HOLLYWOOD—There is something about summer that warms the heart. Whatever the cause, it looks like Hollywood celebrities decided to tie the knot this summer. Let’s hope they don’t decide to divorce in the winter. It seems that the sudden news of Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr’s secret wedding made us realize that this summer has seen a plethora of celebrity nuptials. Here come the brides: Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher tied the knot on July 10. On the same day, while in Italy, John Krasinski and Emily Blunt married; reportedly George Clooney was in attendance. Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, who, along with Lladro, are Spain’s hottest exports, tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in the Bahamas earlier this month. Cruz, 36, met Bardem, 41, around 2007, when they starred again as lovers in Woody Allen’s “Vicky Christina Barcelona,” but kept the relationship private.
Meanwhile, George Clooney hasn’t tied the knot yet. However, he will be recognized for his humanitarian efforts at the Emmy Awards. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences will present the 49-year-old actor with its Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at the ceremony next month. Clooney is also being honored for his ”Hope for Haiti” TV special, which is nominated for an Emmy award next month. Clooney is the fourth recipient of the honor and will be presented the award at the Emmy ceremony on August 29.
Summer is also the time when Hollywood brings out the big guns. It’s the time when movie buffs get that warm fuzzy feeling inside, like melted butter dripping on top of freshly machine-popped popcorn. This summer is no different than last year. We have our usual sequels, remakes, comic book adaptations, and the big hit of all time, 3-D. Just when we had completely forgotten about the circle of trust. “Little Fockers” will come to a theater near you on July 30. Ben Stiller (Greg Focker) and Teri Polo (Pamela Byrnes-Focker) are expecting a baby. On August 6, “The Other Guys,” an action comedy with Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell, opens. It’s an interesting pair to team up. Hopefully, teaming with director Adam McKay again should help.
Blockbusters can always look after themselves, but other more serious films count on critics. Most likely, “Little Fockers” will be a hit, because Ben Stiller is hilarious. Everyone knows that good reviews build the box office for every film, especially the smaller pictures, and the waning number of critics has meant waning profits. Sometimes being true to your opinions but also putting things in perspective and in context, may not appeal to every movie-goer. They will also wonder why you raved about it, when they thought it was disastrous. Now from the point of view of the movie studios, there’s another problem: a uniformity of opinions which could mean a uniformity of plans. So do reviews matter? Let me put it to you this way, the entertainment section, which features reviews, is the second-most read section of a newspaper, after sports. So the next time you read a review, which is a part of journalism, and it says, “You’ve got to see this.” Go!
Rose’s Scoop: Lady Gaga launched herself into the Forbes magazine’s annual list of the 100 most powerful celebrities. She debuted at number four behind pop cultural power mongers Oprah Winfrey, Beyonce and James Cameron.
