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Just how many movies can Hollywood make about spelling bees as a cinematic metaphor for overcoming the odds? It is easy to dismiss the latest film about the importence of speling wordz corectly, “Akeelah and the Bee,”–expanding to nationwide release this weekend–as nothing more than a sentimental copycat of the documentary “Spellbound” or a rip-off…

Some of you may recall meeting Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as the fierce, wild-eyed henchmen devoted to the resurrected Imhotep in “The Mummy Returns.” And though he played a convincing devotee of the evil ancient Egyptian High Priest, it’s his most recent role as “Lost”‘s Mr. Eko, the African druglord turned “priest,” that has audiences devoted to…

Just before going to see Mission: Impossible III, I caught glimpses of the teaser trailers for both Superman and Casino Royale (the newest 007 sequel). That turned out to be a good thing, since these trailers gave me something to think—and blog—about coming out of M:I:3, which itself doesn’t say much. But its genre does.…

I’ve decided that Wednesday is ABC’s “Must-See-TV” night, with “Alias,” “Lost,” and “Invasion” taking up a mystery/sci-fi three-hour block, and it’s difficult to pick which show to write about. “Invasion” was all about fate, and “Lost” was all about betrayal (in a major way), but I’ll go with “Alias” this week. The show has finally,…

What would Jesus direct? That was the provocative question debated at a panel discussion I attended as part of the Tribeca Film Festival here in New York. On the panel were four Hollywood insiders who are also Christian: the actor Cuba Gooding Jr., the producer Ralph Winter (“X-Men”), Micheal Flaherty from Walden Media (producers of…

Picture yourself in one of the trendiest Manhattan restaurants. Fruity cocktails in deep martini glasses rest in many a manicured hand. Fashion is top-notch; this is New York after all. It’s dark, very dark. The lights are so dim that you can barely make eyes at that person across the room. Yet, many rise to…

Just the other night my husband and I were discussing some world event in which Muslims came out looking bad, and we agreed on the totally obvious fact that the worldview about Islam had profoundly and irrevocably changed since 9/11. But, my husband said, “In the eight years that I’ve been in this country, I’ve…

Next week, Queen Rania of Jordan puts on her P.R. hat at a Metropolitan Museum of Art dinner (whose roster of attendees includes Barbara Walters and Katie Couric, among other Hollywood and political VIPs). Her goal: to promote better understanding between Arabs and Americans via two Pixar-style 3-D animated boys named “Ben and Izzy.” The…

The Church of England has a surfeit of organs, but the ranks of organists to play them on Sunday morning is thinning. The dilemma has led to the runaway success of the HT 300 Hymnal-Plus, a machine that can play 2,700 Christian favorites on a computer sound system at the touch of a remote button.…

I’m a Bruce Springsteen fan who’s had some fine spiritual reflections—and many moments of enjoyment—courtesy of Bruce’s music and writing. Usually it happens when the E-Street band is behind him, so I wasn’t necessarily excited about his new CD, “We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions,” a solo covering of old folk tunes with some friends…
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