Thompson on Hollywood

Now and Then: Obituary for 'The Big C,' Starring Luminous Laura Linney

Television

Cathy Jamison was a brave bitch. Through four seasons of Showtime's "The Big C," which ended its run Monday, she suffered the indignities of metastatic melanoma, chemotherapy, brain tumors, hospice, and bad insurance, yet remained steadfast in her belief that "surviving" and "living" do not necessarily amount to the same thing. She will be missed.

By Matt Brennan
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May 22, 2013 12:18 PM
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Now and Then: In Two 'Steel Magnolias,' the Times Are Not A-Changin'

Reviews

The first thing one notices about "Steel Magnolias" (Herbert Ross, 1989) is the hair. Truvy's Beauty Shop overflows with tight-rolled pastel curlers and foot-high teases, held in place by enough hairspray to commit arson -- a style so far out of fashion it seems historical, as rococo as Marie Antoinette's bedsheets.

By Matt Brennan
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May 14, 2013 3:07 PM
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Now and Then: Olivier and the Bard

Reviews

"I can smile, and murder while I smile," confides that notorious noble, Richard, Duke of Gloucester (Laurence Olivier), "and frame my face to all occasions." For Olivier, pronouncing "frame" like "feign," it's an auspicious beginning. In Shakespeare's words, he finds his performer's credo.

By Matt Brennan
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April 26, 2013 3:03 PM
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Now and Then: Cary Grant, The Man from Dream City, Revisited (CLIPS)

Features

My own fever dream of Cary Grant takes place between cities, sitting down for a Gibson with Eva Marie Saint on a moving train somewhere in Middle America. Headed "North by Northwest," he's at his sexiest then, temples just flecked with gray, tanned and almost ageless. He's not just the recipient of her advances: he's asking for it.

By Matt Brennan
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April 10, 2013 2:03 PM
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Weinsteins Pick Awards-Friendly December Date for Kidman-Starrer 'Grace of Monaco,' UPDATED

News

UPDATE: The Weinstein Company finally confirmed their acquisition of US distribution rights to Olivier Dahan's "Grace of Monaco," starring Nicole Kidman in the title role. The film is set for an Oscar-friendly December 27 release.

By Anne Thompson & Sophia Savage
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March 25, 2013 11:25 AM
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Now and Then: Hitchcock's Bad-Ass '40s Brunettes Were the Lead-Up to Those '50s Icy Blondes

Reviews

My favorite words in the movies come from the dusky, sultry opening minutes of "Rear Window" (1954), as Grace Kelly's New York socialite glides through L.B. Jefferies' (James Stewart) dim apartment, switching on the lights. "From top to bottom," she announces herself. "Lisa." Flick. "Carol." Flick. "Fremont." Flick.

By Matt Brennan
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March 19, 2013 2:54 PM
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Oscar Predictions 2014

Awards

And so it all begins again. So far there's only one frontrunner for the 2014 Oscars: Sundance hit "Before Midnight," directed by Richard Linklater and written by him and his two stars, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy.

By Anne Thompson
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February 18, 2013 4:24 PM
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Oscar Lunch Nominees Q & A: Chastain, Lawrence, Hathaway, Adams, Washington, Jackman, Cooper and More

Awards

Among the nominated stars stopping by the interview room on their way to the Oscar Nominees Luncheon were Ben Affleck, Tim Burton, Bradley Cooper, Hugh Jackman, Denzel Washington, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Naomi Watts, Quvenzhane Wallis, Robert De Niro, Christoph Waltz, Amy Adams, Sally Field, Helen Hunt, Anne Hathaway and Jacki Weaver. Absent were Daniel Day Lewis, Joaquin Phoenix, Emmanuelle Riva, Tommy Lee Jones, Alan Arkin and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Check out highlights of what each had to say below.

By Sophia Savage
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February 4, 2013 5:40 PM
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Now and Then: A 'Zero Dark Thirty' Piece That's (Mostly) Not About Torture

Reviews

We are Maya. That's the first thought that comes to mind about Jessica Chastain's tireless, obsessed CIA analyst in "Zero Dark Thirty," a "motherfucker" who's been chasing Osama bin Laden for twelve years — nearly the same length of time as this country's impossible war.

By Matt Brennan
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January 22, 2013 1:22 PM
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2012 Movie Roles That Should Have Gone to Someone Else

Features

As we look back at the year in film, we find -- as always -- there's room for improvement. Often by simply replacing a lead actor, a world of difference could be made on the overall effect of the film. Films come together the way they do for a reason. Often it's more about a star's marquee value or perceived bankability than it is about the part they are playing. Alas, here are the 2012 Movie Roles That Should Have Gone to Someone Else.