIRLEY MacLAINE / Coco Chanel - "COCO CHANEL" (Lifetime)
PHYLICIA RASHAD / Lena Younger - "A RAISIN IN THE SUN" (ABC)
SUSAN SARANDON / Doris Duke - "BERNARD AND DORIS" (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
MICHAEL C. HALL / Dexter Morgan - "DEXTER" (Showtime)
JON HAMM / Don Draper - "MAD MEN" (AMC)
HUGH LAURIE / Gregory House - "HOUSE" (FOX)
WILLIAM SHATNER / Denny Crane - "BOSTON LEGAL" (ABC)
JAMES SPADER / Alan Shore - "BOSTON LEGAL" (ABC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
SALLY FIELD / Nora Walker - "BROTHERS & SISTERS" (ABC)
MARISKA HARGITAY / Det. Olivia Benson - "LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT" (NBC)
HOLLY HUNTER / Grace Hanadarko - "SAVING GRACE" (TNT)
ELISABETH MOSS / Peggy Olson - "MAD MEN" (AMC)
KYRA SEDGWICK / Dep. Chief Brenda Johnson - "THE CLOSER" (TNT)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy - "30 ROCK" (NBC)
STEVE CARELL / Michael Scott - "THE OFFICE" (NBC)
DAVID DUCHOVNY / Hank Moody - "CALIFORNICATION" (Showtime)
JEREMY PIVEN / Ari Gold - "ENTOURAGE" (HBO)
TONY SHALHOUB / Adrian Monk - "MONK" (USA)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
CHRISTINA APPLEGATE / Samantha Newly - "SAMANTHA WHO?" (ABC)
AMERICA FERRERA / Betty Suarez - "UGLY BETTY" (ABC)
TINA FEY / Liz Lemon - "30 ROCK" (NBC)
MARY-LOUISE PARKER / Nancy Botwin - "WEEDS" (Showtime)
TRACEY ULLMAN / Various Characters - "TRACEY ULLMAN’S STATE OF THE UNION" (Showtime)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
BOSTON LEGAL (ABC)
THE CLOSER (TNT)
DEXTER (Showtime)
HOUSE (Fox)
MAD MEN (AMC)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
30 ROCK (NBC)
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
ENTOURAGE (HBO)
THE OFFICE (NBC)
WEEDS (Showtime)

New Trailer: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

If you were a fan of the X-Men comic books or the popular animated Fox series, you'll get a kick out of the trailer for X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a prequel to the uber-successful X-Men movies. You'll spot not only Wolverine and Sabertooth but also Gambit and what appears to be a young Storm, among others. The movie hits theaters in May 2009.
X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE HD

TV guilty pleasures return in January '09

Big Love, Jan. 18, HBO

As if juggling three wives weren't tricky enough, Season Two of Emmy®- and Golden Globe®-nominated 'Big Love' finds modern polygamist Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton) tackling problems outside his three-house suburban home. As a failed expansion and a suspicious employee entangle his work at Henrickson Home Plus, Bill races to find the person responsible for outing his wife Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn) as a polygamist at Utah's Mother of the Year ceremony. Meanwhile, back at the fundamentalist Juniper Hill compound, prophet Roman Grant (Harry Dean Stanton) sets his sights on Bill's brother Joey (Shawn Doyle) as leverage to regain a share of the family business. Throw a pregnant Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin) and an overcompensating Nicki (Chloe Sevigny) into the mix, and Bill won't be getting much sleep at any of his houses. Bold, funny and wholly original, Big Love continues to explore the evolving institution of marriage through this typically atypical family. The executive producers of BIG LOVE are Playtone's Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman and series creators Mark V. Olsen & Will Scheffer (writer of HBO's "In the Gloaming"), who produced the independent feature film "Easter."

Damages, Jan. 7, F/X

The series follows the turbulent lives of Patty Hewes (Glenn Close), the nation's most revered and reviled high-stakes litigator and her bright, ambitious young protégé Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne). After her unprecedented victory over billionaire Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson), Patty Hewes has the legal world at her feet. Just as she's pondering her next move, Daniel Purcell (William Hurt), a man from Patty's mysterious past, storms back into her life, catapulting Patty into a new legal challenge. What starts as a domestic murder case, escalates into the highest reaches of government as Patty unearths a vast conspiracy. At the same time, Ellen is on a mission to take down Patty. She's agreed to act as an informant for the FBI, assisting them in their criminal investigation of Patty and the firm. As Patty unravels the mystery surrounding Daniel Purcell, she must also negotiate the perilous minefield both inside and outside her office.

Nip/Tuck, Jan. 6, F/X

Earlier this season, Sean and Christian departed Miami for Los Angeles seeking a fresh start for McNamara/Troy in a new city. Convinced that celebrity status can bring them more new patients than their medical reputations, the surgeons became medical consultants for a television drama. Sean was met with early success under the Hollywood spotlight, only to become the victim of a deranged fan. Despite his own attempts to gain notoriety, Christian found himself living in Sean's shadow for the first time in his career. As season five continues, McNamara/Troy faces an unexpected, serious medical crisis. Christian decides to settle down with one woman and Sean discovers a new love in a moment of extreme vulnerability.

With Golden Globe nods announced, Oscar season officially begins

It's been a quiet film-going year. Think about it: No powerhouses like No Country for Old Men, Crash, American Beauty, Return of the King.

With the announcement of the Golden Globe nominations this week, we at least know the direction in which the wind is blowing.

First, some old familiars will battle for the big prizes: Kate Winslet, Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymore Hoffman, Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn will all receive Oscar nods for their work this year.

Penn, who portrayed 1970s gay rights activist Harvey Milk, will most certainly walk away with his second Academy Award for what is being universally hailed as a "soulful [and] highly ingratiating performance." That is, if come-back story of the year, Mickey Rourke, doesn't pull an upset for The Wrestler.

Winslet is probably the most deserving in the leading lady category. The critics say her work in Revolutionary Road and The Reader is phenomenal. Industry insiders say this will finally be her year.

And the best picture of the year, The Dark Knight, will probably get snubbed in the top category, best film. That prize will probably go to indie sensation Slumdog Millionaire, screen adaptation Revolutionary Road, the epic Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the biopic Milk or the political drama Frost/Nixon.

LA Times film blogger Scott Feinberg warns about not reading too much into the Golden Globe nods. The Globes aren't an Oscar precursor, per se, as the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association "are primarily made up of film journalists, as opposed to filmmakers, who make up the vast majority of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences."

Once the Screen Actors Guild and the Directors Guild of America announce their nominations, we'll be a bit more certain. Still, we know enough now to publish our early predictions.

Here are the top categories.

BEST PICTURE
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"Frost/Nixon"
"Revolutionary Road"
"Slumdog Millionaire"
"Doubt"
"Milk"

BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire")
David Fincher ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button")
Ron Howard ("Frost/Nixon")
Sam Mendes ("Revolutionary Road")
Christopher Nolan ("The Dark Knight")
Gus Van Sant ("Milk")

BEST ACTOR
Leonardo DiCaprio ("Revolutionary Road")
Frank Langella ("Frost/Nixon")
Sean Penn ("Milk")
Brad Pitt ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button")
Mickey Rourke ("The Wrestler")

BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway ("Rachel Getting Married")
Angelina Jolie ("Changeling")
Meryl Streep ("Doubt")
Kristin Scott Thomas ("I've Loved You So Long")
Kate Winslet ("Revolutionary Road")

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Ralph Fiennes ("The Duchess")
Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Doubt")
Heath Ledger ("The Dark Knight")
Josh Brolin ("Milk")
Michael Shannon ("Revolutionary Road")

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams ("Doubt")
Viola Davis ("Doubt")
Marisa Tomei ("The Wrestler")
Kate Winslet ("The Reader")
Taraji P. Henson ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button")

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Dustin Lance Black ("Milk")
Jenny Lumet ("Rachel Getting Married")
Nick Schenck ("Gran Torino")

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
"Gomorra" (Italy)
"I've Loved You So Long" (France)

UpComing: Cadillac Records

I saw the trailer today for the Dec. 5 release Cadillac Records about rock and roll in 1950s Chicago. The movie, which most famously stars R&B/pop diva Beyoncé Knowles, also features a cadre of serious actors: Adrian Brody, who scored an Oscar for the Pianist; Jeffrey Wright, Emmy winner for Angels in America; Mos Def, Emmy nominated for Something the Lord Made; and Gabrielle Union, whose diverse credits include everything from Deliver Us From Eva and Daddy's Little Girls to Something the Lord Made and Ugly Betty.

Cadillac Records is not getting the kind of buzz that brought box office success (and Oscar gold for Jennifer Hudson) in 2006s Dreamgirls; but based on a viewing of the trailer and a read of a recent Los Angeles Times piece on Beyoncé's dramatic aspirations, the film may prove a more textured and satisfying experience.

Obama: 'Change has come to America.'

As U.S. rejoices, so does the world

The Huffington Post has published pictures from around the world at the announcement that Barack Obama was elected the next president of the U.S.

Indonesia - at Obama's former school in Jakarta

The Philippines

Kenya - Obama's step-grandmother, Sarah Obama, at center.

Greece

Israel

Barack H. Obama elected 44th president of the United States of America

I can't fully describe the emotion.

America has elected Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th president of the United States of America.

Four-hundred years after black Africans arrived on the shores of North America confined to the chains of slavery, Obama, the biracial son of a Kenyan father and white American mother, and his wife, the great-granddaughter of slaves, will enter the White House as America's first family.

America has been my homes since I arrived here from the Bahamas when I was a year old. My parents, both Haitian immigrants from meager backgrounds, taught me that almost everything in this country was attainable. I could be a doctor, a lawyer. I could write books if I chose. But be president? "They won't ever let that happen," is how my parents explained it.

Tonight, my mother cheered in jubilation.

My sister cried, completely overcome.

For me, the words are difficult to come by, trapped somewhere between disbelief that this has happened and utter elation.

My hands are still a bit unsteady, my skin prickled all over.

I think Eugene Robinson explained it best today in his column in the Washington Post: Obama's success on the national scale gives me a "new kind of pride" in my adopted country.

Fey back as Palin on SNL

'Meet the Press': Colin Powell Endorses Obama

The Envelope Announces the First Oscar Picks of the Season

The Envelope, the LA Times' award show blog, has released its first predictions for Oscar season.

Here's the report:

"The Envelope's Buzzmeter is currently being overhauled and redesigned, so let's start featuring Oscars predictions here at Gold Derby.

The result: proof of how wide open the top races are. There is no consensus over a single nomination except a best actor nom for Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler (photo above). The biggest majorities in the best picture race: six of our seven Oscar seers pick The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, five opt for Frost/Nixon and Revolutionary Road. Only two chaps pooled six pundits in the best actor slugfest: Sean Penn (Milk) and Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon).

Only two gals get six votes for best actress: Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road) and Angelina Jolie (Changeling). Five contenders muster only a single vote: Kate Beckinsale (Nothing but the Truth), Cate Blanchett (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky), Keira Knightley (The Duchess) and Melissa Leo (Frozen River). In the best actor derby, there's only single-vote support, surprisingly, for Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt), Benicio del Toro (Che), Josh Brolin (W.) and Robert Downey Jr. (The Soloist)."

Check out the full report at The Envelope's Gold Derby blog.

Must See: Heroes-Villains

The two-hour season premiere of the NBC hit series, Heroes, brought much to the table.

Season one was about "save the cheerleader and save the world," but when Sylar literally picked Claire's brain, he found that she can't die even if he tried to kill her.

Hiro's father has entrusted him with a formula that could end the world as we know it and he let's a female speedy Gonzalez nab it a moment after he discovers it. And in a quick venture to the future, when the world is imploding, Hiro witnesses his death at the hands of his sidekick, Ando.

Future Peter Patrelli travels to the past to shoot his brother to prevent future calamity, but his mother, Angela -- herself a future-seeing hero-ette -- tells him his attempt at heroics resulted in a butterfly effect -- and a future that will leave all of the heroes dead.

The noble Mohinder Suresh, who spent two seasons studying the heroes and searching for a cure, has grown envious of the mutants he's trailed for two years and has developed a serum (like Promison in 4400) that gives abilities. In a move that's not so altruistic, he injects himself, transforms into something of a shirtless Spider-man before waking up and pealing away flakes of skin in a moment that reminded us of The Fly.

The ice queen with the double personality, Niki Sanders, has reemerged as a literal ice queen whom, we're told, is NOT Niki Sanders (where was Micah, by the way, in this season opener?).

Near death at the hands of his brother has turned Nathan Patrelli into something of a Jesus freak with unclear and certainly impure motives for accepting a deputy governorship.

Sylar is back! And cooler than ever. But when he's immobilized after an explosion -- caused when he tries to saw off the head of the electromagnetic psycho Elle -- is inducted into the service of The Company by Angela Patrelli, who tells him that she's his mother!

And let us not forget the five uber-psycho villains who escaped from Level 5 (among them is Peter Patrelli, implanted into the body of a villain by his future self). In their first few moments of freedom from imprisonment, they torch mortals and steal cars. Truly a what the f*%k moment when the camera pans to the scorched body.

These are just the highlights. TVGuide has a more thorough recap. The point, though, ain't lost on me. If season two was a bore for some folks, the writers returned from their season-killing strike and pumped some serious life into this show.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the season.

Fall Must-See Movies

Put the following movies on your fall movie schedule. You'll more-than-likely see some of these again come Oscar nod announcements.

The Miracle at St. Anna: Miracle at St. Anna chronicles the story of four black American soldiers who are members of the US Army as part of the all-black 92nd “Buffalo Soldier” Division stationed in Tuscany, Italy during World War II. They experience the tragedy and triumph of the war as they find themselves trapped behind enemy lines and separated from their unit after one of them risks his life to save an Italian boy. Directed by Spike Lee from a screenplay written by James McBride, the author of the acclaimed novel of the same name, the film explores a deeply inspiring, powerful story drawn from true history, that transcends national boundaries, race, and class to touch the goodness within us all. Release: Sept. 26

The Lucky Ones: After suffering an injury during a routine patrol, hardened sergeant TK Poole (Michael Pena) is granted a one-month leave to visit his fiancé. But when an unexpected blackout cancels all flights out of New York, TK agrees to share a ride to Pittsburgh with two similarly stranded servicemen: Cheever (Academy Award winner Tim Robbins), an older family man who longs to return to his wife in St. Louis, and Colee (Rachel McAdams), a naive private who's pinned her hopes on connecting with a dead fellow soldier's family. What begins as a short trip unexpectedly evolves into a longer journey. Forced to grapple with old relationships, broken hopes and a country divided over the war, TK, Cheever and Colee discover that home is not quite what they remembered, and that the unlikely companionship they've found might be what matters the most. Release: Sept. 26

The Soloist: An emotionally soaring drama about the redemptive power of music, a journalist, Steve Lopez (Academy Award nominee Robert Downey Jr.) discovers Nathaniel Anthony Ayers (Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx), a former classical music prodigy, playing his violin on the streets of L.A. As Lopez endeavors to help the homeless man find his way back, a unique friendship is formed, one that transforms both men. Release: Nov. 21

Milk: Academy Award winner Gus Van Sant directs Academy Award winner Sean Penn in this bio-pic about gay rights activist Harvey Milk. Release: Dec. 5

Doubt: When the principal (Meryl Streep) of a Bronx Catholic High School accuses a popular priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) of pedophilia, a young nun caught in between the feuding pair become hopelessly swept up in the ensuing controversy. Release: December

Upcoming: Sept. 12 Releases

The weekend of Sept. 12 is gonna be a good one for the movies. Check these out:

Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys
The sixth feature film by Perry chronicles the inner workings of two families—one upper-crust and the other working class—that become inextricably linked by scandal.

Burn After Reading
From Academy Award winners Joel and Ethan Coen. An ousted CIA official’s (Academy Award nominee John Malkovich) memoir accidentally falls into the hands of two unwise gym employees intent on exploiting their find.

Righteous Kill
Academy Award® winners Robert De Niro (Raging Bull) and Al Pacino (Scent of a Woman) star as a pair of veteran New York City police detectives on the trail of a vigilante serial killer in the adrenaline fueled psychological thriller Righteous Kill, directed by Jon Avnet (Red Corner, Fried Green Tomatoes) and written by Russell Gewirtz (Inside Man).

This last one ain't really on my list of must-see movies, but I know a couple of folks who are planning to make some time for it.

The Women
Meg Ryan, Eva Mendes, and Annette Bening star in this comedy where a group of close friends meet to talk about their relationships.

Poli-break: McCain Accepts GOP Nomination

Leadership of the Republican party moved from President George W. Bush to Sen. John McCain of Arizona Thursday when McCain delivered a subdued speech accepting the Republican nomination for the presidency. McCain pledged to end partisan politics, shrink government, and return the GOP to its roots and away from the last eight year's of conservative leadership, even though his record indicated he supported 90 percent of what the Bush administration proposed during those years.

In a speech in which he claimed to have more similarities than differences with Democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, McCain painted himself as a flawed public servant whose character was shaped during the Vietnam War, when he was held as a POW. He offered little specifics about his plans to reshape the economy or win the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead, he pledged to change how government works, echoing Obama's own campaign for change.

“Let me just offer an advance warning to the old, big-spending, do-nothing, me-first-country-second crowd: Change is coming,” he said.

On MSNBC, Tom Brokaw asked McCain supporter Tom Ridge, the former governor of Pennsylvania and secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, about his assessment: "But the fact is, governor, that you have had eight years of a Bush administration and a lot of Republicans in Congress for the last eight years, so why wouldn't the American people say, look they had their shot we're going to change?"

"Because John Bush - because John McCain is very much his own man," Ridge said.

Poli-break: NYT Asks - Was Palin Vetted By McCain?

The New York Times raises some interesting questions about Republican Sen. John McCain's running mate in the recent story "Disclosures on Palin Raise Questions on Vetting Process" by Elisabeth Bumiller.

"A series of disclosures about Gov. Sarah Palin, Senator John McCain’s choice as running mate, called into question on Monday how thoroughly Mr. McCain had examined her background before putting her on the Republican presidential ticket.

On Monday morning, Ms. Palin and her husband, Todd, issued a statement saying that their 17-year-old unmarried daughter, Bristol, was five months pregnant and that she intended to marry the father.

Among other less attention-grabbing news of the day: it was learned that Ms. Palin now has a private lawyer in a legislative ethics investigation in Alaska into whether she abused her power in dismissing the state’s public safety commissioner; that she was a member for two years in the 1990s of the Alaska Independence Party, which has at times sought a vote on whether the state should secede; and that Mr. Palin was arrested 22 years ago on a drunken-driving charge.

Aides to Mr. McCain said they had a team on the ground in Alaska now to look more thoroughly into Ms. Palin’s background. A Republican with ties to the campaign said the team assigned to vet Ms. Palin in Alaska had not arrived there until Thursday, a day before Mr. McCain stunned the political world with his vice-presidential choice.

Although the McCain campaign said that Mr. McCain had known about Bristol Palin’s pregnancy before he asked her mother to join him on the ticket and that he did not consider it disqualifying, top aides were vague on Monday about how and when he had learned of the pregnancy, and from whom."

Read the ENTIRE REPORT ONLINE NOW.

Upcoming: Burn After Reading

The men who brought us last year's Oscar-winning No Country for Old Men return with Burn After Reading, a dark spy-comedy starring George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDermond, Brad Pitt and John Malkovich. An ousted CIA official’s (Malkovich) memoir accidentally falls into the hands of two unwise gym employees intent on exploiting their find. The Focus Features release will hit screens Sept. 12. Check out the trailer

Poli-break: McCain Chooses Little-Known Palin

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain chose the little-known, first-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. The man who previously criticized Barack Obama as inexperienced chose a woman who has served a little less than two years as governor of a state with a population only slightly larger than the crowd that attended Obama's acceptance speech in Denver. Previously, she was mayor of a small Alaskan suburb.

The New York Times reports that "this month, a bipartisan panel of state legislators appointed an independent investigator to look into whether Ms. Palin had fired a top law enforcement official in her administration because he had failed to dismiss a state trooper who was involved in a divorce with Ms. Palin’s sister."

The Obama camp issued this statement: "Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement.

Burton also criticized Palin as a vice presidential pick for her support of oil drilling in the Alaskan wilderness and her anti-abortion stance, referring to the 1973 Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal in the United States.

"Governor Palin shares John McCain's commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade, the agenda of Big Oil and continuing George Bush's failed economic policies. That's not the change we need, it's just more of the same," he said.

Poli-break: Obama Makes History on a Historic Day

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) became the first African-American to accept a presidential nomination from a major political party on a historic day: 45 years to the day when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington.

In a 45-minute address before an audience of more than 80,000 people at Invesco Field in Denver, Obama presented his most thorough case to date against his Republican rival, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, while simultaneously describing in detail his plan to change Washington. (Read the FULL TEXT here)

I was most moved by the conclusion of Obama's speech, which summed up the spirit and significance of his campaign.

It is that American spirit, that American promise, that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend. . . .

And it is that promise that, 45 years ago today, brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln's Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream.

The men and women who gathered there could've heard many things. They could've heard words of anger and discord. They could've been told to succumb to the fear and frustrations of so many dreams deferred.

But what the people heard instead -- people of every creed and color, from every walk of life -- is that, in America, our destiny is inextricably linked, that together our dreams can be one.

"We cannot walk alone," the preacher cried. "And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back."

America, we cannot turn back...

... not with so much work to be done; not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for; not with an economy to fix, and cities to rebuild, and farms to save; not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend.

America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone.

At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise, that American promise, and in the words of scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.

In response, the McCain camp released the following statement:

"Tonight, Americans witnessed a misleading speech that was so fundamentally at odds with the meager record of Barack Obama. When the temple comes down, the fireworks end, and the words are over, the facts remain: Senator Obama still has no record of bipartisanship, still opposes offshore drilling, still voted to raise taxes on those making just $42,000 per year, and still voted against funds for American troops in harm's way. The fact remains: Barack Obama is still not ready to be President."

Interestingly, on this very night, McCain also released a commercial congratulating Obama on his nomination. McCain says: "Senator Obama, this is truly a good day for America. Too often the achievements of our opponents go unnoticed. So I wanted to stop and say, congratulations. How perfect that your nomination would come on this historic day. Tomorrow, we'll be back at it. But tonight Senator, job well done."

Mad Men: All About Betty

The second season of AMC's Mad Men is a tour de force of television drama. And while Don Draper remains the most intriguing leading man on television since Tony Soprano, this season belongs to the women. No surprise that Don's wife has quickly turned into the Queen B among them. (Check out the episode recap on TVGuide.com)

January Jones is absolutely riveting as Betty Draper. She's the anti-June Cleaver who compares her children to horse manure on the bottom of her riding boots, flirts with a mechanic because she's finally realizing the power of her own sexuality, and pushes her husband because he won't smack their son. While Betty seemed a sad child in the first season, she's matured to something of a conniving teen, playing the kind of psychological games with her philandering husband that just can't end well.

Betty had the least amount of screen time among the women in episode five. But she had the last words.

Don has revealed to her that he has high blood pressure. He comes home from work and his wife and children are at the table eating meatloaf. He takes a bite, looks around the table, and asks for the salt. Better shakes her head.

"You'll get used to it," she said.

"Why can't daddy have salt?" the daughter asks.

"Because we love him," Better asserts.

Though we believe her, there is something cold and unsettling in her delivery.

Her pronouncement silences the table, and the family eats their all-American meal as the scene fades to black.

This, my friends, is TV.

Mad Men airs at 10 p.m. Sundays on AMC.

Trailer: The Secret Life of Bees

Fox Searchlight has released the official trailer for The Secret Life of Bees. Check it out HERE.

Based upon the novel by: Sue Monk Kidd
Produced by : Lauren Shuler Donner, James Lassiter, Will Smith, Joe Pichirallo
Executive Produced by: Jada Pinkett Smith
Cast: Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo, Nate Parker, Tristan Wilds, Hilarie Burton and Paul Bettany

The Secret Life of Bees, based on the New York Times best-selling novel and set in South Carolina in 1964, is the moving tale of Lily Owens (Fanning) a 14-year-old girl who is haunted by the memory of her late mother (Burton). To escape her lonely life and troubled relationship with her father (Bettany), Lily flees with Rosaleen (Hudson), her caregiver and only friend, to a South Carolina town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by the intelligent and independent Boatwright sisters (Latifah, Okonedo and Keys), Lily finds solace in their mesmerizing world of beekeeping.

Poli-break: Obama-Biden '08

Barack Obama has selected Joe Biden to be his running mate.

Upcoming: Blindness

This fall, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Danny Glover and Gael Garcia Bernal star in Fernando Meirelles' adaptation of Nobel Prize winner Jose Saramago's novel. An unexplained epidemic of blindness strikes an unknown city, and the stricken are forced to depend on each other and the single sighted person in their midst. Check out the TRAILER. This looks kinda dope. Opens everywhere Sept. 26.

Must See: Tropic Thunder

You must - must - see Tropic Thunder. If only to watch Tom Cruise give the funniest performance of his career. Or to watch Robert Downey Jr. "play the dude that's playin' the dude that's disguised as another dude." Or to see Ben Stiller's oddly endearing performance as the washed-up action hero trying to turn himself into a serious dramatic actor. Or Jack Black as the coked-out comedian whose only claim to fame is a series of movies in which he played all of the members of an overweight family that finds laughs in farting at the dinner table. Or better yet, Brandon T. Jackson as Alpa Chino, the rapper-turned-actor who has found a $2 million revenue stream in hawking a drink called Booty Sweat and an apparel line that includes Alpa Chino chinos at the Gap. From the very first faux trailer to the end credits, this is one of the funniest and smartest movies I've seen in years. Comic genius seems an appropriate phrase right about now.

Waste of Time: Step Brothers

Talk about misleading trailer: I laughed once -- scratch that, chuckled once -- during the wasted minutes I watched Step Brothers. Thank God I didn't pay money to see this piece-of-garbage movie.

Upcoming: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

This is going to be waaaay cool. Possibly Brad Pitt's first viable chance at an Academy Award. He co-stars with Oscar winners Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton. Taraji Henson (Hustle & Flow) plays Pitts mom in the movie. Check this out.

New Release Date for 'Half-Blood Prince'

This is completely F'd Up! The Hollywood Reporter is saying the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince isn't going to hit screens until July 2009!!!!

Here's the statement:

"We are still feeling the repercussions of the writers strike, which impacted the readiness of scripts for other films -- changing the competitive landscape for 2009 and offering new windows of opportunity that we wanted to take advantage of," Horn said. "We agreed the best strategy was to move 'Half-Blood Prince' to July, where it perfectly fills the gap for a major tentpole release for midsummer."

Upcoming: The Secret Life of Bees

I saw the teaser trailer today for The Secret Life of Bees and it dawned on me: The Oscar season is getting ready to start. Based on a book of the same name, Bees brings together Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Sophie Okonedo (four women who are no strangers to critical praise for dramatic work) in the moving tale of Lily Owens (Fanning) a 14 year-old girl who is haunted by the memory of her late mother.

To escape her lonely life and troubled relationship with her father, Lily flees with Rosaleen (Hudson), her caregiver and only friend, to a South Carolina town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by the intelligent and independent Boatwright sisters, Lily finds solace in their mesmerizing world of beekeeping, honey and the Black Madonna.

Upcoming: The Family That Preys

Tyler Perry has stepped up his game since the poorly received Meet the Browns. His upcoming movie, The Family That Preys (due Sept. 12), follows the families of two women: socialite Charlotte Cartwright (Kathy Bates) and her friend Alice Pratt (Alfre Woodard).

If there's any truth in advertising, this movie should bring together all of the themes Perry has been toying with since he made his transition from stage to screen: faith, family, class and fidelity. And because his stock as a filmmaker has been on a steady rise since he brought us Diary of a Mad Black Woman, he was able to fill this latest movie with a string of serious actors - both black and white.

We've mentioned Woodard and Bates, both cast perfectly as powerful yet endearing matriarchs. Their co-stars are equally impressive and familiar: Sanaa Lathan (Love and Basketball, Something New), KaDee Strickland (American Gangster, Private Practice), Rockmond Dunbar (Soul Food), Taraji Henson (Hustle & Flow), Cole Hauser (K-Ville), Robin Givens (no introduction needed since Boomerang and Mike Tyson).

Check out the TRAILER. Lathan looks absolutely stunning and is playing up the kind of bad girl persona that she dabbled with in her guest appearances on Nip/Tuck.

Must See: Tropic Thunder

The critics are swooning over Ben Stiller's latest flick, Tropic Thunder, hailing it as an inventively clever "barrage of scathing hilarity." The star of the flick is Robert Downey Jr.

Check this out from Roger Ebert, who, by the way, gives the movie 4 1/2 stars:

"All but stealing the show, Robert Downey Jr. is not merely funny but also very good and sometimes even subtle as Kirk Lazarus, an Australian actor who has won five Oscars and has surgically dyed his skin to transform himself into a black man. So committed is he to this role that he remains in character at all times, seemingly convinced that he is actually black.

This exasperates his fellow actor Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson), a rapper who was born black and blasts Lazarus for his delusions. Alpa Chino (say it out loud) is like many rappers and promotes his own merchandise, notably Booty Sweat, an energy drink that keeps him going in the jungle."

Tropic Thunder was Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with 84 percent of the reputable reviewers giving positive reviews. I'm checking this out this weekend.

Upcoming: The Longshots

The last time I saw Ice Cube in a serious dramatic role, the movie was Boyz N the Hood. Since then, the former rapper has appeared in a string of forgettable flicks playing a variation of the same character. In The Longshots, due out Aug. 22, he plays father-figure and coach to Keke Palmer (Akeelah and the Bee). Based on the trailer, it looks like both of these actors have done a lot of maturing since we've last seen them, and together, they'll give us a story that's worth something. The only wild car is the director: Fred Durst.

Upcoming: Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Woody Allen and his muse (Scarlett Johansson) have taken their mojo to Spain. This time they bring along two of the hottest actors on the face of the earth: Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem. And the early work about Vicky Cristina Barcelona is the movie, hitting theaters on Aug. 15, is smoking! David Denby of the New Yorker says it "has a natural, flowing vitality to it, a sun-drenched splendor that never falters."

Passable: The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

It ain't as bad as they say (9 percent on RottenTomatoes! Really?!).

Yes, the dialogue is a bit banal.

Yes, Brendan Fraser doesn't do much real acting here.

Yes, Maria Bello seems out of place here (oh, Rachel Weisz, you could have made this sooo much better!).

Yes, the story is a bit trite.

Yes, there are waaaay better action adventure flicks in the cineplex and at the video store.

But the Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is still passable family entertainment. It stomps the second flick in the series into smithereens. And you won't be absolutely bored. You'll laugh, actually, at parts. You'll root for the good guys. You'll enjoy the action sequences, particularly the second, when the creatures that look like North Pole cousins to Wookies show up and do damage to the psycho general and his minions.

As I walked out of the theater, I asked myself: If the studio had saw fit to simply keep the story in the past, centered on Michelle Yeoh (above) and Jet Li's (below) characters, would it have been a thousand times better? Probably.

Half Blood Prince Trailer Out. Finally

In the sixth book of the Harry Potter series, Half Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling takes us into the heart of darkness, examines through the memories of Albus Dumbledore the creation of Tom Riddle into the world's darkest wizard.

The ailing headmaster, knowing his death is forthcoming, spends his last months with Harry showing the boy wizard all that he knows, because he believes Harry is the only wizard alive capable of defeating Lord Voldemort; the two are connected like no other two beings living.

Half Blood Prince was one of my favorite of the book series. In November, fans of the books and films will get David Yates' cinematic interpretation of the work. Based on the first trailer for the November release, it seems Yates understands the importance of this central thread to the mythology of Rowling's work.

Certainly, there are numerous important threads in this semi-final chapter of the seven-part series. We see none of the rest in the trailer. But we are pleased nonetheless.

The countdown begins!

No Toy Story: WALL-E

WALL-E, the latest Pixar movie got some decent reviews. But let's be real: Most of this movie is kinda boring. No talking. Just a robot and a roach. But kids may enjoy it, as will adults who are kids at heart with an interest in animated films, you'll enjoy WALL-E.

Trailer News: Half Blood Prince

Mugglenet.com reports this: Warner Brothers has informed us that the teaser will be going live at the same time as the satellite feeds: 9 PM EST.

Check out more stills from the movie at HERE.

The movie will be released November 21.

Upcoming: Red Sonja

So, is it me, or has Hollywood completely run out of original ideas. The latest rehash: a remake of Red Sonja starring Rose McGowan. Let's hope director Douglas Aarnioskoski doesn't ruin one of my favorite barbarian flicks.

Flashback: Penelope is "Funnier than a Disney movie"

I saw Penelope recently with my 11-year-old niece. You know, that movie starring Christina Ricci as the girl born with a pig's nose, and James McAvoy as the man who falls for her. The movie was pretty much panned by the critiques, who, for some reason, expect high moral storytelling whenever they happen to venture to the cineplex with pen and pad in hand.

In any case, I enjoyed this movie. It's another example of what happens when you get strong actors to do their thing. There might be some holes in the plot, but the earnestness of the acting moves you along. Ricci is sweet and endearing as Penelope and McAvoy is her perfect counterpoint. The film, however, belongs to Catherine O'Hara, who plays Penelope's mother.

Upcoming: Mad Men Season Two

Don't forget: The second season of Mad Men, one of the best dramas on TV right now, starts Sunday, July 27, on AMC.

This show is filling the void that Sopranos left when it went off the air. The ensemble is cast perfectly, the acting is intense, visceral, and the emotions are completely raw. Watch an episode. You'll get hooked.

Avoid: Mamma Mia

It doesn't look that bad in the trailer, but apparently, it's worse than that bad.

A friend told me today that Mamma Mia! is quite possibly one of the worst movies she's seen in years. That the plot makes absolutely no sense, and that each scene is put in place only as set up to musical numbers. And Meryl Streep gives her worst theatrical performance.

I have no intention of seeing this movie (okay, to tell the truth, I never did). So I'll let someone who stomached this tell it like it is. "The legal definition of torture has been much aired in recent years, and I take Mamma Mia! to be a useful contribution to that debate." - Anthony Lane for the New Yorker

Flashback: Shoot 'Em Up

There's this scene in Shoot 'Em Up in which Paul Giamatti, playing the bad guy, has barged into the boudoir of a lactating prostitute to inquire the whereabouts of Mr. Smith (Clive Owen) and the baby. He fires his pistol then places the searing metal against her thigh. When he fires off a couple of rounds and makes to put the gun against more sensitive flesh, Smith appears and the two face off, surrounded by colored bottles filled with the hooker's milk.

Yes, Shoot 'Em Up is that kind of movie. The kind of movie you watch without much expectation. You watch for the action, the gore, the cheesy dialogue, the happy ending that you know will come, because in movies like this one, they always come.

For the 87 minutes you devote to watching, you're entertained. You aren't smarter, you aren't touched on an emotional level, you aren't necessarily wowed by awesome cinematography. It's good old fashion B movie entertainment, the stuff you watch on random Saturdays on TNT or Stars when nothing else is on.

And once the credits roll, you're satisfied.