News&Buzz: Penn, Wright join single-parent ranks

Oscar-winner Sean Penn and actress Robin Wright Penn, parents of teen boys, announced they'll be splitting up after 11 years of marriage. The couple's sons are Dylan Frances, 16, and Hopper Jack, 14.

The Penns began dating while making 1990's "State of Grace" together, married in 1996, and their fourth movie together, Barry Levinson's "What Just Happened?," is due out in 2008. Previously, Penn was married to Madonna for four years, while Wright was married to actor Dane Witherspoon for two years.

The Holiday's single-parent speech

Jude Law plays a sweet, smart widower with two children in "The Holiday," now out on DVD, a tear-jerker love story about two women (Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz) who swap homes in London and L.A. to heal their heartaches. Law is Winslet's brother who meets and falls in love with Diaz, who discovers later that he's a single dad, not a man-about-town with lots of ladies phoning him. Why did he conceal this, Diaz wants to know. Here's what he said:

Until I get to know someone really well, it's easier for me to be a normal single guy, because it's way too complicated to be who I really am.

I'm a full-time dad.

I'm a working parent.

I'm a mother and a father.

I'm a guy who reads parenting books and cookbooks before I go to sleep. I spend my weekends buying tutus. I'm learning to sew. I'm Mr. Napkin-Head.

I'm on some kind of constant overload and it helps to compartmentalize my life, just till I figure this out.

This past weekend, the children were with their grandparents. And when they're gone, I get to be somebody who doesn't have hot chocolate spilled on his jeans.

I have no idea how to date and be this.

And I suppose there's the possibility I'm afraid of what another person might do to who we are and how we get from one day to the next.

Eat&BeMerry: New Years' Fortune Cookies

Ring in the New Year with good tidings -- homemade cookies filled with fortunes you and the kids dream up yourselves.

Here's how:

Chocolate Fortune Cookies

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 egg whites
1 cup superfine sugar
3/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cocoa
Pinch salt
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
50 paper fortunes

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter; set aside.

Combine the egg whites and sugar, and beat on medium speed until frothy, about 30 seconds. Add the flour, cocoa, and salt, and beat until combined. Add the melted butter, cream, almond extract, and vanilla extract, and beat until combined, about 30 seconds.

Drop heaping teaspoons onto a nonstick baking sheet at least 5 inches apart. Using the back of a tablespoon, spread each one into a 4-inch circle. Bake until darken slightly, about 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and, working quickly, slip each cookie with a spatula. Roll each cookie into a loose tube, and insert a paper fortune into the middle so that both the edges extend from the cookie. Using your index finger, make an indentation in the center of the tube, then pinch each end together with your other hand. Repeat the rolling-and-folding process with remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Makes 50
—Martha Stewart

News&Buzz: Billboards lead to child support arrests

Billboards near Cleveland, Ohio, featuring faces of parents who've seriously slacked on child support payments have led to the arrest of five people who owed nearly $100,000 to their kids.

Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh thanked citizens who called the 800-number featured on the billboard, the Cleveland Plain Dealer said. "My office is grateful to these citizens who believe, as we do, in the importance of supporting the children of Summit County," she said in a prepared statement.

The billboards are the latest tack in Walsh's campaign against parents who don't pay -- she's also imprisoned many and suspended driver's licenses.

Play&Do: National Treasure/Book of Secrets

by Jane Louise Boursaw

Reel Rating: 4 out of 5 Reels
MPAA Rating: PG for some violence and action.
Theatrical Release: Dec. 21, 2007
Genre: Family, Action, Adventure
Runtime: 124 minutes
Directed by: Jon Turteltaub
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Justin Bartha, Diane Kruger, Jon Voight, Helen Mirren, Ed Harris, Harvey Keitel.

SYNOPSIS: Everyone’s favorite droopy-eyed adventurer is back, and this time he’s looking for a lost city of gold. Oh, and trying to clear the Gates family name by proving that one of their own didn’t orchestrate the assassination of President Lincoln. Throw in a bitter ex, two squabbling parents, and a cave full of goodies, and you’ve got the makings of a fun caper.

Profanity: None, although the insults fly fast and furious among squabbling ex-spouses.

Sex/ Nudity: A female character passionately kisses a guy to distract him. Mild kisses between characters.

Violence/Gore: A young boy sees his father shot and killed, then the gun is turned on the boy (but he’s not shot). Lots of fast-paced action, including car chases, shooting, perilous teetering on a ledge inside a cave, rushing water in which a character drowns (shown only briefly). Also, President Lincoln’s assassination is shown in a flashback, though we don’t see the shooting.

Which Kids Will Like It? Ages 8 and older who love adventure movies and aren’t scared by lots of action.

Will Parents Like It? Yes, although I could have done without the gun pointed at the kid’s head in the opening scene. And really, why even include it? It’s not like it moved the story forward in any way. It’s just creepy.

REVIEW: Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) and his entourage are back. This time, they’re searching for a lost city of gold and trying to clear his family’s name of any involvement in the assassination of President Lincoln.

But first, let’s catch up. Much has changed since we last left our droopy-eyed adventurer. Apparently, he used some of that treasure he found in the first movie to buy a beautiful mansion and fill it with extravagant antiques. Not only that, he and Abigail (Diane Kruger) got hitched. Then divorced. Or they’re in the midst of a divorce. Or something.

At any rate, Abigail kicked Ben out of the house, so in order to retrieve some important stuff to help him on his quest, Ben enlists old pal Riley (Justin Bartha) to break into the house, just as she’s coming home from a date. Awkward!

But Ben has bigger matters on his mind. While presenting some new information about John Wilkes Booth, a guy named Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris) comes forward with evidence showing that Ben’s great-grandfather, Thomas Gates, helped to orchestrate Lincoln’s murder.

Well, that just can’t be! Ben sets out to prove him wrong, enlisting Abigail, Riley, and his parents (Jon Voight and Helen Mirren) to help out. The elder Gates couple haven’t spoken to each other in 32 years, which makes for an interesting adventure.

The clues lead to Buckingham Palace, the White House, and Mount Rushmore. Oh, and somewhere along the way, Ben is forced to (sort of) kidnap the President (Bruce Greenwood) to find out about his Book of Secrets that contains – you guessed it -- all of the nation’s secrets, including Area 51, the JFK conspiracy, and something on page 47 we never figure out, but which I’m sure will lead into the next sequel (I hope). Could Ben’s next caper be a top-secret mission for the President? Hmmm…

Ok, so at 124 minutes, this movie is a tad long, but the action, intrigue, and chemistry between the characters keep things moving along fairly well. The audience laughed in all the right places (especially at Riley’s funny comments) and held their collective breath in all the right places (especially during a perilous teetering-platform-in-a-cave scene straight out of one of my nightmares). And that Helen Mirren! She can do anything.

Overall, a fun movie for the whole family, but because of some of the action and violence (especially an unnecessary scene involving a gun pointed at a child), this movie is best for kids 8 and older.

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.

Jane Louise Boursaw is a freelance journalist specializing in the movie and television industries. Visit her online at www.ReelLifeWithJane.com or email jboursaw@charter.net.

News&Buzz: Single dad chronicles adoption

Waco Tribune staffer Nathan Wade finished chronicling his 14-month-long odyssey to become an adoptive single dad with holiday cheer: "I now have the family I always wished for," he writes online. "I couldn’t ask for more. If Santa leaves nothing else in my stocking, it will still be the best Christmas ever."

Little Sam, from Guatemala, arrived in November, after failed attempts through Ukraine, flak from folks (like his pastor) who told Wade he needed a wife, and miles of red tape and extra checkpoints because he's a man. Did it stop him? Of course not! Wade continues blogging on life as a new single dad here.

News&Buzz: Cowboy plays Santa to single moms

Dallas Cowboy Roy Williams surprised single mom Stacey Aldridge with a truckload of new furniture Friday -- part of the outreach by his Safety Net Foundation, CBS 11 News said.

The foundation formed in 2004, prompted by Williams' concerns over his sister's struggles as a single mother. "I said whenever I was in a position to help I would," he told WFAA-TV in Dallas. Since then, the charity has helped out 300 north Texas single moms in need with money and other assistance, including Mother's Day makeovers (below), educational training and health seminars

Check out programs, sign up or donate through Williams' web site. And merry Christmas to Demetrice Sanders and her four sons, who also got new beds for the holidays, too.

For more information, visit RoyWilliamsSafetyNet.org.

Earn&Learn: Getting jiggy with the science

Walter Lewin, a beloved physics professor at M.I.T. who experiments on himself (the picture here shows him demonstrating principles of pendulums), has blazed into the national limelight since he began sharing videotaped classroom lectures online. Hundreds of fans across the globe are tuning in and turning on (free of charge) to the magical world of physics.

You and the kids can join in the physics stampede by checking out OpenCourseWare from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Shorter Lewin snippets are available on YouTube and iTunes U.

Professor Lewin’s global fans are stuffing his email inbox with adoration.“Through your inspiring video lectures i have managed to see just how BEAUTIFUL Physics is, both astounding and simple,” a 17-year-old from India e-mailed to Lewin recently, The New York Times said.

Kate Hudson: Glad to be a single mom

Actress Kate Hudson told Vogue that divorce was the most difficult thing she's done, but she's glad she went through with it, and she and Black Crow's frontman Chris Robinson still care about one another.

“The process of discovering with somebody that you love that you don’t work is so painful," she told Vogue. "We had (son) Ryder; we both sort of looked at each other and went, 'something’s off.'"

She and Robinson separated in August 2006 after six years of marriage, and the couple helped each other through the process, she said. "Now we’re both single and since the day we separated, we talk multiple times."

Hudson dated You, Me and Dupree costar Owen Wilson before splitting up earlier this year. “Owen is such a lovely person, and I love him dearly," Hudson said. "And I wish him beautiful things—health and everything that he desires in life.” She told Harper's Bazaar in September's issue that dating is much different as a single mom:

"You realize after you have had children that you'll never love anything more than your child. ... So it makes the new sort of single-mom dating process very different. It's like growing up. It's adult."

Play&Do: Alvin and the Chipmunks

by Jane Louise Boursaw
Reel Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Reels
MPAA Rating: PG for some mild rude humor.
Theatrical Release: Dec. 14, 2007
Genre: Family, Comedy, Musical
Runtime: 90 minutes
Directed by: Tim Hill
Cast: Jason Lee, David Cross, Cameron Richardson, Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse McCartney, Jane Lynch.

SYNOPSIS: Cute chipmunks? Check. Fun songs? Check. Family story? Check. Aside from some crude humor and sexy background singers, this live action/CG movie stays true to the 1960s cartoon series that made Alvin, Simon and Theodore household names. The story centers on their vintage tune, “The Chipmunk Song,” but also blends in new songs like “Bad Day,” “Funkytown,” and “Follow Me Now.” Maybe I’m a dork, but I thought this movie was very cute and fun for kids and adults.

Profanity: Some suggestive language, like “Make love to the camera,” “She wanted you,” and “You’re hot.” Also a few insults between the chipmunk brothers.

Sex/ Nudity: Background singers dress in tight outfits and dance suggestively. The chipmunks try to “romance up” Dave’s place (music, lighting) when a girl comes over for dinner.

Violence/Gore: The chipmunks fall out of a tree, dodge crowds in an office building, and trash a house. Dave gets bonked on the head and passes out. Security guards try to ban him from a concert.

Which Kids Will Like It? Ages 5 and older who love cute talking animals, the Chipmunks cartoon series, or family stories.

Will Parents Like It? Yes, although they could have done without the provocative singers. Also, a few scenes include potty humor (a chipmunk eats poop to cover for his brother!). Overall, though, cute movie with cute songs. I enjoyed it, and so did my 10-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son. The chipmunk voices didn’t even grate on me like I thought they would.

REVIEW: I had to dig around in my mom’s cabinets, but reigned supreme in my quest to find a vintage Chipmunk album: “Christmas With the Chipmunks,” released in 1963. It’s the one with Alvin, Simon and Theodore in Santa’s sleigh with a pile of toys. Ah, that takes me back.

This movie is fun and musical and stays true to the original cartoon series, while adding a fresh, modern take on the loveable trio. The story begins in the forest, with Alvin (voiced by Justin Long), Theodore (Jesse McCartney), and Simon (Matthew Gray Gubler) collecting acorns for the winter, cheerily singing “Bad Day.” The chipmunks are computer-generated, but the rest of their world (most of it) is the real deal.

When their tree is rudely chopped down by woodsmen, the little guys accidentally get hauled into the big city, smack into an office complex where Dave Seville (Jason Lee, of “My Name is Earl”) is striking out yet again in his pursuit to sell songs to a record company. After a mad dash through the crowds, they end up in a basket of muffins that Dave has swiped in disgruntlement.

He discovers them back at his house, and thinks he must be losing his mind. Talking chipmunks? What the heck? So he tosses them out of the house, but has another thought upon hearing them croon outside the window. He’ll write the songs. The ‘munks will sing them. They make a deal to live with Dave in exchange for singing the tunes. They’re innocent, but not dumb.

And so it goes, with the message that perhaps a family doesn’t have to consist of blood relatives – or even the same species, for that matter. When the chipmunks fall under the spell of the rich-and-famous lifestyle – nudged along by cash-hungry record producer Ian (David Cross) -- Dave has to step in and pull them back from the brink. He gets a little help from Claire (Cameron Richardson), who has a press pass into the events.

The chipmunks are cute as the dickens, and I’m happy to introduce my kids to the little guys I remember as a kid. This movie could have done without the provocative backup singers and poop humor, but overall, a good message about the importance of family, treating others respectfully, and learning that celebrities are rarely ever the happiest people on the planet.

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.

Jane Louise Boursaw is a freelance journalist specializing in the movie and television industries. Visit her online at www.ReelLifeWithJane.com or email jboursaw@charter.net.

The divorced-Christmas checklist

Here's another holiday list, the divorced-Christmas checklist from The Standard Freeholder in England:

--Never be too proud to ask for help;
--Develop a schedule;
--Help your child buy a gift for your ex (otherwise they can't);
--Don't bad mouth your ex;
--Don't hog the kids;
--Create reasonable expectations; and (importantly!)
--Don't feel guilty if things can't be perfect for the kids.

Let's repeat the last part: Don't feel guilty if things can't be perfect for the kids.

Study says divorce doesn't hurt parenting

A massive new study found that parenting doesn’t suffer during divorce — in fact, parenting behavior is similar among newly divorced and married parents.

University of Alberta, Canada, sociology Professor Lisa Strohschein looked at three measures of parenting — nurturing, consistency and punishment — and found divorce did not affect parenting behavior.

“My findings that parenting practices are unrelated to divorce appear to
fly in the face of accepted wisdom,” Strohschein said. “Undoubtedly, some parents will be overwhelmed and unable to cope with the demands of parenting in the post-divorce period, but the expectation that all parents will be negatively affected by divorce is unfounded.”

The study used the 1994 and 1996 National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth to compare changes in parenting practices between 208 households that divorced and 4,796 households that remained intact.

“This study is important because governments in both Canada and the U.S. have allocated considerable resources over the past decade to provide parenting seminars on a mandatory or voluntary basis to parents who legally divorce,” says Strohschein. “Although these programs do assist parents and children in adjusting to divorce, it is equally clear that not all parents will be well served by such programs.”

Strohschein said researchers need to look now at post-divorce predictors of parenting behavior to create realistic programs that address divorced parents real needs.

This study appears in Family Relations.