Movies

Although the exact circumstances of the accident are under investigation, Patricola told Us that the 31-year-old star was driving at the time and was not hospitalized. According to Us the accident occurred on a winding stretch of Laurel Canyon Boulevard just north of Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood Hills.

PARK CITY, Utah -- Al Gore is not all that comfortable being a star of the Sundance Film Festival. He's far more concerned that the celebrity watchers hear what he has to say.

The former vice president came to town for the premiere of "An Inconvenient Truth," a documentary chronicling what has become his crusade since losing the 2000 presidential election: Educating the masses that global warming is about to toast our ecology and our way of life.

Gore has been saying it for decades, since a college class in the 1960s convinced him that greenhouse gases from oil, coal and other carbon emissions were trapping the sun's heat in the atmosphere, resulting in a glacial meltdown that could flood much of the planet.

Americans have been hearing it for decades, wavering between belief and skepticism that it all may just be a natural part of Earth's cyclical warming and cooling phases.

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• Liu and Hartnett get 'Lucky'
• Biel can't wait to party
• Jen's new 'Friends'
• Sting does Sundance
• Aniston and Redford speak
• Sundance prepares

The Kansas City-based company now will operate 415 theaters with 5,672 screens in 29 states and the District of Columbia and 11 foreign countries. Annual revenues for the privately held company are expected to be around $2.4 billion.

Financial terms for the deal were not released.

"What I'm most excited about is the potential to continue the innovation and lead our industry the way both of these companies have been doing," said Peter Brown, AMC's chairman and chief executive officer, who will remain head of the company. "I think the innovation potential and the growth potential are enormous." Travis Reid, Loews' president and CEO, will serve as a board member for AMC's parent company, Marquee Holdings Inc.

In an interview, Brown said he didn't foresee the company changing the overall number of theaters, although he said it will continue to replace older theaters with newer, stadium-style ones. He also didn't predict any changes to its worldwide work force of 24,000.

His documentary "This Film Is Not Yet Rated," premiering Wednesday at the Sundance Film Festival, is a harsh indictment of the ratings system overseen by the Motion Picture Association of America, the trade group for Hollywood's top studios.

Dick calls the ratings process a form of censorship carried out by unqualified film judges who operate in secrecy, their procedures favoring big studio fare over movies from independent and overseas filmmakers.

"Independent film tends to focus more on sexuality. Studios tend to put out films that have more to do with violence," said Dick, a 2004 Academy Awards nominee for his documentary "Twist of Faith." "Violent films get through almost unscathed, but the ratings have this excessive focus against sexuality that puts independent film at a disadvantage."

"This Film Is Not Yet Rated" examines the history of the ratings system, set up in the 1960s by MPAA boss Jack Valenti, who retired as head of the group in 2004 and gave up control of the ratings system last fall.

Jeremy Parker is getting a mixed reaction to his asking President Bush if he'd seen "Brokeback Mountain."

The Kansas State University Campus Forum is full of reaction. One student wrote to Parker "you're my hero." Another "thanks" Parker for "embarrassing" their school. And another student wrote "I tried to imagine a bigger waste of space than Jeremy Parker. I got nothing."

Aniston and Cusack, along with Catherine Keener, were at Sundance for the premiere of their new film, 'Friends With Money.'

Watch interview with Aniston, Keener and Cusack

Here's what the driver is saying:

- Aniston was so wound up over paparazzi following her, she told the driver: "You need to take me where nobody is." He accommodated her by driving for 25 minutes, ending up in a church parking lot. Aniston got out of the car and immediately began chain smoking cigarettes. The driver says this happened several times during her stay.

- Cusack was "sick" of all the hoopla surrounding Aniston's personal life. Cusack told the driver that even though she's a celebrity she's a private person and able to live a "nice normal life." The driver says Cusack put it this way: "It's a choice an actor makes." The comment wasn't specifically directed at Aniston, but the implication is certainly there.

The driver also talked about other celebs at Sundance. He says two "well-known actors" (he did not specify whom) tipped another driver with the joint they had been smoking in the car.

Chris Penn, a younger brother of Sean Penn who played supporting roles in films such as "Reservoir Dogs" and "Starsky & Hutch," was found dead in his Santa Monica home, authorities said. Police do not suspect foul play.

Penn's body was discovered in bed inside the condominium on Ocean Avenue, said Capt. Ed Winter of the county coroner's office. He said the actor's housekeeper called authorities.

There were no obvious signs of foul play, Lt. Frank Fabrega said. Autopsy results were pending. Police said Penn was 40 years old, though several celebrity Web sites list his age as 43.

"The Penn family would appreciate the media's respect of their privacy during this difficult time," Mara Buxbaum, Sean Penn's publicist, said in a statement.

Chris Penn's credits included "Rumble Fish," "All the Right Moves," "Footloose," "Rush Hour," "Corky Romano" and "Starsky & Hutch." He also played Nice Guy Eddie Cabot in the 1992 Quentin Tarantino crime drama "Reservoir Dogs."

Although he was not as well known as his brother Sean, 45, critics said he often was underrated.

"Just as talented as Sean -- just a lot less cocky," Slate magazine critic Cintra Wilson wrote of him last year. He "makes you seamlessly believe in characters so much you barely even notice them."

Penn's late father, Leo Penn, directed television shows. His mother, Eileen Ryan, is an actress whose credits include "I Am Sam," "Magnolia" and "Parenthood." His brother is musician Michael Penn.

Disney will buy the maker of the blockbuster films "Toy Story and "Finding Nemo" in an all-stock transaction that makes Jobs Disney's largest shareholder. Jobs, who controls more than half of Pixar's stock and also heads Apple Computer Inc., will also join Disney's board.

"With this transaction, we welcome and embrace Pixar's unique culture, which for two decades, has fostered some of the most innovative and successful films in history," Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger said in a statement.

Disney has co-financed and distributed Pixar's animated films for the past 12 years, splitting the profits. But that deal expires in June after Pixar delivers "Cars."

Disney, the theme park owner that also owns the ABC and ESPN TV networks, and Pixar have been talking for months about a new relationship.

Based on Dan Brown's esoteric thriller about code-breaking and conspiracy, the film will debut at the Riviera festival and in French theaters on May 17, the festival said Saturday. The rest of the world will have to wait two days, until May 19.

The adaptation by Oscar-winning director Ron Howard ("A Beautiful Mind") has an international cast led by Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou.

Like the novel, the movie is set largely in France: The story line opens with the murder of the curator of the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Early this month, the Louvre said the movie's producers were trying to decide between the museum and the Cannes festival as a site for the European premiere. The movie will not be in the running for prizes at Cannes.

Diana Ossana and James Schamus, who produced the Ang Lee-directed story of two ranch hands who conceal an ongoing homosexual affair from their families, took home the guild's top prize, the Darryl F. Zanuck producer of the year award.

Ossana also co-wrote the screenplay with famed Western author Larry McMurtry.

"Brokeback" won four Golden Globes last week - including best picture honors in the drama category - and has been lauded by critics' groups around the country.

The man-and-dog buddy adventure "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" earned Claire Jennings and Nick Park the producer of the year award for animated film.

Other winners at the awards ceremony held at the Universal Hilton included:

• Long-Form Television: "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers," HBO.

• Episodic Drama: "Lost," ABC.

• Episodic Comedy: "Entourage," HBO.

• Variety Television: "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," Syndicated.

The blood-drenched thriller, starring Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman, edged out last weekend's winning family fare, according to studio estimates released Sunday.

"Hoodwinked," the animated update of the Little Red Riding Hood story, fell to second place with $11 million in ticket sales, while inspirational films "Glory Road" and "Last Holiday" ranked third and fourth, taking in $9.1 million each.

Horror movies and family films "probably have the biggest built-in audience at the box office," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

The book by the award-winning children's author promises readers "high adventure, dramatic tensions and all the swashbuckling, danger and derring-do they can handle."

Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children owns the copyright to the original J.M. Barrie story about the boy who never grew up.

After a worldwide search for an author, the hospital trustees chose McCaughrean to write the sequel. The trust stipulated that the book must feature the original characters: Peter, Wendy, Tinkerbell, the rest of the Darling family and the fearsome Captain Hook.

The trustees have read and approved McCaughrean's recently finished manuscript and it will be published on Oct. 5.

"Neverland was such a marvelous place to spend my year," McCaughrean said. "I clean forgot Barrie's ghost might be reading the computer screen over my shoulder, forgot to worry whether the necessary people would like what I wrote. Mind you, that's a good sign. When a book is a joy to write, some of the fun often snags on the letters and gets trapped between the pages."

Filmmaker Nicole Holofcener warned the Sundance Film Festival crowd she was nervous.

And she proved it in remarks that preceded the premiere of her film "Friends With Money," forgetting to introduce her quartet of stars: Jennifer Aniston, Frances McDormand, Catherine Keener and Joan Cusack.

"Friends With Money" opened the festival to a packed theater Thursday night, with Sundance Institute founder Robert Redford and festival director Geoffrey Gilmore offering remarks before Holofcener came up.

Holofcener thanked many others on the film, executives at distributor Sony Pictures Classics, her casting director and editor, the male co-stars, including Jason Isaacs, Scott Caan, Simon McBurney and Greg Germann.

Then she started to leave, only rushing back to the podium after Gilmore reminded her she had neglected to mention the lead actresses.

Beyoncé Knowles is speaking to TMZ about the new DreamWorks and Paramount film version of 'Dreamgirls,' directed by 'Kinsey's' Bill Condon. Knowles plays a character loosely based on Diana Ross.

Former 'American Idol' season three contestant Jennifer Hudson (who many 'Idol' fans felt was unfairly booted way too early) has landed the dream role of "Effie," originated on Broadway by Jennifer Holliday.

The film also stars Oscar winner Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover, Mos Def, Sharon Leal, and Tony winner Anika Noni Rose.

'Dreamgirls' will open in December 2006.

Best Film: "Brokeback Mountain," "Capote," "The Constant Gardener," "Crash," "Good Night, and Good Luck."

Outstanding British Film: "A Cock and Bull Story," "The Constant Gardener," "Festival," "Pride and Prejudice," "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit."

Direction: Ang Lee, "Brokeback Mountain"; Bennett Miller, "Capote"; Fernando Meirelles, "The Constant Gardener"; Paul Haggis, "Crash"; George Clooney, "Good Night, and Good Luck."

Original Screenplay: Cliff Hollingsworth/Akiva Goldsman, "Cinderella Man"; Paul Haggis/Bobby Moresco, "Crash"; George Clooney/Grant Heslov, "Good Night, and Good Luck"; Keir Pearson/Terry George, "Hotel Rwanda"; Martin Sherman, "Mrs. Henderson Presents."

Citing unnamed people familiar with the plan, the Journal said Disney would pay a nominal premium to Pixar's current market value of $6.7 billion under the deal being discussed in a stock transaction that would make Pixar chief executive Steve Jobs the largest individual shareholder in Disney.

The Journal said the outcome of the talks isn't certain, and that other options are possible. Telephone messages left Thursday morning for Disney spokeswoman Michelle Bergman in Burbank, Calif., and Pixar's Michele Clarke in New York were not immediately returned.

Pixar shares were up $3.24, or 5.7 percent, to $60.50 in premarket trading while Disney shares were down 22 cents at $25. Jobs is the largest shareholder in Pixar, with more than 60 million shares, or 50.6 percent, according to Pixar's filings with securities regulators last year. At its current share price, his stake is worth about $3.44 billion.