Ellen Burstyn has come a long way, baby. In 2000, she was popping pills in Requiem for a Dream, and now she’ll be pushing pills in Tim Robbins’ Possible Side Effects on Showtime.

According to Variety, Burstyn will play the matriarch of the Hunt family, a powerful but dysfunctional brood that runs a drug company that gets in a heap of trouble.

If this series is anything less than fantastic, I’ll be shocked. It’s possible that my expectations are high because the pharmaceutical industry is such an easy target or because Ellen Burstyn and Tim Robbins are incredibly gifted. As much as I hate to admit it, I can’t get enough of evil mothers — big screen and small. Save your two-bit psychoanalysis for someone who cares. Yes, yes, my relationship with my own mother is far from perfect. There, I’ve let you in. Can we move on? … continue reading

Please, what ever you do, do not ask me why I have now blogged on this topic twice. I really don’t have a suitable answer (even for me), yet here is a second blog on Greta, the film starring Hilary Duff and Ellen Burstyn. The filmmakers have launched their new website promoting the movie.

The site pretty much gives away the entire plot. The blurb (as they call it) is too big for me to publish here, but here's a small section:

Duff plays the title role of a waitress who falls for a charismatic, young short-order cook (Ross), only to find out he’s been in and out of a juvenile correctional facility for stealing cars. Now he’s determined to do something with his life, but as their romance heats up, Greta has to overcome the concerns of her grandparents (Burstyn, Murphy) about her new friend’s criminal past.

I will say that the entire premise of the movie screams cliché and belts out, "Warning! Possible stereotype train wreck ahead!" (Yet I feel some compulsion to write about it? I think I need medication.)

Oh, wait, I guess I do sort of know why I’m interested in the movie. … continue reading

If you've been wondering when Hollywood will finally get its act together and make a major motion picture about George W. Bush, well then, I have some very exciting news for you: Oliver Stone has come to our rescue. The controversial director is working on a new biopic about Dubya, and the film will be titled simply W.

The strangest part about W (aside from the fact that it is actually being made) is that we're all familiar with the people that the movie will be about. They have had the pleasure of being a part of our lives for eight agonizing years.

Photo credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

I don't envy the job of casting agents who have to find actors who will be believable in these roles. I mean sure, we praise their past decisions when they cast Helen Mirren as The Queen and or Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan (and Cate Blanchett actually made Bob Dylan look sexy — is there anything this woman can't do?). But there isn't much artistic freedom when it comes to casting the first family or Bush's cabinet members. They're sort of … well, boring.

We all know who Barbara Bush is and what she looks like, and we've heard all about the drama surrounding Bush's booze-loving daughters, Jenna and Barbara. So it's interesting to see who are the lucky actors who have been cast in these roles. Let's break down some of them, shall we? … continue reading

Some things simply do not seem to go together. Take, for instance, the idea of a jelly and Brie sandwich. It makes your senses do a double take. That's what my mind did when I read the news release that Hilary Duff and Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn are currently filming a movie together. Lizzie Maguire and six-time Oscar-nominated Ellen Burstyn? OK, maybe a jelly and Brie sandwich is good eats; what do I know?!

The movie, Greta, is directed by music video pro Nancy Bardawil. Bardawil has directed videos for The Goo Goo Dolls, Dixie Chicks and Hole, so at least there is a chance that the movie will be hip and quick and feature a decent soundtrack. After reading about the premise though, I hope that the movie is not a reGretable one. Duff plays the title role, a waitress who dates an ambitious young African-American man (Evan Ross) with whom she works. She discovers that he has a criminal past and now must defend her relationship with her grandparents, one of whom is played by Burstyn. Hmm ... even in 2007, interracial love and relationships are still not very common in movies, but they're certainly not groundbreaking either. And then adding a criminal past to the African-American male character makes the premise read a little like a stereotype, so here's hoping it's well written, well acted, has good music and nice cinematography, and warms the heart! … continue reading