The other night while watching The Closer with my lady love, I had to giggle when she said, “Wow, Kyra Sedgwick’s Southern accent is so thick!”

What my girlfriend didn’t know — and what many of you may not know, either — is that Kyra is a born-and-bred New Yorker with such good acting chops, she can convince you she’s the southernest of Southern belles. Kyra comes from a long line of awesome actresses who can switch up their voices to suit a character. For instance, did you know Golden Girl Rue McClanahan was faking Blanche’s Southern trill? Yep, McClanahan was trained on the stages of New York.

Of course, for every actress who can fake a believable accent, there’s another (two or three) who bomb at it. Let’s take a look at a few winners and losers in the accent department.

We would be remiss if we did not start with Meryl Streep, who became so well known for her accents in the 1970s and 80s, people would jokingly wonder what dialect she would conquer next: African tribe woman? Eskimo?

With lots of research and endless attention to detail, Meryl knocked it out of the park when mimicking the dialects of Australians (A Cry In The Dark), Danish (Out of Africa), Polish (Sophie’s Choice) and lesbian (Manhattan). OK that last one is just a joke, but wasn’t it fun to see Meryl play Woody Allen’s Sapphicly-inclined ex-wife?

One of the few contemporary actresses who could go head-to-head with Meryl is the lovely Cate Blanchett. Aussie Cate’s a master of accents from Russian (The Man Who Cried) to American (Babel) to Kate Hepburn’s quirky Connecticut cadence (The Aviator). Cate can even do Bob Dylan (I’m Not There)! … continue reading

I loved Mamma Mia!

I know the critics were not kind, but seriously, what’s not to like? Beautiful scenery on a Greek island, head-bobbing music you know from your youth and, best of all, Meryl Streep dancing in overalls.

In fact, the only thing that could make this movie more fun is if we could be on that Greek isle, singing and dancing along. And just in time for the holiday weekend, we’re getting two out of three in the form of Mamma Mia! The Sing Along Edition. The lyrics to every musical number in the film will appear on-screen, just in case the music of ABBA isn’t seared permanently into your brain. … continue reading

Movies become ads for tourism when they feature wonderful characters surrounded by vibrant, breathtaking scenery. Australia's Ministry for Tourism knows it's true, and they're banking on Nicole Kidman's forthcoming epic Australia to be the centerpiece of their global marketing campaign in the next year. I'm afflicted with wanderlust in the worst way, so I know Nicole Kidman's film will send me searching for plane tickets to Oz.

Show me a movie with a beautiful woman in a gorgeous place, and I'm trolling Expedia like it's my job.

Meryl Streep and I went to Greece via Mama Mia just last weekend. Yes, the movie was a hot mess, but Streep was as charming as ever. The two us ran along the beach and sang ABBA, with the waves crashing all around us. I have also been to east Africa with Meryl Streep in Out of Africa. Of course, if that danged Robert Redford hadn't shown up, we probably would have had a better time. … continue reading

When the Swedish quartet ABBA was performing pop songs like "Dancing Queen," I wonder if they visualized the phenomenon it would become. From their dance hits came a Broadway musical, Mamma Mia!, and now a film of the same name, starring Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried.

The film had its world premiere in Berlin on Wednesday night, and the cast (which also includes Christine Baranski, Colin Firth, and Pierce Brosnon among others) was in attendance for the showing and the after party. If you have yet to see the trailer, it will give you a good idea what we can expect when it opens here on July 18:

Yes, that is Meryl Streep singing, and she seems to have some pipes. But we are all aware how frighteningly amazing Ms. Meryl is; it's Amanda Seyfried that is the breakthrough star of Mamma Mia. Up until now, she has served as part of ensemble casts on Big Love and in films such as Mean Girls and Alpha Dogs. As 18-year-old Sophie Sheridan, Seyfried seems like a shoo-in for good reviews, no matter what the outcome is for the film in its entirety. … continue reading

If you’ve been around AfterEllen.com at all the past few weeks, you know that we’re holding our collective breath in anticipation of the 2008 AfterEllen.com Hot 100 list, due Monday. Security is tight: Sarah has been spotted with a briefcase chained to her wrist. (I hear she likes chains, though, so it might be unrelated.) Rumor has it that Leisha Hailey has been dethroned as No. 1, so I honestly have no idea what to expect.

I do know, however, that we will not have enough women over 50 on our list. Of course, I think that mature women should rule the world (or at least the country *cough* Hillary *cough*). I was delighted to see the EW.com list of “33 Hotties Over Age 50” because it gives me an opportunity to give beautiful women of a certain age their due. (The EW.com list includes men, too, if you’re interested, which I am not. I’m also ignoring the term “GILF” because the only “G” I can think of is “grandparent” and that’s just wrong.)

The list started on a high note – literally. No. 1 is everybody’s favorite president, Mary McDonnell (56). Battlestar Galactica may be going away, but President Roslin will be in my heart forever. Sigh.

Jessica Lange was hot at 27 when we first saw her in King Kong. She sizzled at 45 as a slightly unstable siren in Blue Sky. And the hot flashes she still gives us at 58 have nothing to do with menopause. … continue reading

Last night during Dancing With the Stars, the new trailer for Mamma Mia! premiered. The teaser trailer was pretty good, but the full-length one? My dancing shoes are already on!

The stage musical is ridiculous, but also ridiculously enjoyable, and it looks like the movie will fit that same groove. As if the ABBA soundtrack (22 songs!) weren't enough — and, really, what's better than ABBA? — we get Meryl Streep doing pratfalls in her overalls. That alone is worth the ticket price.

Meryl seems to be having a great time in general, what with all the dancing and drinking and screwball comedy. I can never decide which I like better: dramatic Meryl or comedic Meryl. Mamma Mia! might just give us both. She's funny, she's moving, she's handy around the house!

And I had forgotten that Christine Baranski is in Mamma Mia! She plays one of Meryl's BFFs. … continue reading

It's St. Patrick's Day! I'm never quite sure what to make of this particular holiday, since it immediately brings to mind losers wearing green hats and guzzling green beer — or worse, parades that won't let the gays in. But in an attempt to accentuate the positive, here are seven (that's lucky!) delightful Irish people and things:

1. Carly Smithson

I'm still not entirely sure she can live up to all the hype, but American Idol contestant Smithson was great last week. I hope she'll continue to rock out, though I really don't think the Ann Wilson comparisons are right. There can be only one Ann Wilson. But kudos to Smithson for bringing Heart to the masses.

2. Roisin Connor (Siobhan McCarthy)

If you stopped watching Bad Girls after Helen and Nikki left the show, tune back in to see Roisin and Cassie, another star-crossed couple. Sometimes they wear very nice soooots.

3. Emma Donoghue … continue reading

I'm not ready to commit to an entire movie for the weekend, so I thought I'd check out some trailers instead.

First, the new Speed Racer trailer surfaced this week. If Christina Ricci and Susan Sarandon weren't enough reason to see this one, this trailer has convinced me that it's worth the ticket price. Moviefone.com desribes it as "Andy Warhol meets the Jetsons." Nice!

(Watch it in hi-def here.)

Next, I hadn't even heard of Dark Matter, starring Meryl Streep, Aidan Quinn and Liu Ye.

The film tells the story of a Chinese science student who can't quite cope with the pressures of American academia. … continue reading

Jane Lynch and Meryl Streep in a movie? Together? Is it Christmas already? Everyone’s favorite lesbian scene-stealer Jane Lynch has signed to star opposite Meryl Streep in the new film Julie & Julia. Meryl will play the culinary legend Julia Child, and Jane will play her sister.

The film is based on the memoir (or, more accurately, blogoir) Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by author/blogger Julie Powell. In 2002, Powell was working as a secretary and living in a run-down apartment in Queens. On a whim, she decided to try to make all 524 recipes in Child’s classic cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking in the span of a year. To chronicle her epic undertaking, she started a blog. Long story slightly shorter, the blog became a book and the book is now becoming a movie.

Added into the mix are Amy Adams as title-character Julie, Stanley Tucci as Child’s husband, Paul, and Nora Ephron (When Harry Met Sally, You’ve Got Mail) writing and directing. While the memoir focused mainly on Julie’s trials and tribulations tackling her year-long adventures in cooking, the movie will bring in more backstory about Child’s life, including her years spent in Paris in the '40s and '50s. Child passed away in 2004, just two days before her 92nd birthday. … continue reading

The shine isn’t even off the 2008 Academy Awards yet, but I say on to 2009! What? No point dwelling in the past. While it’s still an entire year until the next set of statuettes gets handed out, it’s never too early to be totally wrong with your Academy Award predictions. Here’s a quick look at 10 upcoming projects that caught my eye and maybe, possibly, with any luck, might catch Oscar’s eye as well.

The Argentine/Guerilla: An ambitious two-film project by Steven Soderbergh about Latin American revolutionary Che Guevara, starring Benicio Del Toro, Franka Potente, Benjamin Bratt and Catalina Sandino Moreno. Viva la revolucion!

Australia: Moulin Rouge maestro Baz Luhrmann returns with an epic love story set during World War II, about an English aristocrat (Nicole Kidman) who teams with a ranch hand (Hugh Jackman) to herd cattle across the outback. Sounds like Far and Away meets City Slickers. I kid, I kid.

Burn After Reading: All you need to know is Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand and John Malkovich in a political comedy-thriller about top-secret CIA information falling into the wrong hands — and it's directed by the Coen brothers. Yes, please.

The Changeling: Angelina Jolie may get her 2008 Oscar snub revenge with this Clint Eastwood–directed Prohibition-era thriller about a woman whose kidnapped son is returned, but he could be the wrong child. Clint has been money when it comes to Oscar nominations these past few years, so Angelina, start thinking up a snappy speech. … continue reading

Depending on which media outlets you're reading, you're either convinced the writers' strike is over, or you're cautiously optimistic that it will be soon but you're not counting your chickens just yet. Seems one former Disney exec has proclaimed the strike to be at an end. Unfortunately, Michael Eisner may not know exactly what he's talking about. (Why does this come as no surprise to me?)

Eisner is quoted as saying, "I have some friends in certain places and I believe there was a handshake last Friday ... it's possible they (the writers) will turn it down but it would be insane if they turned it down." Call me a pessimist, but it sounds like posturing to me. His statements are being widely reported as confirmation that all is said and done, but that's not exactly the truth of the matter. In fact, the WGA released its own statement earlier in the week, warning its membership to be wary of reports that claim a settlement is "imminent." For me, this yes-it's-over-no-it-isn't dance is frustrating. The writers are meeting on Saturday to go over the ins and outs of the current proposal, which is a good sign. But a handshake is not a signature on the dotted line.

All this workplace strife has me thinking of movies I love in which workers fought against the powers that be for what was fair and right. More specifically, I'm remembering movies in which women bucked the system for the betterment of not just themselves, but every other woman in the system. In the spirit of solidarity, I thought I'd share those films with you.

Let's start with the classic Norma Rae, starring Sally Field.

Based on a true story of one woman's efforts to unionize the workers at the textile mill where she worked, this was Field's first Oscar-winning performance. (Her second speech was more memorable though.)

1983 brought us the brilliance of Meryl Streep and one of the best performances of Cher's career, all wrapped up in one depressing little package called Silkwood.

And did I mention it was penned by Alice Arlen and one Nora Ephron? All four women got Oscar nods for their work on the film. … continue reading

I'm once again brain-dead on a Monday, so I thought I'd post some pretty posters.

Get Smart (Anne Hathaway) — She gets smarter in every version of the poster.

The Forbidden Kingdom — A Jackie Chan movie, but I'll be focused on these two.

Jolene — No, it's not based on the Dolly Parton song, sadly. No matter how much the poster may seem to suggest that. … continue reading

Sometime over the last decade or so, glasses became cool. And hot. And the world began to see what lesbians always have known: that women who wear glasses are both cool and hot. And downright sexy.

Personally, I'm glad views have changed. As a little tomboy, I resisted glasses as long as I could, to the point of memorizing the eye chart every year so I could pass the vision exam. When I finally was too blind to resist specs any longer, my family was about to move to Texas from Pittsburgh. One of my friends said, "Wow, glasses don't seem very Texan." At the time, I was devastated. Now I know better. Texans with glasses rock. … continue reading

I don't know about you, but this hasn’t been my favorite year at the movie theater. While a handful of independent charmers made their mark, all in all I wasn’t blown away by many of the big-budget, big-star offerings at the cineplex this year. But, ever the cinematic optimist, I’ve already got three reasons to look forward to 2008. I say out with the old and serious, in with the new and funny. These three upcoming comedies caught my eye. So bring on the new year and save me some popcorn.

1. Nim's Island (April 2008) … continue reading

The folks at Entertainment Weekly like their lists. And their latest list is a big one; so big that it warrants the cover of the print version. Declaring that “It's not about power anymore,” EW has presented us with “The 50 Smartest People in Hollywood.” And guess what? Men are a lot smarter than women. Or, at least, there are a lot more smart men than women in Hollywood. Now, I'm not confident that I counted correctly because, you know, math is hard, but here are the numbers: There's exactly one woman (10 percent) in the top 10, two (8 percent) in the top 25 and 13 (26 percent) in the entire 50.

Meryl Streep, at No. 6, is the smartest woman in Hollywood — because she's managed to have a vibrant career after age 50.

The other 12 women are: 15. Amy Pascal, 26. Stacey Snider, 30. Jodie Foster, 31. Kathleen Kennedy, 32. Thelma Schoonmaker, 33. Angelina Jolie, 38. Diablo Cody, 39. Mary Zophres, 43. Beth Swofford, 45. Cate Blanchett, 47. Amy Powell and 49. Sarah Polley. (You can find the full list with explanations beginning here.) … continue reading