Tonight on ABC, Sean Combs, Audra McDonald, Phylicia Rashad and Sanaa Lathan star in an adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry's play A Raisin in the Sun.

The film also screened at Sundance this year (out of competition). Most of the reviews are quite positive, which is a relief — I'm always a little worried when a masterpiece gets adapted for TV. But I'm encouraged by comments like this: "[T]hose who can relax into the leisurely pace and lush language will be rewarded with an earnest, moving night at the movies."

Here's the trailer: … continue reading

I have a really long to-do list in a notebook somewhere. I call it my things-to-do-before-I-croak list. It includes stuff like places I want to see, books I want to read and things I'd like to accomplish. Thanks to AfterEllen.com, I can sort of cross off one of those items. No. 67: Get published. Sure, the Internet wasn't what I had in mind when I added that particular item to my list, but it counts in my world.

Another thing on my to-do list is attend the Sundance Film Festival. If I could manage to squeeze in the time off and barter my way to Utah, I'd make 2008 the year to get that one crossed off the list. The complete list of films screening at next year's festival was released over the course of the past couple of weeks. Not only do some of the films sound intriguing, but the list of who's in those films should make the red carpet a true treat. In last week's Best. Lesbian. Week. Ever. we told you about one reason to head for the Utah mountains, a reason named Saffron Burrows. Here are a few more reasons to make the trek.

One of the people I would expect to see strutting about town is Lena Headey. Not only would I love to drool over her in person, but I'd also like to see the movie she's in that's screening at Park City at Midnight. It's called The Broken and tells the tale of a woman who sees herself drive by in her own car while on a busy London street. She follows the mystery double into "a living nightmare." Lena Headey in what sounds like an eerie psychological thriller? Count me in. … 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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It doesn't take a lot to make me reminisce about The Cosby Show, but this week I have a couple of good reasons. First, Tempestt Bledsoe, who played Vanessa Huxtable — as well as Clay's mom in South of Nowhere — has been cast in a new Oxygen movie. (Sadly, the movie is called Husband for Hire, so I'm already over it.) Second, today is the gorgeous Phylicia Rashad's 59th birthday.

After gazing fondly at a few Rashad photos — I had such a crush on her in the '80s — I decided to see what all the ladies of Cosby are up to and how they've changed over the years. My sleuthing was very cursory, so if you have any better info, please let me know in the comments. Here's what I learned: … continue reading