Juno

‘Juno,’ ‘Jennifer’s Body’ Writer Diablo Cody Set to Adapt ‘Sweet Valley High’

PatrickMcD — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:47:27 -0600

LOS ANGELES – “Sweet Valley High” filtered through Diablo Cody? That is exactly what Universal is doubling down on, in negotiations to pick up the rights to the long-running book series, with Cody (“Juno,” “Jennifer’s Body”) attached to adapt.

Diablo Cody and ‘Sweet Valley High’
Photo credit: Diablo-Cody.com, Culturecat.net

Cody’s formative years were informed by the books, which centered on two teenage girls, Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, who lived in the fictional town of Sweet Valley, California. Jessica was the more conniving and materialistic of the sisters, and usually needed help from the more practical Elizabeth when her schemes went awry.

The series, created by Francine Pascal, made its debut in 1983, publishing 150-plus books with more than 60 million copies in print. The last one came out in January 2003.

Reuters was the source for the story.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

‘Jennifer’s Body’ a Bloody, Out-of-Body Dud For Oscar-Winning ‘Juno’ Scribe Diablo Cody

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:01:00 -0600

CHICAGO – For Oscar-winning “Juno” writer Diablo Cody, writing “Jennifer’s Body” with “Transformers” star Megan Fox and “Mamma Mia!” star Amanda Seyfried as the two lead women was as much of an out-of-body experience as Charlize Theron’s against-type role in 2003’s “Monster”. The difference? Theron nailed it; Cody bloodied this bold opportunity.

Rating: 1.5/5.0

Since our Nov. 2007 interview with Cody for the Oscar-winning “Juno,” she’s as quick with her wit in person as she is with her pen for the screen.

While an early reading of the “Jennifer’s Body” script showed promise, once it hit the screen Cody’s razor-sharp wit was blunted against the mismatched backdrop of two female leads who couldn’t sell the script and the overarching horror tone that the talented Cody hasn’t yet mastered.

Read Adam Fendelman’s full review of “Jennifer’s Body” in our reviews section.

Like “Juno,” you still hear Cody’s obscure and uniquely twisted pop-culture references. Like “Juno,” you once again travel with Cody as she deftly maneuvers the cliché without being so.

Like “Juno,” Cody has found another way to inject the importance of relationships into strong female roles. But “Jennifer’s Body” more than disappoints – and, in fact, offends considering the prodigy who wrote it – on three primal levels.

“Jennifer’s Body” from Oscar-winning “Juno” writer Diablo Cody and director Karyn Kusama stars Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, Adam Brody, J.K. Simmons, Amy Sedaris, Ryan Levine, Juan Riedinger, Colin Askey, Chris Pratt, Juno Ruddell, Kyle Gallner and Josh Emerson. The film, which was released nationwide on Sept. 18, 2009, is rated “R” for sexuality, bloody violence, language and brief drug use with a 102-minute running time.

Continuing reading for Adam Fendelman’s full “Jennifer’s Body” review.

The insatiable appetite of Jennifer (Megan Fox) takes her on the prowl for a meaty snack in “Jennifer’s Body”.
Photo credit: Doane Gregory, 20th Century Fox

Continuing reading for Adam Fendelman’s full “Jennifer’s Body” review.

Two New Pictures of Megan Fox in Diablo Cody’s ‘Jennifer’s Body’

BrianTT — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 12:26:45 -0600

CHICAGO – On September 18th, Megan Fox, the star of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” will star in a comedy/horror hybrid called “Jennifer’s Body” and we’ve got two new pics and the official poster for this Twentieth Century Fox film.

The official synopsis from the studio reads: “When small-town high school hottie Jennifer (Megan Fox) is possessed by a hungry demon, guys who never stood a chance with her, take on new luster in the light of Jennifer’s insatiable appetite. From the Oscar-winning screenwriter of “Juno.””

“Jennifer’s Body” was Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, Adam Brody, J.K. Simmons, Amy Sedaris, Chris Pratt, Juno Ruddell, and Kyle Gallner. It was written by Diablo Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama (“Girlfight,” “Aeon Flux”).

Megan Fox in Jennifer’s Body.
Photo credit: Doane Gregory

(L to R) Johnny Simmons and Megan Fox in Jennifer’s Body.
Photo credit: Doane Gregory

Jennifer’s Body.
Photo credit: Fox

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Toni Collette Shines on Intriguing ‘United States of Tara’

BrianTT — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:39:28 -0700

Television Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Writer Diablo Cody, the Oscar-winning scribe of “Juno,” Executive Producer Steven Spielberg, and the Oscar-nominated actress Toni Collette have joined forces for the impressive and intriguing “United States of Tara,” airing this Sunday, January 18th on Showtime.

“United States of Tara” displays the fingerprints of three primary creative forces - the snappy dialogue of Cody, the unbelievable range of Collette, and Showtime’s creative impetus to bring us people living outside the norm but hiding in plain sight. Nancy Botwin on “Weeds,” Dexter Morgan on “Dexter,” Hannah/Belle on “Secret Diary of a Call Girl,” and Tara Gregson on “United States of Tara” may look like you and me but they live distinctly abnormal lives.

Toni Collette as Tara in United States Of Tara.
Photo credit: Nigel Parry/Showtime

What makes Tara Gregson’s (Toni Collette) life so unique is that she isn’t alone inside her own body. As so many kids have said, “Mom’s just not herself today.” But in Tara’s life, it can be sadly true. Tara has dissociative identity disorder. There are three personalities that often come to the forefront and take over the lives of Tara and her family - “T,” a teenager fond of thongs and drugs, “Buck,” a beer-swilling Vietnam vet prone to violence, and “Alice,” a housewife straight out of a 1950s advertising campaign.

Toni Collette as Tara and John Corbett as Max in United States of Tara.
Photo credit: Nigel Parry/Showtime

Like a lot of people with DID, Tara’s personalities take over in time of great stress or crisis and most of her family have gotten used to the “other people” living in their house. In the premiere episode, when Tara finds morning after pills in her daughter’s bag, mom understandably freaks out a bit and “T” takes over. Later, when force is called for, “Buck” makes an appearance. I’m not sure that people with real DID use their personalities in such a functional or practical way, but it definitely makes for interesting drama.

The family forced to deal with the “United States of Tara” include Max (John Corbett), her loving and supportive husband, Kate (Brie Larson), her rebellious daughter, and Marshall (Keir Gilchrist), her kind-hearted and intellectual son. Tara’s insecure sister Charmaine (Rosemarie Dewitt, recently seen in “Rachel Getting Married”) struggles to understand her sibling’s illness and great comedic actors like Tony Hale and Patton Oswalt guest-star.

At times, “United States of Tara” can feel too self-conscious and too in love with its own concept. The subtext of the show, a modern woman dealing with the stresses of modern life with multiple personalities, can be a little too clever for its own good as is Cody’s controversial ear for dialogue. Marshall, in particular, with his references to Thelonious Monk and George Cukor in just the first episode, feels almost like Cody’s reaction to criticisms that the teenage characters in “Juno” sounded more like twenty or thirtysomethings. “You thought that was adult dialogue coming out of a kid’s mouth?!? Check this out.”

Most importantly, Cody and her team of writers need to find something interesting underneath the personalities of its heroine to emphasize equally. “Weeds” works because it is about a lot more than just a pot-dealing mom in the ‘burbs. “United States of Tara” needs to find characters as interesting as the ones inside Tara Gregson, not just responses to them. The supporting cast is very good, particularly Dewitt and Corbett, but they are as yet underdeveloped and I worry they will always take a back seat to the chaos in the front.

Rosemarie DeWitt as Charmaine, Toni Collette as Tara, and Brie Larson as Kate in United States of Tara (Episode 5).
Photo credit: Jordin Althaus/Showtime

As for that front, it’s something to behold. Collette has always had an underrated range, giving great performances in “Muriel’s Wedding,” “The Sixth Sense,” “About a Boy,” “Japanese Story,” “In Her Shoes,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” and HBO’s “Tsunami: The Aftermath”. She’s simply a fantastic actress and she does work here worthy of Emmy consideration.

On paper, Tara may sound like a gimmicky role, something anyone could knock out of the park, and that may be true, but what’s difficult about the over-the-top character is making her unusual situation feel genuine and Collette does that from scene one. She’s perfect and, easily, the main reason to watch the show. It’s a performance good enough to make every flaw of the show easier to overlook.

At least through its first four episodes, “United States of Tara” works and, while it may not be there quite yet, it is easy to see this show becoming one of the best on television with just a little tinkering. With an actress as talented as Toni Collette in your lead, greatness is always possible.

‘United States of Tara,’ which airs on SHOWTIME, stars Toni Collette, John Corbett, Rosemarie Dewitt, Brie Larson, and Keir Gilchrist. The premiere airs on January 18th, 2009 at 9PM CST.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Interview: After Three Decades of Acting, G.W. Bailey Finds Home in Kyra Sedgwick’s ‘The Closer’ on TNT

HollywoodChicago.com — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:49:49 -0600

CHICAGO – After being born and bred in Texas, G.W. Bailey scoffs at the notion of “humidity” in Chicago.

Bailey – who has a renowned career in film, TV and the stage that spans three decades – has been seen in seminal roles in “M.A.S.H.,” “Police Academy,” “Short Circuit,” “Laverne & Shirley,” “St. Elsewhere,” “The Jeff Foxworthy Show,” “Murder, She Wrote,” “Mannequin,” “Happy Days,” “CHiPs,” “Newhart,” “Benson” and many more.

G.W. Bailey in “The Closer” on TNT.
Photo credit: TNT

He recently spoke with HollywoodChicago.com about his “three families”. Bailey was in Chicago on July 9, 2008 for a VIP party where the first episode of season four for acclaimed TV show “The Closer,” which stars Golden Globe winner Kyra Sedgwick, was broadcast early to Chicagoans. The inaugural episode of the new season of “The Closer” aired tonight.

Following the party, Bailey described in our interview how his personal family comes first, his non-profit work for children with cancer comes second and his “The Closer” family rounds out the trio. The show is Bailey’s longest-running TV appearance. He is currently credited with 43 episodes as Det. Lt. Provenza.

In “The Closer,” Sedgwick plays a deputy police chief who runs the Priority Homicide Division of the Los Angeles Police Department with an “unorthodox style”. The series says: “Her ability to read people and obtain confessions helps her and her team solve the city’s toughest, most sensitive cases.”

“The Closer” is currently in its fourth season. Bailey describes what we will see in the fourth season in contrast to the third.

“James Duff (the creator and runner of the writing room) likes to have a theme or arc of some concept. It’s not always that obvious. When the writers are working on a script or scene, it’s not that they have to that word in mind. Last season was ‘family,’ but that takes a lot of guises. Kyra’s effort to save my hide a couple times was ultimately to make sure the family stayed together. The family happened to be our squad.

“This season, the overall word they’re working with is ‘power’. Again, that takes on many guises. For the opening episode [of season four], there’s a villain who has returned and exercises a power over her that’s very interesting. There’s a lot of tension.”

Bailey also describes his theory of why “The Closer” – and shows like it today – are addictive and made for TV.

“It’s ultimately about writing, but people love mysteries. There’s an interesting murder or secret that she’s after. People like to follow that trail. It’s also because it’s character driven. These people come off as real people. They’re very diverse racially in their experiences and in their ages. The writers go to great lengths to give us people and not just cop No. 6 or cop No. 3.

The poster for “The Closer” on TNT.
Image credit: TNT

“I could mention some very famous shows where you can interchange one cast from another and you wouldn’t know the difference. Our folks are very specific and interesting people.

“There’s the brilliance and brain of Det. Lt. Mike Tau (Michael Paul Chan), the violence of Det. Julio Sanchez (Raymond Cruz) and the curmudgeon of Det. Lt. Provenza (Bailey) who has seen it and done it all.”

But even though Bailey has seemingly done it all over an illustrious career in acting, he’s still humbled by one person in particular on “The Closer”: J.K. Simmons (“Juno,” “Burn After Reading,” “Jennifer’s Body,” “Rendition,” “Postal,” “Spider-Man 3,” “Thank You For Smoking,” “Law & Order,” “Spider-Man 2,” “Oz,” “Spider-Man”).

“With J.K., your confidence level goes up. He’s like playing tennis with somebody. If you want to get better at tennis, you play with better tennis players.

“[Working with] J.K. is like playing with a better tennis player. You really have to be prepared and focused because he is. He doesn’t fumble through his lines. He has done his work. When he walks on that stage, he’s ready to go. Some of the best work I’ve done on ‘The Closer’ in 3.5 years I did the other day because I was in a scene with him. There’s no question about it.”

While Bailey currently calls “The Closer” home, though, he still keeps the stage close to his heart. He doesn’t often find time for it, though, and when he does he is reminded of its double-edged sword.

“I have the attention span of about a 9-year-old. I love doing different things. I love the diversity. When it has been a long time since I’ve been on the stage, I miss it desperately. If I find the time to do it, then after one week I think: ‘What in the hell did I miss about this? This is so hard and the money is so little.’ But I still miss it. There’s really nothing like it.”

Bailey describes the benefits afforded by TV work and why Sedgwick is the star of this show.

“I enjoy working for the camera. I love TV because it’s fast. You tell your story and you’re out. But I could never do what Kyra does. I’ve never, ever seen a human being do what she does on this show – just the sheer volume of work every day and on every scene. It ain’t called ‘The Provenza Show’. It’s called ‘The Closer’ and she’s the closer.

J.K. Simmons (left), Kyra Sedgwick (second from left) and G.W. Bailey (front) in “The Closer” on TNT.
Image credit: TNT

“There’s the volume of lines and not only learning them but being prepared with what to do with them.”

Bailey added: “It’s about having the confidence to arrive at 5:30 a.m. and still bring energy and focus and excitement and truth in a scene at 7 p.m. That’s enormous. If I show up at 5:30 a.m., I’m about done by lunch. But I love my guy. I get to say a few funny lines and then go to my trailer. I get to get in and get out.”

Beyond Bailey’s professional life, his non-profit work stands on its own with incomparable importance.

“I’ve been doing work with kids for cancer for 23 years. It’s certainly the important part of my life – not that entertaining people isn’t important. It is. I’m very proud of my profession. I always have have been. It’s just important in a different way.

“I have three areas of my life. The most important is my family, then there’s The Sunshine Kids family for kids with cancer and then there’s my professional family.” Bailey concluded about ‘The Closer’ by jesting: “You know, we call Kyra ‘mama’ as a nickname. I like having a good-looking, younger mama.”

Prior to his work with “The Closer,” Bailey names two particular projects as those standing the test of time with the most professional pride.

“One of the major products in TV used to be TV movies and the mini-series programs. For all practical purposes, though, those are dead now. They just don’t exist. But when they were flourishing, I was lucky enough to get to do a bunch of them. Out of those, I did one called “Doublecrossed” for HBO with Dennis Hopper. I’m certainly proud of that entire film.

“In terms of being part of creating a recurring character, though, that would be Army Sgt. Luther Rizzo in ‘M.A.S.H.’. I love that guy. I wasn’t a regular, but even as a recurring character, I loved being in arguably the greatest show in the history of television.”

“The Closer,” which stars Kyra Sedgwick, J.K. Simmons, G.W. Bailey, Corey Reynolds, Robert Gossett, Jon Tenney, Anthony John Denison, Phillip P. Keene, Michael Paul Chan, Raymond Cruz and Gina Ravera, aired episode one of its fourth season on July 14, 2008 on TNT.
“The Closer” airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. CST.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Interview: ‘Nickelodeon’ Star Josh Peck Grows Up, Director Jonathan Levine Speaks Out on ‘The Wackness’

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:05:46 -0600

CHICAGO – It’s 1994 in New York City. In an age before mobile phones, terrorist threats and a grown-up Olsen twin, there is “The Wackness”. This is the debut film of writer and director Jonathan Levine and a coming-out role of sorts for the child star Josh Peck of the popular Nickelodeon series “Drake & Josh”.

HollywoodChicago.com recently interviewed the director and “The Wackness” star for insight on the recent nostalgia of the film and an era seemingly so close yet so far away.

Actor Josh Peck (left) and director Jonathan Levine for “The Wackness” in Chicago on June 19, 2008.
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

Olivia Thirlby from “Juno” fame as Stephanie in “The Wackness”.
Photo by JoJo Whilden, © 2008 Occupant Films and courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

The film’s time and place is a mood element for the story of Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck). He’s an unpopular east side teenager recently graduated from high school.

His parents are having money conflicts and he’s wrestling with his affection for a comely classmate named Stephanie (Olivia Thirlby of “Juno” fame). She clouds his summer job of selling marijuana from an ice cream cart.

“It’s autobiographical in the sense that this was the world I grew up in, that’s how we talked, those were the clothes we wore and those were the type of kids who I hung out with,” director Levine said.

He added: “The outsider thing is interesting to me. The arbitrary nature of ‘who’s cool’ in high school is interesting. But in the movie, it’s about individual perspective. Your reality can change on how you perceive it.”

To complicate matters, a psychotherapist named Squires (Ben Kingsley) – who occasionally administers to Luke (in exchange for dope) – is Stephanie’s stepfather. The two develop a grudgingly close friendship that’s rooted in Luke’s loneliness and Squires’ mid-life crisis.

Peck said about Kingsley: “He intimidated me only when he did Gandhi impressions (laughter). But when we first met, he put all my worries to rest. He knew that it was up to him – because of his status, stature and the caliber of his acting – to put my neuroses and fears to rest.”

Sir Ben Kingsley as Dr. Squires in “The Wackness”.
Photo by JoJo Whilden, © 2008 Occupant Films and courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Rating: 3.0/5.0

“I let him do whatever the f**k he wanted (laughter),” Levine said. “He is very, very smart. As a relatively new director, it was incumbent upon me to just say: ‘What do you need?’ Clearly he is going to do something that makes me look good.”

The film features Peck, Thirlby and Mary-Kate Olsen in transitional roles as young adults indulging in drinking, dope smoking and carnal congress. Levine and Peck commented on the image of more innocent stars treading onto new territory.

“I assumed already where their interests lie in the material,” Levine said. “I was respectful about their decisions to go maybe where they haven’t gone before. It was never discussed beyond the character scenarios and also not in a larger sense.”

“I think people will be surprised to see me smoking weed and having sex. It was the first time I actually did it (laughter),” Peck related. “I hope the fans of ‘Drake & Josh’ – for example, someone who was 12 years old when I was 15 – will have grown up with me. I’m 21, so they would be 18 now, and I think this movie is right in their wheelhouse.”

The New York City of the mid-1990s becomes an influential character in the story. It’s empty and isolating in the summer before technological connections.

Josh Peck (left) as Luke and Olivia Thirlby as Stephanie in “The Wackness”.
Photo by JoJo Whilden, © 2008 Occupant Films and courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

“The big difference is a world without cell phones and the Internet. It’s a very different world. That allows this movie to be set almost in the Stone Age,” Levine said.

Levine also discussed showing the World Trade Center: “To me, it is the punctuation mark at the end of the sentence. I’m using that image as a note of bittersweet nostalgia. It has to be handled delicately, but at the same time, it’s a very powerful image. I didn’t want to shy away from it.”

In conclusion, Josh Peck spoke about the challenges of imbibing Luke with a sensibility that’s relatable for all older teens making the transition into adulthood.

Peck said: “It was very necessary for Luke to have this sense of vulnerability in the way he carried himself. All his cynicism and answers for things are rooted in the fact that he is lost.

“Becoming an adult at that point (18 years old) seems to be impossible. Without the layers, you wouldn’t have cared enough about Luke. [Levine’s] writing took care of that character.”

“The Wackness” stars Josh Peck, Ben Kingsley, Olivia Thirlby, Mary-Kate Olsen and Method Man. The film opened on July 11, 2008 at AMC River East 21 in Chicago, Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema in Chicago, CineArts 6 in Evanston, Ill. and Landmark’s Renaissance Place Cinema in Highland Park, Ill.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Director Jonathan Levine, Star Josh Peck to Appear in Chicago For Ben Kingsley’s ‘The Wackness’

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:25:22 -0600

CHICAGO – We have learned that writer and director Jonathan Levine (“All the Boys Love Mandy Lane”) and lead actor Josh Peck (“Ice Age: The Meltdown”) will publicly appear this Thursday, June 19, 2008 at 7 p.m. at the downtown Chicago Apple store at 679 N. Michigan Ave. to offer an insider’s look at their new film “The Wackness”.

Sir Ben Kingsley as Dr. Squires in “The Wackness”.
Photo by JoJo Whilden, © 2008 Occupant Films and courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Along with Peck, “The Wackness” also features Sir Ben Kingsley (who played Gandhi in 1982’s “Gandhi”) and Olivia Thirlby (from recent “Juno” fame).

“The Wackness” director Jonathan Levine.
Photo credit: Robin Holland, courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

In addition to showing clips from the New York-set film, Levine and Peck will also be taking questions from the audience.

“The Wackness” is an Audience Award winner at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. The film is scheduled to open in Chicago on July 11, 2008. Stay tuned for our upcoming interviews with Levine and Peck.

Here’s the plot outline for “The Wackness”:

In the summer of 1994, the streets of New York are pulsing with hip-hop and wafting with the sweet aroma of marijuana. But change is in the air.

The newly inaugurated mayor, Rudy Giuliani, is beginning to implement his anti-fun initiatives against “crimes” like noisy portable radios, graffiti and public drunkenness.

Set against this backdrop, Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck) spends his last summer before college selling dope throughout New York City and trading it with his shrink (Ben Kingsley) for therapy while crushing on his step-daughter (Olivia Thirlby).

Famke Janssen, Mary Kate Olsen and Method Man round out the cast in this edgy, bittersweet and funny coming-of-age story.

Josh Peck (left) as Luke and Olivia Thirlby as Stephanie in “The Wackness”.
Photo by JoJo Whilden, © 2008 Occupant Films and courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

View our full, high-resolution image gallery for “The Wackness”.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Ellen Page’s ‘Smart People’ Only as Scholarly as Zealous Senior in High School

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 01:30:45 -0600

CHICAGO – I’m flummoxed. I know “Smart People” was supposed to be comedic drama with a splash of romance. Instead, I have been misled. It’s not a comedy. It’s not a tragedy. It’s not even a tragicomedy.

“Smart People” is a blandly scripted “poor me” with an attempt at a plot and some glitzy Hollywood names thrown in for good box-office measure.

While I know this was no “Juno,” I couldn’t help cursing first-time writer Mark Poirier for not taking a much-needed page – or a full-fledged course of mentoring – from Oscar-winning “Juno” inker Diablo Cody.

Read Adam Fendelman’s full review of “Smart People” in our reviews section.

View our full “Smart People” image gallery.

“Smart People” is also a product of another newbie: first-time director Noam Murro.

Since her “Juno” stardom in 2007 – and actually her big-screen break out even before that in 2005’s “Hard Candy” – 21-year-old Ellen Page has righteously warranted her way on Hollywood’s “A” list.

My draw to “Smart People” was Page and Page alone. While she’s always a professional who crafts the best she can from the material she’s handed, an actor ultimately is a slave to his or her script. “Smart People” offensively held Page back whereas “Juno” unleashed her.

Ellen Page in “Smart People”.
Photo credit: IMDb

Thomas Haden Church and Ellen Page in “Smart People”.
Photo credit: IMDb

Read the full review…

‘Snow Angels’ an Essential Examination of Yin, Yang in Our Vulnerable Lives

HollywoodChicago.com — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 17:56:43 -0600

CHICAGO – Staying sane is truly an edge-of-the-knife proposition. We are all the sum of our past environments, our present circumstances and our future worries. The sludge that is generated by such a mixture becomes the psyche that’s ready to interact with other psyches we deem important or are forced to be around through family or commerce.

Director David Gordon Green inspects the tipping point of this interaction in the unsparing new film “Snow Angels”.

Arthur (Michael Angarano) is the teenager who walks through all the lives of this multi-storied road. His old babysitter, Annie (Kate Beckinsale), is amid a separation from her husband, Glenn (Sam Rockwell), who has attempted suicide because of the relationship’s fallout.

Click here to read Patrick McDonald’s full review
of “Snow Angels” in our reviews section!

Click here for our full “Snow Angels” image gallery!

Sam Rockwell and Kate Beckinsale in “Snow Angels”.
Photo credit: IMDb

Michael Angarano in “Snow Angels”.
Photo credit: IMDb

Hookup: 25 Admit-Two Screening Passes to Ellen Page’s ‘Smart People’ on April 10, 2008 in Chicago

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:58:17 -0600

CHICAGO – HollywoodChicago.com on Tuesday announces that – in cooperation with the film “Smart People” with Ellen Page from “Juno,” Dennis Quaid, Thomas Haden Church and Sarah Jessica Parker – we are in this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film giving away 25 admit-two screening passes to the new movie.

While the film opens wide on April 11, 2008, the Chicago screening for this film is on April 10, 2008. In order to win your pair of tickets, all you need to do is remember what you learned in fifth grade. In the same vein as the TV show “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader” on FOX, we have five easy-peasy questions below (source) for you to answer.

Left production still: Ellen page in “Smart People”.
Right production still: Dennis Quaid and Sarah Jessica Parker in “Smart People”.Photo credits: IMdb

We know you can cheat in lots of ways with this. Don’t, though, in the spirit of fun and to reassure yourself that someone much younger than you isn’t smarter than you. To answer, just click “Add new comment” below and leave your answers like this: 1a, 2b, 3d, 4a, 5b

To win, you need only be among the first 25 respondents who muster a passing grade. In this case, that’s 60 percent, which means you need to answer three out of five correctly. We highly prefer you to be logged into your HollywoodChicago.com account to do add your comment. You can quickly register here if you don’t have one.

Winners will be contacted via e-mail with exclusive codes for digital movie passes along with the time and location information for this special screening. “Smart People,” by the way, is about a widowed professor finding a new love and grappling with an unexpected visit from his adopted brother. Good luck!

Left production still: Thomas Haden Church and Ellen Page in “Smart People”.
Right production still: Dennis Quaid in “Smart People”.Photo credits: IMdb

1) What type of consumer eats both plants and animals?
a) herbivores
b) carnivores
c) omnivores

2) A right angle is…
a) 75 degrees
b) 90 degrees
c) 45 degrees

3) The French gave America a gift of friendship to honor independence for the U.S. What was this gift?
a) The liberty bell
b) The national anthem
c) The statue of liberty
d) The American flag

4) Bulls is to horns as deer is to _________.
a) antlers
b) head
c) hoof

5) What are igneous rocks formed from?
a) magma
b) chemical composition
c) other rocks

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com