News

Meryl Streep was at the peak of the first phase of her career in 1985. She was a mere eight years removed from her big-screen debut in Fred Zinnemann's "Julia," yet she had already racked up five Academy Award nominations and two wins (Best Supporting Actress for "The Deer Hunter" and Best Actress for "Sophie's Choice"). It seemed like her range as a performer was limitless -- ergo, she was going to be highly in demand for years to come.

This is every actor's dream, but it grows complicated as you grow older and start a family. Making a movie is a demanding task that often requires people to spend months on a far-flung location away from their families. For the 36-year-old Streep, who had two young children by this point (and two more on the way over the next decade) as she prepared to shoot "Out of Africa," this was very much a concern.

Jake Gyllenhaal presented his friend Meryl Streep with the Berlin Film Festival's Honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement last night during a Valentine's Day presentation. The pair worked together on 2007's Rendition, though Jake joked that he first became acquainted with Meryl as "Hank's mom" when he struck up a grade school friendship with her son, Henry Gummer. Meryl's in Germany screening The Iron Lady, which earned her a best actress statue at the Golden Globes and, most recently, the BAFTAs. Meryl is also nominated for an Academy Award thanks to her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher; however, our editors think The Help's Viola Davis will win the Oscar. The Academy Awards are less than two weeks away, so make your Oscar predictions and enter to win an iPad 2 16Gb Wi-Fi and a luxurious Prada case. View Slideshow ›...

You know how sometimes, you’re in the mood for a different kind of movie? You click through every one of the 576 channels on cable — nothing. You peruse Hulu and At&T and other perfectly legal online movie sites — meh. So, you hop on your Harley and hustle over to Hollywood Video to peruse the shelves.

Within minutes, you see it.

Starring Chloë Sevigny;

Leelee Sobieski;

Jena Malone;

and that girl in the background who was Grace’s friend on The Book of Daniel — Halley Wegryn Gross. That was such a good show.

You turn the DVD over.

“When a long weekend brings four women together in the countryside, each of them in forced to navigate the depths of social interaction as virtual strangers.” Cool. And Henry Gummer is in it — that has to be Meryl Streep’s son. More cool.

Quick Google search on the iPhone brings up a goofy-but-endearing interview with Sevigny.