A lot can happen in 10 years and in Hollywood, a lot does happen.  Take a look at some of the big changes that occurred in the last decade.

In 2000:

Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston marry.

Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thorton shock world with a red carpet make-out session.

Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise celebrate 10 years of marriage and have two children together.

Madonna married Guy Richie in Scotland and gave birth to their son, Rocco.

Britney Spears, at 18 years old, debuts her second hit album, Oops!… I Did It Again.

Matt Damon dating Winona Ryder.

President Clinton is in office and announces a record budget surplus of $230 billion.

Breathe by Faith Hill is Billboard’s  #1 on the Top 100 Songs of 2000.

In 2010:

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in a committed relationship and have three adopted and three biological children.

Nicole Kidman is married to country singer Keith Urban, and they have a daughter, Sunday Rose.

Tom Cruise is married to Katie Holmes, and they have a daughter, Suri Cruise.

President Obama, the first African-American President, is in office and dealing with a $1.4 TRILLION deficit that was left behind by the Bush Administration.

Madonna’s dating a much, much younger man named Jesus Luz.

Britney Spears has two beautiful sons and is still as famous as she was 10 years ago.

Matt Damon is married to Luciana Bozan Barroso and they have two daughters together, Isabella and Gia, and he has a stepdaughter, Alexia.

Billboard’s #1 song of 2009 is Boom Boom Pow by the Black Eyed Peas.

What’s the biggest change you can think of?  How do you think the next 10 years will play out?

Rebecca Miller dodges one of the pitfalls of books made into movies by directing the film version of her own novel, “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee,” earning herself the right to take unnecessary creative liberties, which she wisely avoids doing because none are needed. It’s a sprawling story about the singular life of Pippa Lee, who comes from a checkered past and is now surrounded by a charming but oddly dysfunctional family. Miller has a few acting credits from the late 80s to mid-90s but her talent is mostly as a writer and director. In 2005 she wrote The Ballad of Jack and Rose, directing an Oscar-worthy performance out of her husband, Daniel Day-Lewis (although I get the feeling that he doesn’t really know any other kind), and she also wrote the screenplay the same year for Proof, starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins. The Private Lives of Pippa Lee strikes me as her most personal work, if only because the family traumas and existential sufferings of its main character are so arresting and well-presented that it radiates an aura of personal experience.

This may, of course, have something to do with Miller’s own father, Arthur Miller, having been briefly married to Marilyn Monroe.

At any rate, Robin Wright Penn delivers a spot-on performance as Pippa Lee, a beautiful 40-ish woman in a comfortable home life with unique problems and a creeping sense of decay below the polished exterior. Pippa is highly respected among her friends and family but has a wandering nature that prevents her from ever being able to be happy in such a situation. Through a series of clever flashbacks (and an interesting but unnecessary “director’s” cameo), we learn about how her reckless past has shaped who she is now.

Miller takes an old idea of intercutting a character’s past and present experiences and injects it with new life by filling her movie with well-written and performed characters and showing us a believable life experience. Pippa’s mother, played by Maria Bello in one of her best performances, was a stepford wife kind of a woman. She was the very portrait of the charming 50s wife, never a hair on her head out of place or a spot to be found in her kitchen, but beneath the glossy exterior was lurking marital insecurities and a crippling drug addiction. Pippa’s teenage years are accompanied by a growing awareness of the realities of her mother’s problem, ultimately resulting in her discovery that her love of drugs may have transposed her love for her daughter, so Pippa leaves and embarks on the obligatory lost-teenager binge of drugs and sex.

If anything, this teen drug haze, which involves uncomfortable lesbian experiences, avalanches of pills, and shooting porn, among other things, represents one of the movie’s biggest weaknesses. Well-presented as the material is, there’s not a lot of unfamiliar territory covered, and while Pippa’s teenage relationship with the elderly Herb Lee, her future husband, is a nice break from form, it’s also the most uncomfortable situation in the whole movie. Seeing the 21-year-old Blake Lively naked in the arms of 75-year-old Alan Arkin really did nothing for me, in story or aesthetics.

But the movie has an outstanding cast who give brilliant performances across the board. Alan Arkin’s Herb Lee is one of the movie’s most fascinating characters because there are so many questionable things about him, such as his marriage to Pippa, but he routinely reveals himself to be a wonderful, if conflicted, man. Keanu Reeves takes on a role that fits him perfectly and he steals the show every time he’s on screen, which is not a bad way to follow a string of luke-warm efforts like Constantine, A Scanner Darkly, The Lake House, Street Kings, and the entertaining but misguided The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Also of note are an alternately hilarious and heart-rending performance from Winona Ryder, Mike Binder as her exasperated husband, Julianne Moore as Pippa’s lesbian aunt, Monica Bellucci in a brief but astonishing performance, and Ryan McDonald and Zoe Kazan as Pippa’s and Herb’s grown children. The movie delivers it’s social commentary about marriage and work and parenting with sometimes amazing insight (Pippa wonders if each generation of parents swing wildly back and forth, alternately getting it completely wrong in opposite directions), and Miller has a brilliant way of creating flesh-and-blood people rather than movie characters, in such things as sleepwalking and the fact that Reeve’s character Chris can’t lie.

Almost equal parts drama and a subdued, dry humor propel the movie along in the occasional lags in forward motion, but it’s the characters that are the biggest joy to watch, and the movie has plenty of interesting and genuinely touching moments that will stay with you. I don’t know that any major awards will be bestowed upon the film, but there are plenty that are deserved.

The Bean Meter

So since his latest movie Public Enemies comes out today, July 1, we thought it would be a great idea to do a recap of Johnny Depp’s career counting down his top 10 movies. 

#10 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Playing Willie Wonka, Depp takes a chance and creates a crazy character. Even though the critics didn’t respond well, it has everything a Johnny Depp movie would have. 

#9 The Secret Window

Although it may not have earned the best reviews, this Stephen King adaptation still makes our list. Why you ask? Even though the plot may not have been a masterpiece, Johnny Depp still performed up to par. Depp takes the opportunity to play his character Mort Rainey dazed and eccentric. Perfect Depp action there!

#8 Chocolat

Johnny shows us his romantic side when he plays his character Roux. His romantic character shows his versatility as an actor, since he can be at an extreme, but still has sex appeal. 

#7 Crybaby

Here’s the break out of the bad ass Johnny Depp we all know and love. Wade “Crybaby” Walker is the bad guy who falls for the good girl. After this movie, he became the next teen heart throb and has kept us wrapped around his finger since. As we’ve seen before, Johnny Depp stole the show and the hearts of the audience. 

#6 What’s Eating Gilbert Grape

Johnny Depp plays the challenging role as the eldest brother to a mentally challenged boy (Leonardo DiCaprio). As the head of the household, Gilbert Grape must keep the family together after his father died and his mom became too obese to take care of herself. Like many of his other roles, Depp creates a complex, dramatic character that is real to audiences, making the movie come to life. 

#5 Edward Scissorhands

Even though it is an unfathomable character, Johnny Depp gives his character Edward Scissorhands human-like qualities that make your heart ache. Edward, who has lived as a recluse his whole life, is taken under Peg’s wing as she moves him to the suburbs. While adjusting to living life with others, Edward falls in love with Peg’s daughter, Kim (Winona Ryder), who is drawn away from him at first, but eventually, falls in love with him. His gentleness and chemistry with Ryder sold the movie, making it believable and relatable to all audiences.

#4 Blow

Blow is based on the true story of George Jung who climbs to the top of the drug trafficking world and then hits rock bottom when he’s busted by authorities. Depp didn’t take his character on the wacky ride we’ve seen other characters go down. He plays George seriously capturing everything from his mannerisms to desire for wealth and excitement. His scenes where he says good bye to his family are heart-wrenching since Depp is so convincing. Critics even claim he is similar to the actual person. This movie would be any ordinary rise to the top, fall to the bottom had Johnny Depp not played George.

#3 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street 

Not only can he act, but Johnny Depp proves he can sing in his role as Sweeney Todd. This role gave him an Oscar Nomination and a Golden Globe for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.” Obviously, he nailed more than just notes. Sweeney Todd is an estranged barber who has come back to avenge his dead wife. Depp’s performance of his funny yet dark character would bring eerie smiles and chills to even the bravest. We love this movie for its ironic twist and once again, the man who made the movie come to life.

#2 Finding Neverland

Its the movie that captured your hearts, and reminded you to follow your dreams. Depp’s character as Sir James Matthew Barrie got him back on the nomination list for best actor for both the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards. Like Blow and Donnie Brasco, Johnny was playing an actual person, the author of Peter Pan. With the challenge of respecting the memory of J.M. Barrie, Depp comments, “You owe it to their memory, to everything they did in life, and to their families to do as good a job as possible and be as honest about it as possible.” And he did just that in this stunning performance.

#1 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

At first, Disney didn’t want Depp to play the role of Jack Sparrow, even calling him a flamboyant pirate. Little did they know that Johnny Depp’s performance would make the movie and keep fans hooked for the not so popular second and third Pirate flicks. He was nominated for both an Oscar and Golden Globe for his iconic character, unfortunately, he didn’t win. But how hard is it to get nominated for a comedic character! Look at the nominees this year, and guaranteed, they will mostly be from dramatic movies. Captain Jack Sparrow was so iconic, Disneyland had to change the original Pirates of the Caribbean ride to conform to the character’s popularity. Jack Sparrow demonstrated Johnny Depp’s immense versatility, since this role serves as a turning point for his other roles and his segue-way into the hearts of the new generation. Honestly, this role pretty much won him People’s Sexiest Man of the Year in 2003. 

So there you have it. The top 10 Johnny Depp movies! Will Public Enemies make the next list? Find out today!!

Last night a carpet full of your favorite celeb women showed up for the 2009 Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Some wore fabulous designer gowns and looked absolutely stunning, like Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Hurley, while others wore simple blah dresses you see at clubs, like Gisele Bundchen and Rachel Bilson.  But it’s between Tyra Banks, Rihanna, and Madonna who had the most shocking look of the night.  Tyra looked flawless, except for her hairdo, which looked like a birds nest.  Yeah, I don’t know what she was thinking with that one.  Rihanna sported a Dolce & Gabbana black suit, white shirt, and bow tie.  I’ll give her credit for the attempt and the amazing makeup job, but not a big fan of the outfit.  And Madonna just looked like a mess!  From her ugly black boots to her mop on top hair. What is that green twisty thing in her hair?! It is hideous and she looks like a clown!  I think she wins for worst dressed of the night.

Which celeb style is your favorite?