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'The Lovely Bones': An Adaptation That Dishonors the Book

By Ronnie Koenig (Subscribe to Ronnie Koenig's posts), Posted Dec 23rd 2009 12:00PM
Filed under: Hot Topic
In Alice Sebold's 2002 novel, narrator Susie Salmon says that until her rape and murder, her family never understood what the word horror meant. But astonishingly, any true sense of horror is notably absent from the film adaptation of 'The Lovely Bones,' written and directed by 'Lord of the Rings'' Peter Jackson, with screenwriting help from frequent collaborators Philippa Boyens and Jackson's wife Fran Walsh.

As fans of the bestselling novel will immediately recognize, the film omits the fact that 14 year-old Susie (Saoirse Ronan) is brutally raped by her neighbor Mr. Harvey (Stanley Tucci) before being killed. While the book describes the scene in startling, almost poetic detail, the scene is totally left out of the movie, as is any depiction of Susie's murder, which both take place in the first chapter of the book.
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Jeff Bridges on 'Crazy Heart,' Lebowski Fest and 'Tron Legacy'

By Ronnie Koenig (Subscribe to Ronnie Koenig's posts), Posted Dec 15th 2009 5:15PM
Filed under: Celebrity Interviews
Jeff Bridges is that rare type of actor who is both amazingly gifted and extremely down to earth. The son of Lloyd Bridges and younger brother of Beau Bridges, he has been nominated for an Academy Award four times (for 'The Last Picture Show,' 'Thunderbolt and Lightfoot,' 'Starman' and 'The Contender'). An actor known for disappearing into his roles, his easy charm has made him an audience favorite for years.

At age 60, Bridges may have found his Oscar-winning role in 'Crazy Heart,' a moving tale of a country singer named Bad Blake who has seen the peak of his success and makes his living driving himself from gig to gig, indulging in liquor and women at every stop -- until he meets a young journalist (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who changes his life.

In an exclusive interview, Bridges talked animatedly about his love of music and his father's influence on his career.
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Jennifer Aniston May Play Adam Sandler's 'Pretend Wife'

By Ronnie Koenig (Subscribe to Ronnie Koenig's posts), Posted Dec 9th 2009 12:30PM
Filed under: Movie News
Jennifer Aniston May Play Adam Sandler's 'Pretend Wife'Jennifer Aniston is in talks to appear opposite Adam Sandler in the upcoming 'Pretend Wife,' according to the Hollywood Reporter. The pairing of the 'Friends' actress with the former 'SNL' funnyman could be romantic comedy gold for Columbia. The project is likely to be helmed by Dennis Dugan ('Happy Gilmore,' 'You Don't Mess with the Zohan') with a script by Allan Loeb and Tim Dowling that was once known as 'Holiday in Hawaii.' Shooting is set for early next year with an anticipated release date around Valentine's Day 2011.
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Robert De Niro Shows His (Really) Soft Side in 'Everybody's Fine'

By Ronnie Koenig (Subscribe to Ronnie Koenig's posts), Posted Dec 4th 2009 1:15PM
Filed under: Hot Topic, Fall Movies
Tough. Violent. Psychotic.

These are words that we normally associate with Robert De Niro characters. We remember him as Vito Corleone, head of the Mafia family in 'The Godfather Part II,' a gun-toting depressive in 'Taxi Driver,' an animalistic boxer in 'Raging Bull' and a psychopathic rapist in 'Cape Fear.'

But in the Kirk Jones-directed family dramedy 'Everybody's Fine,' a remake of Giuseppe Tornatore's 1990 movie of the same name, he plays a sad and aging widower who tries to reconnect with his children after his wife's death.
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'The Hangover 2': What Should the Plot Be?

By Ronnie Koenig (Subscribe to Ronnie Koenig's posts), Posted Dec 1st 2009 2:30PM
Filed under: Movie News
'The Hangover 2': What Should the Plot Be?Even before this summer's Vegas-bachelor-party comedy 'The Hangover' was released in theaters, studio execs at Warner Bros. had director Todd Phillips thinking about a sequel. 'The Hangover' took in $277 million, making it the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time.

"You always have those days when you say, 'If we did another one, wouldn't it be funny if...?' " Phillips told Entertainment Weekly. Phillips won't reveal the plot of the new film, but says that it won't necessarily be set in Vegas.
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Jeremy Piven, Kate Walsh Tackle Drama in 'Waska'

By Ronnie Koenig (Subscribe to Ronnie Koenig's posts), Posted Nov 30th 2009 5:30PM
Filed under: Movie News
Jeremy Piven, Kate Walsh to star in 'Waska'Jeremy Piven and Kate Walsh are set to star in the indie drama 'Waska,' based on the novel 'Angels Crest' by Leslie Schwartz.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, 'Entourage' star Piven plays a prosecutor who goes after a young father (Thomas Dekker) whose 3-year-old freezes to death on a fishing trip. The whole community is affected by this tragic turn of events during "Waska" -- the first snowfall of the season, which can be both magical and treacherous.
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Do Little Girls Still Care About Disney Princesses?

By Ronnie Koenig (Subscribe to Ronnie Koenig's posts), Posted Nov 25th 2009 12:30PM
Filed under: Hot Topic
The release Disney's 'The Princess and the Frog' has sparked a hailstorm of chatter in both the mainstream media and the blogosphere over the fact that the movie features the first black princess.

But the critics and commentators may be ignoring a bigger story: Are Disney Princesses still as popular as they've been in the past, or has the storied tradition began to fade -- and will sales of backpacks, princess costumes and movie tickets drop in favor of an entirely new fad?
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