Rajendra Singh gazes at India’s polluted Ganges River in “Elemental”

I recently had a chance to screen five documentaries that I believe are important viewing for anyone who wants to stay informed.

1. “Elemental” is a beautifully shot feature-length documentary by Gayatri Roshan and Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee about three environmental activists on three different continents. Rajendra Singh is devoted to cleaning up the heavily polluted Ganges River in India. The basin provides 60 percent of the country’s water and is considered sacred. Yet, like many waterways in the U.S. and elsewhere, it’s being treated like a toilet bowl.

Eriel Deranger, a leader of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation in Alberta, Canada, is also profiled in the film. She has worked to stop the Keystone XL pipeline and continues to fight for clean air and water, as well as the land rights of indigenous peoples.

The third person profiled in the film is Jay Harman in Australia. His story was the most uplifting for me because he’s working hard to invent ways to combat climate change. His engineering company, PAX Scientific, has invented a number of energy-efficient machines, and he’s hopeful that we can reverse the damage that has been done.

Most environmental documentaries leave me feeling depressed and hopeless, but “Elemental” gave me hope. The film opened in New York on Friday, May 17 and opens in other cities on May 24, 2013.

2. “State 194″ is a feature-length documentary about the conflict between Palestine and Israel. There is some fascinating behind-the-scenes footage of recently resigned Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, including film of him cooking in his kitchen. Director Dan Setton paints quite a humanizing picture of the man and chronicles his plan to prove that Palestine is deserving of statehood.

Setton also follows and profiles Israeli activists who are pro-Palestinian state, and he doesn’t try to hide his desire for two states in the region. Regardless of your opinion on the matter, the documentary is an infinitely interesting account of this conflict in the last few years. The film opened in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, May 17, 2013.

3. “Scavenger Hunt” is a short documentary (just under one hour) about the highly endangered California condor. I wasn’t aware that one of the causes of their endangered status is lead poisoning from ammunition used to kill game. When the birds eat the remains of animals that have been shot by hunters, they also consume the lead fragments from the ammunition. This is a problem with other predatory birds around the world as well.

There is also some evidence that the lead gets into our soil and water and causes health problems in people. Yet, the EPA continues to refuse to ban lead-based ammunition. Directed by Matthew Podolsky and Eddie Chung, the film profiles the people involved in this mess and their efforts to save the condor population and ban the ammunition. The DVD is available for purchase on their Web site.

4. “The First 70″ is about the 70 California national parks that the state has threatened to close. Filmmakers Jarratt Moody, Lauren Valentino, and Cory Browne decided to visit all 70 of the parks, and as a result, the 30-minute documentary includes some gorgeous footage of these natural landscapes.

What I learned from the film is that closing these parks is idiotic for many reasons and that it may just be more economical to keep them open than to close them. Fascinating stuff! You can buy the DVD by visiting the film’s website.

5. “Save the Farm” is a short film by Michael Kuehnert that I first saw at the Tulsa Film Festival back in 2011. It’s a heartbreaking story of a group of people growing their own food in a community garden in Los Angeles as a way to feed their families and make ends meet. Then, that land is taken from them in spite of major efforts on their part, including support from celebrities like Darryl Hannah and Alicia Silverstone.

Despite what happened to the people in Los Angeles, the urban farming movement continues. You can watch the film online (available on Netflix and Amazon Streaming), but the DVD is now available and provides features that you can’t see anywhere else, including an interview with Julia Butterfly Hill.

Paris Hilton and Christian Loboutin in Cannes, 2013

“One of the greatest freedoms is truly not caring what everyone else thinks of you,” Paris Hilton tweeted earlier today.

The celebutard is in Cannes where she attended Thursday’s premiere of “The Bling Ring,” directed by Sofia Coppola and starring Emma Watson, Katie Chang, and Israel Broussard.

The movie is inspired by real-life events that occurred in 2008 and 2009; namely, the burglaries by fame-obsessed teenagers of the houses of celebrities, including Hilton’s. The teenagers used the Internet to track the whereabouts of celebrities to find out who was out of town so they could burglarize their homes.

In the scenes in the film where Hilton’s home is being burglarized, Coppola is actually filming in Hilton’s huge and luxurious mansion, which is decorated with portraits, pillows and walls that bear Hilton’s face. Hilton’s narcissism, won’t be a surprise but even I – who have met her on occasion and witnessed first-hand her vacant stare when I tried to interview her – was surprised to learn she didn’t bother to lock her door, giving the thieving teens easy access to her luxe items by Prada, Gucci and Chanel.

Anyway, the film is getting good word of mouth at Cannes, where it screened out of competition in the artsy “Un Certain Regard” program. The kudos have been especially effusive for Watson, who looks very grown up and sexy.

But back to Hilton, who in tweets complained about the rain and cold in Cannes, that the airline lost half her luggage and that she was jet lagged. Then, Quelle horreur! The power went off half way through getting her hair curled preparing for the premiere. “This is a nightmare,” she tweeted, “running so late for @TheBlingRing movie.”

Well Coppola and Watson can rest easy, because Hilton tweeted that she loved the film. “Sofia Coppola is such a talented director @EmWatson and the rest of the cast were amazing!#AMustSeeFilm!”

She also tweeted that she met one of her “idols” at “The Bling Ring” after party. She wasn’t referring to Martin Scorsese or Robert De Niro or even Leonardo DiCaprio. Her idol? Shoe designer, “The amazing Christian Loboutin.”

Just one visit to Branson, Missouri and you will discover the most amazing musical shows, positively entertaining. If your passion, like mine, is live theatre and you can’t get enough of it, Branson is one of the greatest entertainment destinations for family and fans. It features more than 100 live shows, both accessible and affordable.

Non-stop shows start early in the morning and go all day into the night, with music you haven’t heard in awhile. Think of Hollywood, movies, celebrities and celebrity tribute shows plus adventures, antics and lots of laughs; it’s all here.

Get ready for a nostalgia voyage and the magic of movies through favorite musicals of all time at “Hooray for Hollywood.” Wildly original, it’s considered the top show in Branson with scenes from movies we all know like “MyFair Lady,” “Mary Poppins,” “Singin’ In The Rain,”  “Les Miserables,” “The Lion King” and so many more.

As those film clips played on the big screen, talented singers and dancers presented a glittering salute and spectacular live performances from those great films. It was a must see for this movie buff and exhilarating to watch top notch dancers with routines from “Flash Dance,” “Footloose,” “Dirty Dancing” and “Fame.”

You can’t forget our musical legends, as you hear them up close and personal at Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theatre. “Legends in Concert” is where celebrity lookalikes actually sound and perform as Diana Ross, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, The Blues Brothers and Brooks & Dunn, with every familiar movement to the last detail.

A rotating line-up captures the very essence of the stars you love: Johnny Cash, Marilyn Monroe, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Cher and many more, with elaborate sets and effects. The lobby is a virtual museum of personal memorabilia belonging to these legends, including their clothing items, journals, photos and actual performance contracts. As an added pleasure at the end of the show, these performers meet the audience and pose for photos while engaging in friendly conversation.

Little Opry Theatre | Barbara Singer Photo

Tribute to John Denver with James Garrett (center) | Barbara Singer Photo

Made in the USA on Showboat Branson Belle | Barbara Singer Photo

Baldknobbers Show | Barbara Singer Photo

Twelve Irish Tenors | Barbara Singer Photo

Hooray for Hollywood | Barbara Singer Photo

Hooray for Hollywood | Barbara Singer Photo

Legends in Concert | photo courtesy of Legends in Concert

In just one day at The Little Opry Theatre, I enjoyed a funky and funny gospel musical comedy, “Smoke on the Mountain,” and remembrance “Tribute to John Denver,” starring his friend James Garrett, who shared anecdotes and songs of the late great singer. There was even time for “Patsy Cline Remembered,” starring C. J. Newson, and “Hank Williams Revisited,” starring Tim Hendler. Wow, what a day!

More than 50 years ago, Branson’s musical shows began with the Mabe family’s country music and clever comedy act. They entertained visitors by the lake as the Baldknobbers.   You can still see them today, with second and third generation family members carrying on the tradition still going strong. The legacy of the Baldnobbers Jamboree, since 1959, can be viewed in the Smithsonian Institute with their original costumes and instruments now a part of the permanent collection.

An awesome dozen guys are the “Twelve Irish Tenors,” who are actually Irish, singing those songs we all know, like “Danny Boy” and “When Irish Eyes are Smiling,” with a taste of Irish folk music and lively jigs. Next they break off into Broadway musicals, opera, dashing dances, solos and chorale songs. Every act aims to please and succeeds.

Whatever your pleasure, you’ll find it in Branson, from Dolly Parton’s “Dixie Stampede” to “Shanghai Circus,” “Pierce Arrow,” “Neil Diamond Tribute,” “Abba Tribute,” and the beat goes on with “The Hughes Brothers,” “The Duttons,” “IT,” and “Presley’s Country Jubilee.”

Daringly different is the dining show on the Showboat Branson Belle, an Americana paddle boat moving along Table Rock Lake with their new show “Made in the U.S.A.”  Master magician and comedian Christopher Jones, an intriguing Master of Ceremonies, is joined by aerial violinist Janice Martin and The Showmen singing group, enhanced by breathtaking exterior views of the Ozark Mountains. More adventures continue later at Silver Dollar City with fun, food and more entertainment.

Branson was a high for me, like a non-stop entertainment roller coaster. Visitors love to venture here for Summer and Christmas, too, Dining, shopping and recreation are additional pastimes in Branson, with diverse lodgings for all budgets. There’s always a deal, and showtime in Branson is quality pleasure with admiration for country and family.

Find out everything about Branson by contacting Branson Tourism Center or Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB at 800-296-0463 or ExploreBranson.com.

Show: ”American Idol”
Reel Rating: 3.5 of 5 Reels
Twitter: @AmericanIdol
Facebook: /AmericanIdol
Airtime: Wed., 8 p.m. ET on Fox; results show Thurs., 8 p.m. ET
FCC Rating: TV-PG
Genre: Competition, Reality
Cast: Ryan Seacrest, Randy Jackson, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban
Ok for Ages: 9+

I admit this household hasn’t watched “American Idol” faithfully in its entire 12-season run, but we decided to get back on track this season. It’s been worth it. My whole family (hubby and two teenagers) loves tuning in each week to see the performances and cast our votes. The talent is amazing, and it’s been a while since a female has won (the last was Jordin Sparks in season six). That’s a sure bet this year, because the boys were all booted out early on.

Here are the top five girls in season 12 – from left to right, Angie Miller, Candice Glover, Janelle Arthur, Kree Harrison and Amber Holcomb.

There are other talent competition shows — “America’s Got Talent,” “The X Factor,” “The Voice” and others — but there’s something about “American Idol” that feels comfortable. Ryan Seacrest is one of the best hosts on TV (such a natural!), and he just seems to know what to say at the right time — even during those awkward moments. In fact, one night during the auditions, I tweeted, “New Show: Small Talk with Ryan Seacrest,” and he (or more likely, his people) retweeted it and I got a bunch of new followers. He really does know how to make small talk with the judges, the contestants and their families.

But Ryan isn’t the only reason I like “American Idol.” The show keeps revitalizing itself to keep it current, like adding different judges through the years and offering more ways for us to vote, like their new iPhone app.

Ok, that totally sounds like a commercial for the show, and if there’s one annoying thing about “American Idol,” it’s the rampant product placement, from contestants driving Fords everywhere to the bright red Coca-Cola glasses on the judges’ table. But I understand that these shows don’t run themselves — they need sponsors, and the show is doing an ok job of blending them in here, there and everywhere. I kind of miss the fun Ford commercials the contestants have done in the past, so I’m all for bringing those back.

As far as the show itself goes, it tells kids that if you have a dream and work hard to make that dream come true, it can happen. On the flipside, it also shows that even if you’re not the ultimate winner of a big talent competition (or whatever your dream happens to be), you still have control over your own destiny and can make things happen. Just look at the contestants who didn’t win, and yet went on to have great success in their careers, like Jennifer Hudson, Clay Aiken, Katherine McPhee, Adam Lambert, Chris Daughtry and Kellie Pickler.

On the judges, I actually miss Simon Cowell’s straightforward critiques, though there’s no doubt he could be harsh at times. This year’s judges — Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson, Keith Urban and Nicki Minaj — are an interesting group with a diverse fanbase that appeals to a lot of different people. It’s fun to get to know the personalities of these stars that we otherwise don’t get to see, and I appreciate that they really seem to want to help the contestants get better, not just in their singing, but also the emotional aspects of having a career in show biz.

Sometimes, life in the spotlight is not all it’s cracked up to be, and sometimes, it exceeds all expectations.

Parents Should Know: “American Idol’s” TV-PG rating is mostly on target, though the auditions can venture into TV-14 territory when the rejected contestants respond with bleeped obscenities, weeping, hand gestures and sometimes even physical violence.

But host Ryan Seacrest tries hard to keep the show upbeat and family-oriented. Sometimes the judges fight, which I suspect is choreographed and edited to bring more buzz to the show. Also, the judges’ feedback can be harsh and unforgiving, though it’s much gentler than the Simon Cowell days.

Once contestants make it onto the show and start working with a stylist, their outfits are generally well put together. But during the auditions, they often wear sexy or inappropriate clothes (remember “Bikini Girl”?) and even flirt with the judges at times. The female judges’ clothes can be a bit risque, too.

JANE’S REEL RATING SYSTEM:
One Reel – Even the Force can’t save it.
Two Reels – Coulda been a contender
Three Reels – Something to talk about.
Four Reels – You want the truth? Great show!
Five Reels – Wow! The stuff dreams are made of.

Learn how to publish Jane Boursaw’s family movie and TV reviews in your publication, and feel free to email her at jboursaw@charter.net for more info.

The Classic Connoisseur’s Guide to the Best Films & Stars

Jane Withers at the 2013 TCM Classic Film Festival

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment recently released seven films featuring child star Jane Withers that have not previously been available.

I had the privilege of talking with Jane (as she insisted I call her) by phone and let me tell you, she is the most enthusiastic, cheerful person I have ever met! (Excuse the exclamation mark, but it is difficult to talk about Jane Withers without !!!!)

Looking Back

“I’ve been waiting a long time to get to this age (87),” she says. “I’m just having such a good time.” And she loves old movies – not just her own. “I see – I would say – ten old movies a week.”

Lest you think she is just sitting around looking at old movies, she says, “I’m working on – what started out as one, but has become – four books. It’s all about my happy memories and happy experiences and all the people who taught me such wonderful things.”

She has plenty of material. “I took home movies and had a Kodak camera, and I have over 5000 pictures that I have taken of my career… I have so many things that I think future generations should have. I have entire movie sets. I have a  ’My Fair Lady’ set that I just love.”

I read in an interview that she nearly refused to sign the contract for the movie “Giant” with director George Stevens, because it said she was not allowed to take photos. They rewrote the contract, giving her free access.

How Jane Became Jane, the Movie Star

“It was my darling, precious mother … She loved old films. And when she was fourteen years old, she used to pray every day that she would marry Mr. Right and he would understand that she wanted one child only – a girl – and she wanted her to have a life … in the movies.” Gazing at movie marquees convinced her that: “She will have to have a short first name … to look right on the marquee.”

A Different Kind of Child Actor

“I’ve never in my entire life had a director tell me anything. They’d say, ‘.. the important thing is how do YOU feel about the character you’re playing … I never had a [acting] lesson in my life. All you have to do is read and think and do. You read the script, think about it, make notes if you’re not sure, try it different ways until it feels natural. I don’t know any other way.”

When they called in a dialect coach for her Irish immigrant role in “Paddy O’Day” (1935 when she was nine years old), he said she was doing it perfectly and they did not need him.

Starting at eight years old, she requested and got permission to attend writer’s conferences, she says. “Sometimes I would change the ‘lyrics’ as I called them. [dialogue] I would tell the writers, ‘Don’t forget, you all are adults. I’m only eight years old … the ways it’s written, I think some of them are too “grown-uppy”… and I think we should change the ‘lyrics’ so kids my age can understand them.’”

Jane Withers

Her Religious Belief

Jane Withers is known for her religious faith which leads everything she has done, and may account for her stability in a business fraught with dangers for young people.

“She [her mother ] taught me to be visionary in life. Visualize your life, put it into prayer and let God be your partner in everything you do. If it is right for you to have, nothing can keep you from it.”

Jane gave me an example of how that worked in her life. “…when I signed my contract when I was eight years old, I said, ‘I don’t care anything about money, but the people I’m going to share my time with means everything in the world. And I want the same crew on all of my films.’ They said, ‘That’s not possible.’ I said, ‘Oh yes it is. In Matthew 21:22 it says, ‘all things whatsover, you shall ask in prayer and believing, you shall receive.’” … [And of course Jane being Jane, it turned out the way she hoped.] “I had the same crew on 49 films growing up.”

Learning About Movie Making

Asked who she learned the essentials from, she said, “Harold Schuster was one of my favorite directors – I did three films with him. [Schuster was film editor on "The Farmer Takes a Wife" (1935), director on "A Very Young Lady" (1941 and "Small Town Deb" (1941)] And my cameraman, Joe McDonald … and there were several others. [I learned that] if they couldn’t see my eyes – if they didn’t put a baby spot on my eyes – my eyes tell everything. They always had a Janie spot, they called it a baby-baby spot – it was always focused on my eyes.”

Rita Cansino (Hayworth) and Jane Withers in “Paddy O’Day”

Discovering Rita Hayworth

“’Paddy O’Day’ is one of my favorite movies … [When making 'Paddy O'Day'] I visited the Charlie Chan set next door to me. And on the set was a beautiful girl who was dancing ballroom with her partner in a film … I was only eight but I felt so strongly about this girl – she was just dynamite. I asked to meet her, her name was Rita Cansino … She was painfully shy. She said ‘I just love to dance and I’m just thrilled to be in the movies.’ I said,’Have you ever acted?’ and she said, ‘Oh no, I’ve never acted, I’m a dancer.’ I said, ‘You don’t need to learn acting, it just has to be in your heart.’”

“Later on that day, my script for ‘Paddy O’Day’ had arrived, so my mom and my dad and I sat down to read it … and I said, ‘Oh, Momma, there’s the most wonderful role in here for the Russian girl that comes over to the United States. I saw a girl today who would be perfect in this role.’ I said to [the director,Lewis Seiler], ‘I saw this girl in a Charlie Chan movie, and she had never acted but I talked to her for just a minute. Honest injun, Mr. Seiler, I know she would perfect for the role. Let her have this opportunity.’”

“Well, she became the girl in the movie and she was just wonderful.”

When my conversation with Jane Withers was interrupted by the P.R. woman to tell us the time was up, Jane said, “Oh, that’s tacky! I’ve enjoyed this so much, can we do this again?”

And then she had a message  for all of you: “I’m so glad your readers like classic films!”

And how could we not love the cheerful, bubbly personality of Jane Withers in all those wonderful, corny, old B-movies?

It’s hard to imagine a more helpless situation than being stranded, floating alone, in the emptiness of space. Just the thought gives me the shivers.

That’s the setting for “Children of Men” director Alfonso Cuarón’s new film, “Gravity.” The story revolves around a medical engineer (Sandra Bullock) on her first trip to space and a veteran astronaut (George Clooney), who are left tethered only to each other after an accident throws them into the void.

They’ve kept us waiting for this movie, but after being delayed for a year, it’s scheduled to hit theaters Oct. 4, 2013. Looking forward to seeing the interesting pairing of Clooney and Bullock together in space.

Check out the trailer and leave thoughts below.

There’ve been more books in “Mad Men” than most — and quite possibly all — TV shows. So many that last year the New York Public Library compiled a list of them through season five. Season six opens with Don reading “Dante’s Inferno,” which we later learn was given to him by Sylvia Rosen, his neighbor, mistress and a reader with eclectic tastes. In this past Sunday’s episode, “Man With a Plan,” Sylvia brings a copy of Larry McCurtry’s “The Last Picture Show” to the Sherry-Netherland for what turns out to be her last tryst with Don.

Don’s meeting with Sylvia is one of three storylines that take characters away from the office, where low-grade chaos unfolds around the merger of Cutler, Gleason and Chaogh and Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Don’s tryst is the only one where the character starts off in charge. He arranges his absence, while Pete and Joan are pulled away by genuine emergencies.

Pete is summoned from the office several times — and very much against his wishes — when his brother sends their dementia-addled mother to stay with Pete. Joan ends up going to the emergency room, accompanied by the surprisingly gallant Bobby Benson (who for the first time doesn’t appear obsequious or doofish) — for what turns out to be an ovarian cyst.

The subplots reinforce what we already know about these three. Don thinks himself above the rules, showing up 40 minutes late to the first meeting of the newly merged creative teams. Pete’s insecure about his status in the new organization, and is furious that he’s pulled away on this critical day when he wants to assume his position. (He arrives uncharacteristically late to a meeting, and there is no chair for him! He then misses a meeting upstate with Mohawk Airlines, because Don and Ted refuse to reschedule to accommodate his unspecified crisis!) Joan on the other hand is confident, if private, and seems more wistful about her personal life than fretful about or threatened by any changes stemming from the merger.

Back at the hotel, Don has effectively imprisoned Sylvia, locking her in the room and then, later on the phone, ordering her not to answer the phone anymore. He’s playing his dominatrix card with Sylvia, in what might be his most repugnant scenes yet. When he returns, he takes the copy of “The Last Picture Show.” Sylvia is incredulous. It’s her sole distraction, there doesn’t seem to be a television in the room. Taking the book, more than asking her to crawl on her hands and knees to fetch his shoes — which she does not do — and ignoring the fact that a woman has to eat — seems crueler than cruel.

Don pulls out  the book on his flight in Ted’s plane to Mohawk in upstate New York. The day after getting Ted drunk, Don’s taken down by Ted who, as Don puts it, will always be the man who flew his own plane to the meeting. These two may tussle for dominance from here to eternity, but for now at least it seems a fair match, with a possibility of Ted running Don ragged in the end. Roger and Jim have become buddies rather than rivals. They’ve even invited themselves to pay a visit to Leica in Germany.

Peggy is holding her own. She takes Don to task for getting Ted plastered, observing that she’d hoped Ted would be an influence on Don and not the other way around. She tells Don that no one can drink like he can. “He’s a grown man,” Don protests. Peggy tells him he is, too. This quiet but important scene makes clear that Peggy has returned to her old office with her confidence intact and her interpersonal skills honed.

When Don returns to the hotel, Sylvia breaks it off with him. She says she dreamed that Don’s plane had crashed and Megan had cried on her shoulder at his funeral and that she’d gone home to Arnie and told him she’d been away and she was back. It’s over. Don asks her to reconsider. Please. But she holds her ground. At home, a clueless Megan prattles on about taking another trip to Hawaii. In an eery audio move, her voice grows fainter, as Don dim-mutes her as he dissociates.

The episode closes with news of Robert Kennedy’s shooting. Pete’s mother wakes him up with the news they’ve shot that Kennedy boy. Pete, thinking she’s confused, tells her that was years ago and tries to go back to sleep. (For anyone who’s dealt with a loved one with dementia, the scenes with Pete’s mother are as spot-on as they are poignant. I especially liked the flashes of awareness. In an exchange about her rhyming daughters-in-law, Trudy and Judie, Pete’s mother quips, “Now I suppose I’m crazy for mixing those up.” Touche!) At the Draper home, Megan watches the news footage on the bedroom TV, her back to Don’s.

All in all, another stellar episode. Roger Slattery, who directed, has quite an eye. I love that Ted is a pilot. We’d seen some aviation decor in his office, but who knew it meant the man could fly his own plane. Or that there was an assumption that anyone else did. (In the partners meeting, Jim asks Don what kind of a plane he flies!) I didn’t have a strong reaction to Don’s treatment of Sylvia — which prompted countless “50 Shades of Grey” tweets — because I concluded earlier this season that his twistedness knows no bounds.

As for next week’s books, I can’t begin to predict what’s next.

A few additional observations. Thank goodness that:

- RFK’s assassination almost certainly isn’t going to dominate an entire episode. It would have been too much on the heels of the Martin Luther King episode, which had parallels to season three’s “The Grownups” around John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Smart choice, that.

- Don’s affair with Sylvia ended the way it did, organically, without Megan or Arnie discovering it. Either scenario would have become melodramatic with the spouses’ respective responses, and also forced the question of fallout – will the one who knows tell the other, will the one who knows leave. This denouement should mean a clean break, unless Don gets pathetic and asks for another chance. Let’s hope not.

– The writers addressed Dawn’s whereabouts, the Don/Dawn sound-alike and the possibility that someone can mention race in a light-handed fashion, all in a few lines. Peggy says something about Dawn not knowing where Don is, which suggests she’s there, we’re just not seeing her. Then later Peggy mentions Don, and it’s not clear if she means it’s Don or Dawn, and Ted asks, “Which one? Black or white?” A first, that.

ABC unveiled its 2013-14 Primetime schedule of 14 new shows at its Upfront presentation yesterday at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center. One program that grabbed everyone’s attention is hot Aussie comic Rebel Wilson’s Wednesday comedy series, “Super Fun Night,” which gets the highly coveted post-“Modern Family” time slot.

The “Bridesmaids” actress took the stage to introduce her show with a raunchy monologue for a starry audience that included Barbara Walters, Diane Sawyers, George Stephanopoulos and Robin Roberts.

Wilson created and stars in the show, with Conan O’Brien as an executive producer.

Wilson said the show, which is set in New York, centers on three girls who are best friends (Liza Lapira, Lauren Ash) and have had a standing date every Friday night for the past 13 years. Their motto is, “Friday Night Fun Night: Always together! Always inside.”

Then Wilson’s character meets a dashing British attorney (Kevin Bishop), who invites her to his party at a trendy club, and she decides to shake up her and her friends’ predictable and staid Friday nights.

Wilson introduced a trailer for her show with, “This show is really the anti-‘Sex And The City,’ in that when these three ladies eat at night, they’re not talking about dick.’” The audience roared as Wilson added, “I play Kimmie in the show, a young attorney. ‘Don’t worry. I won’t be doing a Lena Dunham. I’ll only get my boobs out if it’s necessary for the storyline … or if it’s Wednesday.”

“Super Fun Night” received good reaction and thunderous laughter, especially after the trailer, which featured a hilarious scene where the nerdy girls try and fail to get past the bouncer of a hot club by partially disrobing and doing a crazy dance.

ABC Entertainment President Paul Lee said, “Isn’t she great?” As he saw Wilson off the stage, he added, “I have no idea why my ancestors sent her ancestors to prison.”

The cast of “Arrested Development”

“Arrested Development” fans are in heaven right now, as the cult favorite returns to Netflix this month with a brand new season four. Oh those crazy Bluths.

Also, a Joss Whedon horror movie (“The Cabin in the Woods”), a road trip caper from cute Hollywood couple Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard (“Hit & Run”), and a British crime drama starring Gillian Anderson (“The Fall”). Let’s take a look at what’s new on Netflix…

FILM

Avail 5/3      

The Cabin in the Woods (2011) – Horror

Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins

In this surprising spin on a classic horror setup from Joss Whedon, five friends arrive at a secluded cabin with clear instructions for their anticipated mountain getaway. But when the rigid rules are broken, punishment is swift — and everyone will pay.

Avail 5/7

Kristen Bell at Traverse City Film Festival 2012 | Jane Boursaw Photo

Hit & Run (2012) – Action

Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell, Bradley Cooper, Tom Arnold, Joy Bryant, Kristin Chenoweth

Determined to get his fiancée to Los Angeles to take advantage of an amazing opportunity, Charlie Bronson breaks out of the witness protection program to drive her — and soon the two are being chased by the feds and Charlie’s old gangster buddies. Here’s Kristen getting emotional over sloths.

Avail 5/8

House at the End of the Street (2012) – Thriller

Jennifer Lawrence, Max Thieriot, Elisabeth Shue, Gil Bellows

Moving to a new town proves even more stressful for a teenage girl when she learns that the house next door was the site of a double murder. But after making friends with the victims’ son, she realizes there may be more to the story.

The Inbetweeners Movie (2012) – Comedy

Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison, Joe Thomas, Emily Head

In this coming-of-age comedy that picks up where the popular series left off, Will, Simon, Jay and Neil go on holiday to Crete after a series of unfortunate events unfolds during their final week at Rudge Park Comprehensive.

Avail 5/18

The Dictator (2012) – Comedy

Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley, John C. Reilly, B.J. Novak, Megan Fox

This outlandish comedy chronicles the glorious efforts of despotic General Aladeen, dictator of the Republic of Wadiya, to oppress his people and fight democracy. Helping the tyrant maintain his rule at all costs is an all-female security force.

Avail 5/21

Struck By Lightning (2012) – Comedy

Chris Colfer, Allison Janney, Dermot Mulroney, Christina Hendricks, Sarah Hyland, Rebel Wilson

Ambitious high school senior Carson Philips is bent on escaping his narrow-minded hometown for college. His last few weeks of school unwind in flashback — until the fateful day when lightning strikes. Here’s a pic of Rebel Wilson and Sarah Highland at the L.A. premiere.

Avail 5/22

End of Watch (2012) – Drama

Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña, Anna Kendrick, Frank Grillo, America Ferrera, Cody Horn

Officers Taylor and Zavala patrol the streets of South Central Los Angeles, an area of the city ruled by gangs and riddled with drug violence. Their perilous beat is captured on security footage and with the HD cameras of cops, criminals and victims.

TV

Avail Now

Top of the Lake (2013)

When pregnant, 12-year-old Tui tries to kill herself in a freezing New Zealand lake, Detective Robin Griffin has plenty of questions for the girl. But when Tui suddenly disappears, Griffin finds herself knee-deep in small-town secrets.

Avail 4/30

Iron Man: Armored Adventures: Season 2 (2011)

In this action-driven animated series, teen phenom Tony Stark takes to the skies with help from an ingeniously engineered suit of armor, taking down villains to learn the truth about his late father’s mysterious passing.

Avail 5/7

American Dad!: Season 7 (2012)

“Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane strikes again with this animated comedy about politically conservative CIA agent Stan Smith and his eccentric brood, a family unit that includes a talking goldfish with the brain of an East German athlete.

Avail 5/20

Push Girls: Season 1 (2012)

In the same way Murderball, winner of the 2005 Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival, took the lid off the competitive world of “wheelchair rugby,” Sundance Channel is bringing an unfettered, uncensored glimpse at what it means to be sexy, ambitious and living with paralysis in Hollywood with Push Girls, a new original non-fiction series.

Avail 5/26

Arrested Development: Season 4 (2013) – Netflix Original

Arrested is back! It’s the story of a wealthy family that lost everything, and the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together. It’s “Arrested Development,” the Emmy Award and Golden Globe-winning series starring one of the funniest ensembles in TV comedy.

Avail 5/28

The Fall (2013) – Netflix exclusive

The Fall is an upcoming British crime-drama series created by Allan Cubitt. The series stars Gillian Anderson as Stella Gibson, a senior police officer investigating a string of murders in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Recap: Celebrate Mother’s Day – Movies to watch with Mom:

Dumbo (1941) – Children & Family

Sterling Holloway, Herman Bing, Verna Felton, Billy Bletcher

Dumbo is a baby elephant born with oversized ears and a supreme lack of confidence. But thanks to his even more diminutive buddy — Timothy the Mouse — the pint-sized pachyderm learns to surmount all obstacles.

Gypsy (1994) – Musical

Bette Midler, Peter Riegert, Cynthia Gibb, Edward Asner, Christine Ebersole

Bette Midler shines as driven stage mother Mama Rose Hovick, who tries to live out her thwarted dream of vaudeville fame through her daughters, June (Jennifer Rae Beck) and Louise (Cynthia Gibb). After June escapes Mama’s grip by eloping, Louise hits it big as stripper Gypsy Rose Lee. This 1993 small-screen production of the Broadway musical also stars Ed Asner, Tony Shalhoub and Peter Riegert as steadfast agent Herbie Sommers.

Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992) – Comedy

Sylvester Stallone, Estelle Getty, JoBeth Williams, Roger Rees

After a tough breakup with girlfriend and fellow detective Gwen (JoBeth Williams), Detective Joe Bromowski (Sylvester Stallone) gets a new lady and partner in crime prevention — his meddlesome mom (Estelle Getty). Joe’s mom instantly gets on his nerves by doing everything from cleaning his house to washing his gun, but the fun really begins when she botches an important undercover job.

Terms of Endearment (1983) – Drama

Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Jeff Daniels, John Lithgow

James L. Brooks directs this Academy Award-winning drama that follows widowed Aurora (Shirley MacLaine) and her daughter, Emma (Debra Winger), through the years as they support each other through relationships with various men — and deal with heartbreaking tragedy. This warm, offbeat adaptation of Larry McMurtry’s novel won five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actress (MacLaine), Best Director and Best Supporting Actor (Jack Nicholson).

Recap: Movies mom can treat herself to this Mother’s Day:

An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) – Romantic Drama

Richard Gere, Debra Winger, Louis Gossett Jr., David Keith

Dreams of being a Navy pilot prompt Zack Mayo (Richard Gere) to enroll in officer training school, where he runs afoul of a drill instructor (Oscar winner Louis Gossett Jr.) who senses the cadet’s loner instinct and aims to school him on the importance of teamwork — or break him in the process. In the meantime, Mayo romances a working girl (Debra Winger), ignoring warnings to steer clear of the local lasses out to bag hotshot Navy flyboys.

Meet Joe Black (1998) – Drama

Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Claire Forlani, Jake Weber, Marcia Gay Harden

When the grim reaper (Brad Pitt) comes to collect the soul of megamogul Bill Parrish (Anthony Hopkins), he arrives with a proposition: Host him for a “vacation” among the living in trade for a few more days of existence. Parrish agrees, and using the pseudonym Joe Black, Death begins taking part in Parrish’s daily agenda and falls in love with the man’s daughter (Claire Forlani). Yet when Black’s holiday is over, so is Parrish’s life.

The Wedding Planner (2001) – Romantic Comedy

Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, Justin Chambers, Judy Greer

San Francisco’s premier wedding planner, Mary Fiore, is saved from an accident by the man of her dreams — only to discover that he happens to be her latest client’s fiancé in this old-fashioned romantic comedy.

Top Gun (1986) – Drama

Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, Tom Skerritt

Tom Cruise stars as a hotshot flyboy who struggles to control himself,  responsibility and a steamy love affair while competing at the U.S. Navy’s fighter-weapons school, better known as Top Gun. Anthony Edwards plays his loyal co-pilot.

Recap: Prom!

Footloose (2011) – Musical

Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Dennis Quaid, Ziah Colon, Ray McKinnon, Miles Teller

This musical remake of the infectious 1984 hit finds dance-lovin’, big-city kid Ren MacCormack stuck in a small town where dancing is illegal. As he rebels against the town and its influential Rev. Moore, Ren falls for the pastor’s lovely daughter.

Pretty in Pink (1986) – Drama

Molly Ringwald, Harry Dean Stanton, Jon Cryer, Annie Potts, James Spader, Andrew McCarthy

Working-class misfit Andie thinks her dreams have come true when rich, popular Blane asks her to prom in this coming-of-age classic from John Hughes. Meanwhile, Andie’s best friend Duckie pines for her.

She’s All That (1999) – Comedy

Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachael Leigh Cook, Matthew Lillard, Paul Walker, Anna Paquin, Kieran Culkin, Usher

In this charming teenage spin on “Pygmalion,” jock and class president Zack Siler accepts his friends’ bet to make over the geeky, bespectacled Laney Boggs into a prom queen beauty. But along the way, Zack falls in love with his sparkling creation.

Reel Rating: 4 out of 5 Reels
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some violent images, sexual content, smoking, partying and brief language.
Released in Theaters: May 10, 2013 (2D, 3D)
Genre: Drama, Romance, Based on a Book
Runtime: 142 minutes
Directed by: Baz Luhrmann
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, Amitabh Bachchan, Callan McAuliffe
Official Site: “The Great Gatsby”

I was a little worried about “The Great Gatsby.” The trailers featured modern music by Kanye West and a glossy production right out of the pages of Vanity Fair. But the movie doesn’t disappoint, and the $51.1 million box office draw on opening weekend is evidence of that.

Director Baz Luhrmann brings his lush cinematic vision to the big screen, and all you have to do is settle back and take it all in. I even saw it in 3D (which I generally don’t do if given the choice), and would say it’s best seen this way. The 3D version really makes the decadent settings, posh decor, and out-of-control roadsters jump off the screen — in a good way.

If you’ve read the classic novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, you know the story. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Jay Gatsby, the wealthy, mysterious and emotionally damaged man who moves into a Long Island mansion — make that palace — during the 1920s. Gatsby makes a name for himself by throwing lavish parties with crowds of people, fireworks and confetti, scantily-clad dancers and all the food and drink a reveler could want.

But we know his ultimate goal here. It’s all for the singular purpose of winning back his one true love, Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan, who suits the Jazz age well). Daisy’s husband, Tom (Joel Edgerton), is way too preoccupied with his own indiscretions with his mechanic’s wife, Myrtle Wilson (Isla Fisher) to pay much attention to his young wife’s goings-on. But every night, Gatsby takes to his dock to gaze upon that green light on the dock across the bay. Daisy’s dock.

The story is told through Gatsby’s neighbor, Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire), who also happens to be Daisy’s cousin. Gatsby calls upon Nick to engineer a meeting between he and Daisy, and in the process, Nick witnesses a series of events that ultimately reveal Gatsby’s tragic flaws.

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby

I wondered how the movie would tie into the book, and whether it would be too far removed from the pages to even resemble the Fitzgerald tale. But I needn’t have worried. Maguire’s introspective narration is the perfect way to meld the book and screen together, and Luhrmann slyly blends the actual words into the movie — the letters fading in and out as the story is told.

I love the visual feast offered up by Luhrmann’s movies, and “Gatsby” is a big buffet of color, style and sound, although oddly, the trailers actually offer more in the way of music than the film itself. We hear bits and pieces of music in the film — modern pop stars like Jay-Z, Kanye West, Fergie, Beyonce, and Florence and the Machine, mixed in with era-specific music by Cole Porter, Fats Waller, Jelly Roll Morton and others.

Perhaps my favorite scene involves a wild ride in Gatsby’s yellow roadster, the car veering and catapulting down the highway with glee. This scene, in particular, is what 3D movies are all about. Another scene involves the wind blowing through a sitting room, with the opaque curtains whipping magnificently around the room and people in the room. Magnificent.

Maguire and Mulligan infuse their characters with everything Fitzgerald ever could have wanted, and Bollywood actor (though he hates that term) Amitabh Bachchan plays Meyer Wolfsheim, with cutie-patootie Callan McAuliffe playing a teenage Gatsby in flashbacks.

Maybe “Gatsby” will finally earn DiCaprio that elusive Oscar. He’s clearly one of the best actors of his generation (and oh, that smile, those eyes), and he somehow manages to throw everything into the title character: hope, heartbreak, longing, love and tragedy.

DiCaprio said he wanted to play Gatsby because he was drawn to “the idea of a man who came from absolutely nothing, who created himself solely from his own imagination. Gatsby’s one of those iconic characters because he can be interpreted in so many ways: a hopeless romantic, a completely obsessed wacko or a dangerous gangster, clinging to wealth.”

While “The Great Gatsby” is an American story that takes place on Long Island, the movie was actually filmed on Luhrmann’s own turf, Australia. He initially decided to film the movie in New York City, but moved the production to Australia, in part, I’m sure, because the $126 million film reportedly qualified for financial incentives from the Australian government. With a high-budget film like “Gatsby,” I suppose any financial help is most welcome.

If I have one complaint with the movie, it’s that at 142 minutes, it runs a bit long. After letting  Gatsby’s life and times wash over you for two and a half hours, you almost feel like you’ve been to one of his parties or perhaps taken a ride in that yellow roadster.

While audiences will see some of the Australian landscape substituted for 1920s New York and Long Island, soundstages and computer animation ultimately helped create a setting accurate for the period. Here’s a list of the locations:

• Balmain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (Valley of the Ashes)
• Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia
• Centennial Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (Gatsby’s Estate)
• Cook Road, Centennial Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (Entrance to Gatsby’s Mansion)
• Glebe Island, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
• St. Patrick’s Seminary, Manly, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (Gatsby’s Mansion)
• Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
• Waverley Cemetery, Bronte, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (Gatsby’s Funeral Scenes)
• White Bay Power Station, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (Valley of the Ashes)

PARENT DETAILS:

Sex/Nudity: Infidelity is a major plot point, and married men sleep with and grope women who aren’t their wives. A couple is heard moaning (and a bed creaking) from behind closed doors. A couple kiss passionately and are later shown partially nude in bed, under the covers. One scene involves several women who are obviously there to service the men.

Violence/Gore: A man is beaten by two other men. A man strikes a woman. A women is run over by a car, and her body slams into the windshield and falls to the ground. A man is shot from a distance, and the shooter puts the gun in his mouth, though we don’t see his suicide.

Profanity: Infrequent use of “hell,” “damn,” “goddamn,” “oh my God,” and “son of a bitch.” A few racist comments. The soundtrack includes songs with “f*ck,” “sh*t” and “d*ck.”

Drugs/Alcohol: Lots of drinking and partying, and characters sometimes drive under the influence. A woman takes “mood pills,” and a character is described as “morbidly alcoholic.” Also plenty of smoking, which is accurate for the movie’s time period.

Which Kids Will Like It? Kids 14 and older who like book adaptations, Leonardo DiCaprio movies, or lush Baz Luhrmann films like “Moulin Rouge” and “Australia.”

Will Parents Like It? At 142 minutes, “The Great Gatsby” is a bit long, but it’s a feast for the eyes and follows the book fairly closely.

JANE’S REEL RATING SYSTEM:
One Reel – Even the Force can’t save it.
Two Reels – Coulda been a contender
Three Reels – Something to talk about.
Four Reels – You want the truth? Great flick!
Five Reels – Wow! The stuff dreams are made of.