Peckerwood Manor

While watching Lee Daniels' new movie, "The Deliverance," I was struck by the three lead actresses, Glenn Close, Andra Day and Demi Singleton, by how believable they were as a troubled, but close-knit, family. In one key scene, Close, the matriarch, tends to her adult daughter's hair, played by Day, and in turn, Day tends to her pre-teen daughter's hair, played by Singleton, while they all half-watch "Valley of the Dolls" on TV and chat about their day. It's a brief, near-throwaway scene, but it felt so real, so casually lived-in, that it almost seemed documentary-like - but much fuller, juicier, as much of this movie is before the horror kicks in.  This one haircare scene, I think, exemplifies why "The Deliverance" works so well, even with its minor missteps. The actresses, especially Close and Day, give masterful, but not showy, performances; they're relaxed in their characters' skin in a way few actors are. Likewise, Daniels'...

  Jamie Lee Curtis, who stole her Oscar win from Angela Bassett (I said what I said) (come for me), let out a big Activa™ shart when she commented on the ongoing fight between striking actors and the richy-rich mega-corporations at AMPTP, telling Variety, " I hope that I can be Switzerland in all this. I don’t like the rhetoric on both sides.  I don’t like the 'them vs. us .'"  So sort of like Switzerland during WWII, which is where the Nazis hid their looted gold and cash. Great analogy, Jamie Lee! Neutrality is always the best choice. Or not, because the pushback was quick and nasty from striking actors, SAG-AFRTA and the press.  Naturally, Jamie Lee walked back her statement lickety-split with a big "sowwy," saying her comments were "misconstrued," adding, "I have volunteered (to) make SAG-AFTRA signs multiple times!" This was in an Instagram post with the actor holding up one of the signs she presumably made, and with Melanie Griffith...