|
Larry Beinhart
Larry Beinhart is an America novelist, columnist, and blogger. He is best known as the author of the political and detective novel '' American Hero'', which was adapted into the political-parody film ''Wag the Dog''. Biography Beinhart has indicated that an early inspiration was the works of George Bernard Shaw, who besides his writing skills and wit, "created dramas out of ideas". By this dictum, Beinhart seeks to "create situations in which ideas - about God, why we go to war, who gets the money, how politics work, what the media actually does, about science and morality - are challenged by circumstances". Beinhart spent two years at Wadham College in Oxford, England. He is the recipient of a Raymond Chandler Fulbright Fellowship in Detective and Crime Fiction Writing. His ''No One Rides for Free'' (1986) received a 1987 Edgar Award. Beinhart has been a columnist for Al Jazeera since October 2016, at Alternet 2005-2012, and had a blog at ''The Huffington Post'' in 2011. His ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Hero (novel)
''American Hero'' is a 1993 satirical conspiracy novel, reissued as ''Wag the Dog: A Novel'' in 2004, written by Larry Beinhart. It speculates that Operation Desert Storm had been scripted and choreographed as a ploy to get George H. W. Bush reelected to a second term (taking cues from Margaret Thatcher's similar war in the Falkland Islands), while at the same time analyzing exactly why that conflict had been so popular. The book formed the inspiration and basis for the 1997 film, ''Wag the Dog''. Plot On his death bed, Lee Atwater devises a plan to secure president George H. W. Bush's reelection by having a war professionally produced by Hollywood agent David Hartman. The plan is set in motion after Atwater's death, and Hartman hires movie director John Lincoln Beagle to produce the fake war. Beagle cancels other film projects to be able to prioritize the production of the war, among them one with movie star Magdalena Lazlo, who hires private investigator Joe Broz to find ou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Caroline Dunst (; born April 30, 1982) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the anthology film ''New York Stories'' (1989) and has since starred in several film and television productions. She has received several awards including nominations for an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and four Golden Globe Awards. Dunst first gained recognition for her role as child vampire Claudia in the horror film '' Interview with the Vampire'' (1994), which earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She also had roles in her youth in ''Little Women'' (1994) and ''Jumanji'' (1995). Dunst transitioned to leading roles in teen films of 1999, the satires '' Dick'' and '' Drop Dead Gorgeous'' and Sofia Coppola’s drama '' The Virgin Suicides''. After the leading role in the cheerleading film '' Bring It On'' (2000), she gained wider attention for her role as Mary Jane Watson in Sam Raimi's ''Spider-Man'' trilogy (2002–2007). Her career pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Celine Rattray
Celine Rattray (born 1975) is an English film producer who co-founded the production company Maven Pictures. In 2010, she won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award for '' The Kids Are All Right''. In 2020, she and Trudie Styler launched Maven Screen Media, a multi-platform UK production company. Career Rattray earned a degree in mathematics and philosophy from St Hilda's College, Oxford prior to entering the entertainment industry. In 2003, Rattray co-founded New York-based production company Plum Pictures with Galt Niederhoffer and Daniela Taplin Lundberg. The company produced several films before its 2009 disestablishment, including '' Grace Is Gone'' (2007), which won an Audience Award at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. She was president of Mandalay Vision, the independent film division of Mandalay Entertainment, until 2011. In that role she produced several films, including '' The Kids Are All Right'' (2010), for which she won the Golden Globe Awa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cathy Schulman
Cathy Schulman (born 1965) is an American film producer. A graduate of Yale University, Schulman's screen credits include '' Isn't She Great'', '' Sidewalks of New York'', '' Employee of the Month'', '' Crash'', '' The Illusionist'', ''Darfur Now'' and '' Dark Places''. She was the executive producer of the Lifetime TV series ''Angela's Eyes'', which went on to be distributed worldwide. The film '' Crash'' earned Schulman a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Film. She won the Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards (also known as Oscars) presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film a ... as well as the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Film for the movie. She is the CEO and President of Welle Entertainment, a development and production company committed to producing film, television, and media that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jim Gaffigan
James Christopher Gaffigan (born July 7, 1966) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. His material often addresses fatherhood, laziness, food, religion, and general observations. He is regarded as a "clean" comic, using little profanity in his routines, although he does use it from time to time. He has released several successful comedy specials, including '' Mr. Universe'', ''Obsessed'', ''Cinco'', and ''Quality Time'', all of which have received Grammy nominations. Gaffigan's memoir ''Dad Is Fat'' (2013) and his most recent book ''Food: A Love Story'' (2014) were both published by Crown Publishers. He co-created and starred in the TV Land series '' The Jim Gaffigan Show'', based on his life. He collaborates extensively with his wife, actress Jeannie Gaffigan, with whom he has five children. Early life Gaffigan was born on July 7, 1966, in Elgin, Illinois, the youngest of six children born to charity worker and fundraiser Marcia Miriam (née Mitchell) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ed Harris
Edward Allen Harris (born November 28, 1950) is an American actor and filmmaker. His performances in '' Apollo 13'' (1995), '' The Truman Show'' (1998), '' Pollock'' (2000), and '' The Hours'' (2002) earned him critical acclaim and Academy Award nominations. Harris has appeared in numerous leading and supporting roles, including in '' Creepshow'' (1982), '' The Right Stuff'' (1983), '' Under Fire'' (1983), '' Places in the Heart'' (1984), '' The Abyss'' (1989), '' Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1992), '' The Firm'' (1993), '' Nixon'' (1995), '' The Rock'' (1996), '' Stepmom'' (1998), '' A Beautiful Mind'' (2001), '' Enemy at the Gates'' (2001), ''Radio'' (2003), '' A History of Violence'' (2005), '' Gone Baby Gone'' (2007), '' National Treasure: Book of Secrets'' (2007), '' Snowpiercer'' (2013), '' Mother!'' (2017), '' The Lost Daughter'' (2021), and '' Top Gun: Maverick'' (2022). In addition to directing ''Pollock'', Harris directed the Western film '' Appaloosa'' (2008). In televis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Isabelle Fuhrman
Isabelle Fuhrman (born February 25, 1997) is an American actress. She is known for her breakthrough role as Esther in the horror film ''Orphan'' (2009) and its prequel '' Orphan: First Kill'' (2022). She played Clove in the dystopian adventure film ''The Hunger Games'' (2012), Alex in the independent film '' The Novice'' (2021), and Diamond in the Western film series '' Horizon: An American Saga'' (2024–present). Early life Fuhrman was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Elina Fuhrman ( Kozmits), a journalist, author, wellness activist, and founder of the vegan soup company Soupelina, and Nick Fuhrman, a one-time Wisconsin political primary candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, and business consultant. Her father, who is of Irish descent, was adopted by a Jewish family. Her mother is a Russian Jewish immigrant from Soviet Moldova. Fuhrman has an older sister who was born in 1993. She and her family moved to Atlanta in 1999 when her mother joined CNN. She attend ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marisa Tomei
Marisa Tomei ( , ; born December 4, 1964) is an American actress. She gained prominence for her comedic performance in '' My Cousin Vinny'' (1992), which earned her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She received further nominations in the category for '' In the Bedroom'' (2001) and '' The Wrestler'' (2008). Her early appearances were in the soap opera ''As the World Turns'' (1983–1985) and the first season of the sitcom '' A Different World'' (1987). Tomei's other notable films include ''Chaplin'' (1992), ' (1994), '' What Women Want'' (2000), ''Before the Devil Knows You're Dead'' (2007), '' Wild Hogs'' (2007), '' The Wrestler'' (2008), '' The Ides of March'' (2011), '' Crazy, Stupid, Love'' (2011), '' Parental Guidance'' (2012), '' The Big Short'' (2015), and '' The King of Staten Island'' (2020). She also portrayed May Parker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, from '' Captain America: Civil War'' (2016) to '' Spider-Man: No Way Home'' (2021). Tomei was a fou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jennifer Connelly
Jennifer Lynn Connelly (born December 12, 1970) is an American actress. She began her career as a child model before making her acting debut in the 1984 crime film ''Once Upon a Time in America''. After a few more years of modeling, she began to concentrate on acting, starring in a variety of films including the horror film ''Phenomena'' (1985), the musical fantasy film ''Labyrinth'' (1986), the romantic comedy '' Career Opportunities'' (1991), and the period superhero film '' The Rocketeer'' (1991). She received praise for her performance in the science fiction film '' Dark City'' (1998) and playing a drug addict in Darren Aronofsky's drama film '' Requiem for a Dream'' (2000). Connelly won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Alicia Nash in Ron Howard's biopic '' A Beautiful Mind'' (2001). Her subsequent films include the superhero film ''Hulk'' (2003), the drama '' House of Sand and Fog'' (2003), the horror film '' Dark Water'' (2005), the psych ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greg Kinnear
Gregory Buck Kinnear (born June 17, 1963) is an American actor and former talk show host. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in '' As Good as It Gets'' (1997). Kinnear has appeared in many popular films, including '' Sabrina'' (1995), '' You've Got Mail'' (1998), '' Nurse Betty'' (2000), '' Someone like You'' (2001), '' We Were Soldiers'', '' Auto Focus'' (both 2002), '' Stuck on You'' (2003), ''Robots'' (2005), ''Little Miss Sunshine,'' '' Invincible'' (both 2006), ''Green Zone'', '' The Last Song'' (both 2010), '' Heaven Is for Real'' (2014), and '' Misbehaviour'' (2020). His television roles include ''Friends'', ''Talk Soup'', '' Modern Family'', '' House of Cards'', '' Rake'', and the miniseries '' The Stand'' (2020). Kinnear portrayed John F. Kennedy in '' The Kennedys'' (2011), and Joe Biden in ''Confirmation'' (2016). Early life Kinnear was born on June 17, 1963, in Logansport, Indiana, to Suzanne (''née'' Buck), a homemaker, an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brendan Brosnan (born 16 May 1953) is an Irish actor and film producer. He was the fifth actor to play the fictional secret agent Portrayal of James Bond in film, James Bond in the List of James Bond films, James Bond film series, starring in four films from 1995 to 2002 (''GoldenEye'', ''Tomorrow Never Dies'', ''The World Is Not Enough'', and ''Die Another Day'') and in James Bond in video games, multiple video games, such as ''GoldenEye 007 (1997 video game), GoldenEye 007''. After leaving school at age 16, Brosnan began training in commercial illustration and went on to attend the Drama Centre in London for three years. Following a stage acting career, he rose to popularity in the television series ''Remington Steele'' (1982–1987). After the conclusion of the series, Brosnan appeared in films such as the Cold War spy film ''The Fourth Protocol (film), The Fourth Protocol'' (1987) and the comedy ''Mrs. Doubtfire'' (1993). After achieving worldwide fame for his role as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Salvation Boulevard
''Salvation Boulevard'' is a 2011 comedy thriller film with religious satire undertones directed by George Ratliff, and starring Pierce Brosnan, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Greg Kinnear, Marisa Tomei and Jim Gaffigan. It is based on the novel of the same name by Larry Beinhart. Plot Carl Vandermeer is a former Deadhead turned evangelical. He, his wife Gwen and his stepdaughter Angie attend a megachurch, the Church of the Third Millennium, run by the charismatic Pastor Dan Day, who is planning to expand his church into a large Christian community, "City on a Hill". At the start of the film, the Vandermeers attend a debate between Pastor Dan and Professor Paul Blaylock, an outspoken atheist. At the end of the debate, Pastor Dan is invited to Blaylock's college for a nightcap. He brings along Carl. At Blaylock's office, he reveals that he invited Pastor Dan over to propose that the two of them, both bestselling authors, collaborate on a book about their opposing worldviews and views ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
