The earliest hints of my own personal gayness date back to my interactions with Barbie — or, rather my Barbie's interaction with my She-Ra: Princess of Power action figure. "Don't save Etheria from Hordak and his Evil Horde today, She-Ra," my Barbie would say. "Lets go to the beach together instead!" And off they would drive, holding hands in Barbie's pink Corvette, Ken's bare feet poking out of the trunk. My Cabbage Patch doll, Audrey Marie, appeared as straight as No. 2 Pencil until Rainbow Brite came to town — but we all know how that story ends.

For ages young girls have been playing out their fantasies with dolls, and none so much in the last 20 years as the American Girl characters manufactured by Mattel. In addition to representing a "girl-sized view" of different periods in American history with their attire and adornments, each American Girl doll gets a three-book publishing deal just for being manufactured! (Though, for children's books, the stories are a little more devastating than one might hope.) This summer Kit Kittredge (of 1934) is even taking a turn on the silver screen in a Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, staring Oscar-nominee Abigail Breslin.

Kit Kittredge is a Great Depression-era character whose father is a World War I veteran. The movie's marketing materials call her "resourceful, brave, determined, compassionate, bright, inquisitive and generous." All qualities I would imagine come in very handy during the collapse of an entire country's economy. (Or look good on a resume.) In Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, Kit struggles with her feelings of abandonment when her father moves away to find work, and then, lo! all of her family's money is stolen. But does determined, inquisitive Kit Kittredge hang her head and wallow? No, she does not! Kit Kittredge thinks to herself, "Things could be worse; I could be American Girl Addy Walker circa 1864, a fugitive slave girl on the run from the plantation owners who split-up my family." (See, I told you: if you're looking for a cheerful little anecdote to go along with a freakishly-realistic doll, don't go for the American Girls. Get a porcelain doll and write your own story on construction paper. There is a Native American Girl doll, pre-European Settlers, but I was afraid to even read her blurb on the web page for fear that someone had given her a smallpox-infested blanket.) … continue reading

Who could be the next Jodie Foster? That's the question that MSNBC is asking its readers these days. (Click here to vote and see current poll results.)

It's kind of an intriguing question — and one that I've actually considered independently. (But I'll get back to that later.) Of course, Jodie Foster is a unique individual who cannot be replicated, but I'll assume that the folks at MSNBC are speculating about which young, talented actress will successfully transition to a working adult actress.

Of course, they could be asking which young, talented actress will grow up to have a happy, private, lesbian family. … continue reading

When I think of big movie stars, I always go right to the grand dames with long careers, like Meryl Streep, Helen Mirren, Susan Sarandon, Sigourney Weaver, Diane Keaton and Glenn Close, or to the supernovas who seemed to change the entire industry, like Barbra Streisand and Katharine Hepburn. I sometimes wonder: Do they make 'em like they used to? So I've been pondering the current crop of starlets, and am pleased to say that several babyfaces remind me of their more weathered forebears. Here are six pairs of actresses who have a lot in common despite their generation gaps.

1. The rebels: Ellen Page and Debra Winger

Both Page and Winger have that twinkle in their eyes that makes you wonder, each time they open their mouths to speak, whether you're about to be charmed or affronted. It's an edge that will keep me tuning in, even if somewhat trepidatiously. And Page, like Winger, seems inclined to do exactly (and only) what she wants to do.

2. The students: Lauren Ambrose and Jodie Foster … continue reading

When you wish upon a star, if you ask nicely, they’ll dress up like Disney characters and pose for you. The second round of images from famed celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz’s Disney ad campaign came out this week. While they're not nearly as trippy as the Beyoncé, Lyle Lovett and Oliver Platt teacup of insanity from last time, they’re even more dreamy. Like Rachel Weisz as Snow White dreamy.

I’ve got to give it to Annie: Rachel was an inspired bit of casting. In fact, seeing her commune with nature with her raven hair and milky skin, I can’t think of a single other actress that would be better for the part. Look, even Bambi agrees. … continue reading

There's something wrong with my movie math. For weeks now, I've been thinking the following equation was golden:

(Zeta-Jones + Breslin + Clarkson) x Frothy Food Comedy =
Pretty Good Film

But now that I've seen the trailer for No Reservations (after the cut), I'm not so sure. I adore Catherine Zeta-Jones and Patricia Clarkson — generally, they can do no wrong in my eyes, although in Zeta-Jones' case I have to force myself to overlook her revolting husband, Michael Douglas. And Abigail Breslin isn't just adorable: The kid's got talent. Plus there's the remake factor; it seemed like the original German film, Mostly Martha, might translate pretty well to Hollywood. But clearly there's a flaw in my logic, because No Reservations just doesn't look very good. … continue reading