Consider this the weekend of small lesbian parts. (I know, I know — there are no small lesbian parts, only small lesbian actors.) Several movie offerings include glimpses of gay ladies.

Saturday at 8/7c on HBO, Alicia Keys tries to make her character as straight as possible in Smokin' Aces. (When Keys first got the script, she asked, "What's this gay s---?" — and it all went downhill from there.)

After 30 minutes of that, you can give up and switch over to Cinemax (yeaahhh!) for Primary Colors (8:30/7:30c). Kathy Bates plays a "gay lesbian woman" (I swear that's what she calls herself) with a shotgun and a conscience. And the cast includes Allison Janney and Emma Thompson, too! This thinly veiled Clintonian saga from 1998 might seem like a brand new film, now that the real-life wronged wife has become a presidential candidate.

Finally, starting this Sunday at midnight, the first season of the critically acclaimed Mad Men will be rebroadcast on AMC. The season eventually includes a heartbreaking lesbian scene (is there any other kind?) — you can read all about that here.

And if none of those appeal to you, there's always The Fabulous Baker Boys on Fox Movie Channel at 8/7c on Saturday. No lesbian characters there, unless you count every woman in the audience when Michelle Pfeiffer starts slithering all over that grand piano.

You know when you hate your sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot boss and fantasize about poisoning his coffee, and then accidentally poison his coffee, and then keep him in bondage for a while until you can get documents with which to blackmail him, and then while he's indisposed, you make your company women-friendly while you dramatically increase productivity? I know ... it's an old story and we've all been there. But, still, Hollywood managed to make that tired plot fresh back in 1980 with Dolly Parton, Lilly Tomlin and Jane Fonda in the comedy classic 9 to 5. And now (drum roll, please), 9 to 5 is on the cusp of becoming a stage musical.

Take a moment to guess how much I love the movie. Did you guess “a lot”? If you did, you're right. As a general rule, I'm not a big fan of slapstick — and there are moments when the movie gets too slapsticky for me — but I love that movie. Love it. I don't love every Dolly Parton movie (although, embarrassingly, I do have a certain fondness for Rhinestone), but I love most of them, and I still think Doralee Rhodes is her best role. … continue reading

You've probably come across some headlines about the indie film Juno, starring Ellen Page (Hard Candy, X-Men 3). The critics adore it — they're calling it "a gust of fresh air"; "a film bristling with vitality and heart"; a movie that sounds "not a single false note." It's been nominated for a Spirit Award and is generating some early Oscar buzz. [Warning: Minor spoilers.]

The box office is just as taken with the film. Even though Juno opened on just seven screens this past weekend, it beat Little Miss Sunshine's first weekend and averaged a whopping $59,124 per screen (Enchanted, for example, averaged $9,233 per screen during its opening weekend).

I'll happily jump on this particular bandwagon. Juno is a moving, charming film, and Ellen Page is fantastic in it. And I mean that both in the sense of "excellent" and in the sense of "based on fantasy." You can't really call the movie realistic, and that's part of why it's so endearing. Who wouldn't like to live in a world where parents and stepparents are supportive and fun, teenagers are both wiseass and wise, and women respect themselves and each other? I much prefer that to realism. … continue reading

Thanksgiving is the perfect lesbian holiday. It involves a potluck (with vegetarian options, of course), eating too much and then sitting around with friends pretending to watch football while we talk about the people who aren't there. And we have pie. I love pie.

T-Day also provides plenty of fodder for seasonal episodes of television series, usually centered on a chaotic family dinner or the Macy's parade or turkeys that aren't done on time. (See TV writer Ken Levine's blog for his summary of Thanksgiving plots.) Sounds like a good excuse for a list — and some food for discussion. And so, submitted for your approval, my five favorite Thanksgiving episodes.
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If you’re ever at a Star Trek convention and things get a little boring, here are six words guaranteed to stir the pot. “Best Star Trek captain ever. Discuss.” Entire websites are devoted to the Kirk vs. Picard debate, and it’s not a subject that Trekkies take lightly. Here at AfterEllen.com, however, no discussion is necessary. The best Star Trek captain is obvious.

News of Star Trek XI, directed by J.J. Abrams, has fueled new debate, since the movie’s storyline is a prequel to the original series and requires casting younger versions of Kirk & crew. Our own globalgrrl had a Psychic Friends moment when she correctly put Zoë Saldana in the role of Uhura.

That got me thinking: If an AfterEllen.com woman can cast a part so perfectly, imagine the lineup if AfterEllen.com cast an entire Star Trek film. Especially if the film had an all-female cast. Now we’re talking. I can almost see the marquee. “AfterEllen.com presents: Star Trek L: Revenge of the Manatees.” … continue reading

On Monday, various luminaries attended the premiere of Hairspray in L.A., including the always brilliant Queen Latifah. Latifah plays Motormouth Maybelle, and she was still wearing her character's dazzling blonde hair at the premiere:

Holy platinum pate! And holy, uh, other stuff. Here are some more photos of the Queen at the premiere: … continue reading

I've been looking forward to the new Hairspray movie since the moment I heard it was being made.

And judging by this new trailer, I don't think I'm going to be disappointed: … continue reading