Legal dramas come and go, and for the most part, I don't pay that much attention. You've heard one “You're out of order!”/”No, you're out of order!” exchange and you've heard them all. But, while watching Fox recently (oh, Sarah Connor, done so soon?), I was stopped in my tracks by a preview for the new drama Canterbury's Law. Actually, it'd be more accurate to say I was dropped in my tracks: It packs a punch.

The preview struck me (oh, the puns!) in several ways. First, how great is it to see Julianna Margulies back on TV? I've been a fan of hers since her ER days; what can I say, the pale skin, black hair, great eyebrows combo totally works for me. Wrap that all up in a smart power suit, and I am sold.

Second, early reviews have been favorable. Matt Roush at TV Guide called it “House in stiletto heels with a law degree.” Be still my heart. Now if only Olivia Wilde or Lisa Edelstein would do a crossover episode. Julianna stars as Elizabeth Canterbury, a rebellious defense attorney who isn't above breaking the law to win justice for her clients. While she is a rising star in the legal world, her personal life is more complicated. She and her husband (Aidan Quinn) are haunted by the still-unsolved disappearance of their young son years ago. … continue reading

Food is a good thing. That is my profound post-Thanksgiving pronouncement. My mother is an extraordinary, amazing cook — a fact I remember acutely when I visit my parents. By virtue of having grown up in a home with good food, I've continued to appreciate good food all my life. And it's still a connection I share with my mother: I call her when I've had a great meal, when I've cooked something interesting and when I've seen a good food movie.

So, in the spirit of the overeating I've been doing at my parents' home for the past few days, I've been thinking about some of my favorite food movies. These are not all great movies, and they are not necessarily the greatest food movies, but they're all food movies that I've enjoyed, and that came to mind recently.

1. What's Cooking? (2000)

What's Cooking? is the no-brainer. First, we have gay-friendly director Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham). Then there's the mouthwatering multi-ethnic Thanksgiving food prepared by Joan Chen, Mercedes Ruehl, Alfre Woodard, Julianna Margulies and Kyra Sedgwick, among others. Last, and most important, we have Julianna Margulies and Kyra Sedgwick as perhaps the most attractive and appealing lesbian couple in the history of movie lesbians.

Yes, the movie has its flaws. (Every time I watch, I cannot believe the Vietnamese college student tells his parents he's not coming home for Thanksgiving and then goes to his girlfriend's house. Across the street from his parents' house.) But then Julianna Margulies flexes her perfect arms, and she and Kyra Sedgwick giggle over the turkey baster. And all is well in the world. … continue reading

CelebritySpotlight.co.uk recently ran a hilarious quote by Liv Tyler about playing a lesbian (the original source was her interview with Allure Magazine). Actually, the hilarious part was the headline, "Liv Tyler's Lesbian Regret." There is so much you can do with the concept of "lesbian regret," isn't there?

Anyway, Tyler bemoaned the tameness of the kiss scene she did with Kate Hudson a few years ago in Dr. T and the Women.

She said, "Kate plays a woman who is about to get married and she's completely in love with me. We were always so shy about the kissing but in retrospect we were like, 'We so should have just totally made out and tongued each other'. But we never did, we were just too scared to do it." … continue reading

Last night's episode of The Sopranos (episode 83, "Kennedy and Heidi") brought a pleasant surprise: Sarah Shahi. (Warning: slight spoilers ahead.)

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It was nice to see Carmen de la Pica Morales again. The woman knows how to wear denim cutoffs. And she rose to the challenge of guest starring on a show that is scrutinized by obsessed viewers every week. I thought she was just as impressive in her brief scenes as Julianna Margulies was in her fifteen seconds. (Maybe not as brilliant as Edie Falco in her loaded assessment of Julianna as a "good-looking woman," but that kind of brilliance is rare.)