The trailer for the film adaptation of Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees was just released, and like the book, it looks like the kind of story that will stir the pants right off your soul.

The Secret Life of Bees follows Lily Owens (Dakota Fanning) who — along with her stand-in mother, Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson) — escapes from her abusive father, and takes up with three beekeeping sisters (Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys and Sophie Okonedo) in a pink house in Tiburon, South Carolina.

Let me do that math for you: Queen Latifah, Oscar nominee; Sophie Okonedo, Oscar nominee; Jennifer Hudson, Oscar winner; Alicia Keys, rock-em-sock-em talent; Dakota Fanning, best child actress since Jodie Foster. … continue reading

Last Friday, the full-length Sex and the City movie trailer was leaked online.

I’ll admit it: I’m excited about this movie. And I say that as someone who took quite a long time to become a fan of the show. When it first premiered in 1998, the glossy-looking previews got me to tune in, expecting a New York–based comedy along the lines of Friends. What I got seemed a lot more along the lines of soft porn to me — plus a seemingly endless run of terrible puns and vacuous-sounding questions from sex columnist Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) — and I just as quickly tuned out. When friends talked about the show to me, I told them in no uncertain terms that I couldn’t stand it.

Yet somehow, around the time of the fifth or sixth season, I found myself taking another look. And whether it was just because I had gotten older, or because the show had gotten a lot better, I unexpectedly found myself being drawn into it. Carrie seemed less brittle, self-obsessed and neurotic to me, and I found myself noticing what a good friend she was. Prissy Charlotte (Kristin Davis) had met her perfect match in the short, bald, fat Harry (Evan Handler) and had loosened up a bit. Slutty Samantha (Kim Cattrall) was no longer shagging everything that moved, but seemed on the verge of settling into an actually rather touching relationship with Smith (Jason Lewis) — plus I admired the tough, steely way she was handling breast cancer.

And then there was Miranda. … continue reading

As a bestseller about "the divine power of women and the transforming power of love," it was only a matter of time before Sue Monk Kidd's debut novel The Secret Life of Bees made its way to the big screen. But, still smarting from too many adaptation debacles to count (The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood comes to mind), I wouldn't have very much cared — until yesterday's Variety report about casting. With Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, and Sophie Okonedo signed and Alicia Keys in talks, I'm setting aside my $11 now.

Dakota Fanning is due to star as teenaged protagonist Lily, but that doesn't interest me so much (apparently nobody has yet followed Sarah's advice and convinced her that she need not portray every precocious young girl). Nope, I'm all about this somewhat random but potentially quite satisfying group of non-adolescent stars: Hudson as Lily's nanny and friend Rosaleen, and Latifah, Keys and Okonedo as the Boatwright sisters. I'm also all about the fact that Gina Prince-Bythewood will be at the helm, using her own based-on-the-book script. Since the Love and Basketball writer-director is responsible for one of the greatest moments in female sports movies but has only done a modest amount of work since, much of it on TV, I'm eager to see her in charge of a major release. … continue reading

When I think of big movie stars, I always go right to the grand dames with long careers, like Meryl Streep, Helen Mirren, Susan Sarandon, Sigourney Weaver, Diane Keaton and Glenn Close, or to the supernovas who seemed to change the entire industry, like Barbra Streisand and Katharine Hepburn. I sometimes wonder: Do they make 'em like they used to? So I've been pondering the current crop of starlets, and am pleased to say that several babyfaces remind me of their more weathered forebears. Here are six pairs of actresses who have a lot in common despite their generation gaps.

1. The rebels: Ellen Page and Debra Winger

Both Page and Winger have that twinkle in their eyes that makes you wonder, each time they open their mouths to speak, whether you're about to be charmed or affronted. It's an edge that will keep me tuning in, even if somewhat trepidatiously. And Page, like Winger, seems inclined to do exactly (and only) what she wants to do.

2. The students: Lauren Ambrose and Jodie Foster … continue reading

I may finally be too old for a stocking, but there’s one holiday tradition I continue to love, and that’s the airing of classic musicals on television. For a long time now, I’ve been of the opinion that lesbians need to reclaim musicals from gay men — not least because there is such a plethora of gorgeous, talented women in film musical history.

While a list of all my favorite female performances would probably take all day, here in chronological order are ten that I’m hoping to see over the vacation:

1. Ginger Rogers in Shall We Dance (1937)

I love all the Ginger Rogers/Fred Astaire collaborations, so it’s hard to select just one.

But Shall We Dance has one of my favorite Ginger Rogers moments, as the camera dwells in close-up on her listening face as Fred Astaire sings "They Can’t Take That Away From Me." While the song is beautiful, it’s Ginger’s subtly despairing response that really strikes at the heart. (She would go on to win an Oscar for Best Actress, for the non-musical film Kitty Foyle, in 1940).

2. Rosemary Clooney in White Christmas (1954)

This very, very silly seasonal musical is mostly notable for the gay undertones brought by Danny Kaye’s performance (no, really — watch it again). … continue reading

They’re baaaack! Yes, the fabulous foursome of Sex and the City is back. The first teaser trailer for the SATC movie came out yesterday. I’ll admit it; I got a little sentimental when I heard the theme again. I half expected to see Carrie in that pink tutu dress getting splashed by that bus. And as much as I want to toast the movie and the gals, I can’t help wondering: Will it work?

I watched all six seasons of the hit HBO series. I even hosted a premiere party or two, complete with appletinis. And when it ended in 2004, I thought it went out on a pretty darn-near-perfect note in terms of wish fulfillment. So now, almost four years later, what exactly is left to tell? Well, the trailer doesn’t let too much slip, unless a woman trying on fancy white dresses means something to you. [To see the trailer in hi-def, click here.] … continue reading

In a recent interview, Aretha Franklin spoke about casting dilemmas for the TV movie version of her autobiography, From These Roots.

Billy Dee Williams and Terrence Howard have committed to play her father and Smokey Robinson, but the role still up for grabs is Aretha herself. Depending on who you listen to, that is. Jennifer Hudson is rumored to be already cast, but Franklin says nothing is set yet. If it were up to her, she'd have several women play herself at different ages. (Hey, that sounds familiar. But I would really have something to say if they cast Cate Blanchett for this one.) Here's Franklin's short list:

I know, I know. Jennifer Hudson, Fantasia Barrino and Halle Berry? Which one of these is not like the other? But let's start with Hudson. … continue reading

Jennifer Hudson, best known for Dreamgirls, has been cast in the movie version of Sex and the City, which starts filming in New York next week. The casting of Hudson was wonderful news to read. But I was trying to recall what character Hudson played in the original series — and then of course I quickly remembered that there were no women of color in that group. But great, there will be one now! Except it looks like another "black best friend" role, and for an Academy Award–winning actress no less.

OK, OK, so she's not going to be a friend; she's going to be the personal assistant to Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker). (Has Carrie moved up in the world if she's now in need of a PA?) But I'm guessing that as the personal assistant, Hudson's character will be the voice of reason, give sage advice, helping to keep the neuroses of her boss under control and all with humor and a good dose of strong, sensible black womanness. Or wait, maybe Hudson will have a sex and the city love interest of her own? Yes, I know. I doubt it, too. Am I being too narrow in my assumptions? I hope so. Maybe there is more to the role than what meets the cynical eye. Please? … continue reading

I just read the best diva-related news I've come across in a long time. The original Dreamgirls — Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine and Jennifer Holliday — will reunite for the 17th Annual DIVAS Simply Singing! benefit on Oct. 6 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles.

Right now I'm checking airfares to Los Angeles.

And here they were in 1981.

The AOL Black Voices Blog has all of the details, but the basics are that Sheryl Lee Ralph — the original Deena (think Beyonce in the movie) in the Broadway production of Dreamgirls — founded the Diva Foundation in 1990 and established DIVAS Simply Singing! to honor the friends she had lost to AIDS/HIV. This year's show will benefit the Women Alive Coalition and establish DIVAS as "the longest consecutive running musical AIDS benefit in Los Angeles." … continue reading

I love it when my favorite things intersect — like, say, when Heart appears on The L Word, or '80s stars sing a Dreamgirls song. It always surprises and delights me. But I've never been more surprised than I am by the notion of stars of The Sopranos appearing on Sesame Street. They'll drop by for a holiday special, as will Jennifer Hudson, Sheryl Crow and Alicia Keys. Celebrities will help Elmo count down the days to Christmas.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Tony Sirico (Paulie Walnuts) and Steve Schirripa (Bobby Baccalieri) "will shed their tough-guy image from their years on Sopranos in a skit in which they will play Bert and Ernie with guidance from the real Muppets." … continue reading

Hairspray sang and danced its way onto the big screen this past weekend to great reviews and strong box office (No. 3 behind I Now Pronounce You Dumb & Dumber Chuck & Larry and Harry Potter, with the largest opening take for a musical on record). And, according to the Associated Press, its filmmakers hope its success will herald a new acceptance of plus-size women in Hollywood. You hear that, aspiring starlets? You can all stop gorging yourself on ice cubes and Diet Coke, because big is back. If only.

As welcome as the notion may be, I sincerely doubt that Hollywood will begin embracing its Rubenesque side anytime soon. While Nikki Blonsky and Queen Latifah are Hairspray’s beautiful bombshells, they are the curvaceous exceptions to the rule right now. … continue reading

Last weekend, Italian designer Valentino marked the 45th anniversary of his brand with a couture show in Rome, followed by a post-show gala dinner and ball at the Parco dei Daini at the Villa Borghese on July 7. Yeah, my budget (OK, and an invitation) precluded me from going, but that doesn't mean we can't sorta virtually be there through the magic of photography! Here are some of our favorite ladies at the gala:

Elle MacPherson (who played bi opposite Kate Capshaw in A Girl Thing)

… continue reading

Yesterday I saw a lot of headlines about the BET Awards. I skimmed a few stories, noted the winners and glanced at a few blog posts, but I refused to really absorb any of it. I wanted to wait and see it for myself. I finally watched the show last night, and I'm glad I saw it without any preconceived notions. I was able to let the Jennifer Holliday-Jennifer Hudson duet of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" wash over me and give me goosebumps. And did it ever! I think I had an aural orgasm. (An aurgasm?)

… continue reading

Katharine McPhee has signed on to make her film debut in The Last Caller. In the indie flick, described as a dark romantic comedy, McPhee will star (but not sing) as a self-obsessed woman who “searches for love, hope and meaning during a few random events with other urban seekers.” As she told The Hollywood Reporter: "This is the first thing that I read that I really wanted to do. I'm up for a couple of big studio projects, but they weren't starring roles. I wanted to start off doing something a little different. It's something that a lot of people wouldn't expect me doing."

OK, fine, good for her. I’m sure moviegoers the world over can now look forward to catching the McPheever. But, the lead role right off the bat? Certainly, it worked out with golden results for fellow American Idol alum Jennifer Hudson. But, in general, I’m a big fan of the walk-before-you-run theory on pretty much everything — acting, knitting, skydiving, electrical wiring, you name it. … continue reading

Disney's upcoming animated movie The Frog Princess, an American fairy tale musical set in New Orleans during the 1920s Jazz Age, will star the first black princess in Disney history. No announcement has yet been made about who will voice the 19-year-old a chambermaid named Maddy, but Alicia Keys and Dreamgirls Jennifer Hudson and Anika Noni Rose are reportedly among the contenders.

This is a really great - if long overdue - development, but I rolled my eyes when I saw that that the movie was set in New Orleans. Of course the first movie featuring a black princess would be set in New Orleans - because that's where the black people live, according to Hollywood. Not Cleveland or Seattle, or Boston, but New Orleans. Yes, there is a very large population of African Americans (and Caribbean Americans) in New Orleans, but a lot of black people live elsewhere, too! Apparently a movie about a black princess from Cleveland just isn't as appealing. Why not?

In a word: voodoo.

Every time there's a special New Orleans-themed episode on a TV show, like the one on Bones earlier this season, or the latest episode of Blood Ties I watched last night, it always features black folks who practice voodoo. And sure enough, one of the characters in The Frog Princess is "an elderly, 200-year-old Voodoo priestess/fairy god-mother."

Nevermind that (I'm guessing) the majority of black people in New Orleans don't practice voodoo - white people just can't get this idea out of their heads. It exoticizes black folks and makes them seem more like the "other," and less like your neighbor down the street. I'm not black, and I'm not from New Orleans, but I'm offended on behalf of both. And intelligent people everywhere. Yes, I know I'm on a rant, and probably about something no one else cares about, but I don't like lazy writing that's based on stereotypes.

Watch, now I'll go home tonight and discover a voodoo doll that looks like me with pins stuck in it on my doorstep. If I turn into a giant snake in my sleep tonight, you'll know why!