Guest blogger Tony Watkins is the author of “Dark Materials: Shedding Light on Philip Pullman’s Trilogy ‘His Dark Materials.'” This is the first of several blog posts he will be contributing to Idol Chatter about the controversy over the Dec. 7 release of “The Golden Compass,” based on the first book of Pullman’s trilogy. Nothing…

Remember those M*A*S*H* episodes where Hawkeye or Radar turned over his jeep or sits out a bombing raid in a hut with an old Korean couple, and the character spits out a monologue of self-revelation? I loved those stunts, and this week’s “Saving Grace” (airing tonight) has that high-concept feeling, with Grace getting trapped for…

In what is Hallmark Hall of Fame’s 231st presentation, “Pictures of Hollis Woods” is sure to inspire. The movie, which is based on the Newberry Honor award-winning book of the same name, tells the story of a young girl, Hollis Woods, who has been in foster care most of her life. After leaving a family…

Siblings putting their father in a nursing home may hardly seem like the stuff of great movies, but thanks to a couple of amazing performances and a large dose of humor mixed into its drama, “The Savages” is touching, funny, and engaging. Those great performances come from two of my favorite actors, Philip Seymour Hoffman…

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