Dejana

Does anyone have the description of Claire's dress in the book? I'm remembering it as brown and cream and having a lot of buttons, maybe? I'm sure the show wanted to go with a look that was closer to what contemporary eyes would consider "bridal", though in those days, it was customary for a woman to marry in her nicest dress, whatever its color. I think they chose to draw a parallel between the two weddings with Claire's attire, than having her marry in the same church both times. It was probably easier to film and maybe Ron Moore was in the camp of it being a bit too much of a coincidence.

September 19–21, 2014 Estimates: 1 (N) The Maze Runner, $32,500,000 | 3,604 Theaters | $9,018 Avg. | $32,500,000 2 (N) A Walk Among the Tombstones, $13,126,000 | 2,712 Theaters | $4,840 Avg. | $13,126,000 3 (N) This is Where I Leave You, $11,860,000 | 2,868 Theaters | $4,135 Avg. | $11,860,000 4 (1) No Good Deed, $10,200,000 | 2,175 Theaters | $4,690 Avg. | $40,110,000 5 (2) Dolphin Tale 2, $9,005,000 | 3,656 Theaters | $2,463 Avg. | $27,070,000 6 (3) Guardians of the Galaxy, $5,180,000 | 2,846 Theaters | $1,820 Avg. | $313,669,000 7 (5) Let's Be Cops, $2,675,000 | 2,312 Theaters | $1,157 Avg. | $77,196,000 8 (4) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, $2,650,000 | 2,348 Theaters | $1,129 Avg. | $185,018,000 9 (6) The Drop, $2,050,000 | 1,192 Theaters | $1,720 Avg. | $7,690,000 10 (7) If I Stay, $1,835,000 | 2,371 Theaters | $774 Avg. | $47,672,000 Outside the Top 10: The Hundred-Foot Journey, $1,120,000 | 1,253 Theaters | $894 Avg. | $51,456,000 Tusk, $886,000 | 602 Theaters | $1,472 Avg. | $886,000 The Skeleton Twins, $448,000 | 49 Theaters | $9,143 Avg. | $950,000 Boyhood, $412,000 | 335 Theaters | $1,230 Avg. | $22,561,000 The Trip to Italy, $300,000 | 200 Theaters | $1,500 Avg. | $2,154,000 Love is Strange, $231,000 | 112 Theaters | $2,063 Avg. | $1,585,000 The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, $170,000 | 136 Theaters | $1,250 Avg. | $260,000 The Guest (2014), $82,100 | 19 Theaters | $4,321 Avg. | $111,700 Hector And The Search For Happiness, $46,000 | 4 Theaters | $11,500 Avg. | $46,000 Pump, $42,200 | 3 Theaters | $14,067 Avg. | $42,200 20,000 Days on Earth, $26,900 | 1 Theater | $26,900 Avg. | $30,000 Tracks (2014), $21,600 | 4 Theaters | $5,400 Avg. | $21,600 Not Cool, $14,000 | 1 Theater | $14,000 Avg. | $14,000 Keep On Keepin' On, $12,200 | 2 Theaters | $6,100 Avg. | $12,200 Global Totals: DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES: $476.3M Overseas Total | $683.5M Global Total GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: $318.6M Overseas Total | $632.3M Global Total HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2: $436.3M Overseas Total | $611.8M Global Total LUCY: $253M Overseas Total | $377.8M Global Total TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: $148.3M Overseas Total | $333.3M Global Total HERCULES: $146.9M Overseas Total | $218.9M Global Total LET'S BE COPS: $25M Overseas Total | $102.2M Global Total THE MAZE RUNNER: $49M Overseas Total | $81.5M Global Total AS ABOVE, SO BELOW: $12.5M Overseas Total | $33M Global Total

OMG, based on a Zane novel? I suppose it's an upgrade from a series on Skinemax. I wonder how she really feels about 50 Shades becoming such a mainstream pop-culture thing in such a short time relative to her career.

I guess this would be the thread, since this covers casting and the business, in a sense. In the movie trailer thread, there were comments about Jennifer Lawrence having looks that are too contemporary for a movie set during the Great Depression, or anything before the 1950s. I see that criticism a lot about certain actors being too modern for certain roles, and sometimes I get it, but other times it seems sort of bogus. Obviously, you wouldn't want to stick someone overly Botoxed or with breast implants or a guy with a waxed 12-pack into a Civil War movie, but a big part of why people seem out of place in a period piece has to do with things like speech patterns or mannerisms or posture, and not necessarily their physical appearance per se. All of these actors who supposedly look too modern to exist in the past are descended from people who were alive eighty or a hundred years ago, and those people probably weren't perceived as looking "strange" back then. Especially someone like JLaw, who AFAIK doesn't have some sort of ancestry that would've stood out as unusual in 1930s America. This isn't really about some huge defense of Lawrence, just that I see the "too contemporary" criticism bandied about from time to time and it makes me question if there's too much of a reliance on a narrow set of images of how people supposedly looked in any given era. I also think part of it has to do with movie star baggage and the inability of actors to completely shed it, when it doesn't necessarily suit the role in question.

Jack O'Connell stars in Unbroken, which could be a big Oscar player during awards season. He's 24, and like Nicholas Hoult, is an alum of the UK Skins. Tobey Maguire seems like an odd person to talk to about the dearth of young male movie stars since he never really was one himself. Sure, he was Spider-Man and Seabiscuit made money but he was never exactly a draw on his own. Maybe Leo was busy? In all seriousness, I think male stars tend to be slightly older when they hit their prime in terms of commercial and critical success, which you can see by comparing the ages of the oldest and youngest winners and nominees for acting Oscars.

Jill was studying to be a midwife and before that, the girls were tracking Michelle's cycle, so you would hope that Jilly wouldn't have been fooled by any "God plants a seed inside of the mother" line of BS by the time it was her wedding day. Didn't Jim-Bob demonstrate with Legos for Josh, before his wedding? IIRC he also told him in a very vague, roundabout way that things might take longer for a woman and to be considerate of that. And there was an audiobook. Jim-Bob seems like a somewhat more thoughtful parent than Michelle, though. I'm picturing Michelle trying to talk to someone about sex in that high-pitched, giggly baby voice and...ugh. I'm imagining a talk along the lines that men have needs and it's your wifely duty to fulfill them, no matter how tired you are, lest he stray.

I look at gender reveal parties like prom proposals and push presents—emerging status-symbol customs that give people another excuse to brag and one-up each other, with retailers who benefit from the existence of these new "traditions" hyping the idea that they're an essential part of life. I would blame the rise of social media and Youtube usage with a dash of celebrity worship (I first heard of gender reveal parties from reading magazines like People/US Weekly) more than any particular political/social movement. Josh and Anna's kids do seem well behaved. Good for them if they do have a secret pact/deal not to limit the size of their family to less-than-supersized levels.

Other studios may write it off as a Marvel success story, but Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles overperformed, too, so possibly. Divergent was launched in March after The Hunger Games made $400M+ as a spring opener in 2012. OTOH, maybe GotG had so much room to succeed because May/June/July 2014 hadn't already brought 2-3 $300M+ hits, and in a more typical year, an August tentpole would underwhelm.

September 12–14, 2014 Estimates: 1 (N) No Good Deed, $24,500,000 | 2,175 Theaters | $11,264 Avg. | $24,500,000 2 (N) Dolphin Tale 2, $16,550,000 | 3,656 Theaters | $4,527 Avg. | $16,550,000 3 (1) Guardians of the Galaxy, $8,041,000 | 3,104 Theaters | $2,591 Avg. | $305,926,000 4 (2) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), $4,800,000 | 2,957 Theaters | $1,623 Avg. | $181,041,000 5 (3) Let's Be Cops, $4,300,000 | 2,755 Theaters | $1,561 Avg. | $72,972,000 6 (N) The Drop, $4,200,000 | 809 Theaters | $5,192 Avg. | $4,200,000 7 (4) If I Stay, $4,050,000 | 3,040 Theaters | $1,332 Avg. | $44,937,000 8 (5) The November Man, $2,750,000 | 2,702 Theaters | $1,018 Avg. | $22,495,000 9 (7) The Giver, $2,626,000 | 2,253 Theaters | $1,166 Avg. | $41,329,000 10 (9) The Hundred-Foot Journey, $2,461,000 | 1,943 Theaters | $1,267 Avg. | $49,409,000 Outside the Top 10: Boyhood, $975,000 | 659 Theaters | $1,480 Avg. | $21,918,000 Cantinflas, $540,000 | 424 Theaters | $1,274 Avg. | $5,612,000 The Trip to Italy, $481,000 | 155 Theaters | $3,103 Avg. | $1,681,000 The Skeleton Twins, $411,000 | 15 Theaters | $27,400 Avg. | $411,000 Love is Strange, $380,000 | 102 Theaters | $3,725 Avg. | $1,276,000 How to Train Your Dragon 2, $365,000 | 460 Theaters | $793 Avg. | $175,229,000 Atlas Shrugged Part III: Who Is John Galt? $355,000 | 242 Theaters | $1,467 Avg. | $355,000 My Old Lady, $134,000 | 11 Theaters | $12,182 Avg. | $156,000 The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, $77,200 | 4 Theaters | $19,300 Avg. | $77,200 Global Totals: TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION: $835.5M Overseas Total | $1.08B Global Total DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES: $464M Overseas Total | $670.8M Global Total GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: $305.6M Overseas Total | $611.5M Global Total HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2: $435.5M Overseas Total | $610.7M Global Total LUCY: $231M Overseas Total | $354.5M Global Total TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: $138.9M Overseas Total | $319.9M Global Total HERCULES: $138.5M Overseas Total | $210.2M Global Total INTO THE STORM: $87.6M Overseas Total | $133.4M Global Total LET'S BE COPS: $22.3M Overseas Total | $95.2M Global Total IF I STAY: $15.6M Overseas Total | $60.5M Global Total

A Serena trailer finally surfaces: Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence filmed it soon after Silver Linings Playbook and before American Hustle. Most busted Oscar bait of this ilk would've been released in the "off-season" or dumped via VOD a year ago; the articles about the movie's troubled history will probably be more interesting than Serena itself, ultimately. Maybe a trailer for Nailed will show up next. JLo in a glorified Lifetime movie with the world's oldest teenager:

AP: NFL received Ray Rice video in April

I don't know if I would go that far...what if it was a video of a sexual assault? I don't think people would say you were supporting rape and rapists, if you were concerned about it further upsetting the person assaulted, to see such an attack become a viral video and featured on a steady TV loop (though the latter probably wouldn't happen because television still has a few standards). OTOH, it is true that without the video surfacing, Ray Rice would've served his two-week suspension and after the game itself, all the sports talking heads and internet chatter would've moved on to something else. There'd still be people angry about the leniency granted Ray Rice, but until the next somewhat high-profile domestic violence case at least, ESPN would've been very relieved to be back to reporting on Johnny Football, the Cowboys being crap and if/when Michael Sam will make a roster. The elevator video was released and Ray Rice got terminated/suspended and it's sparked a national conversation, but at what personal cost to Janay Rice? It served the greater good, so, too bad if she didn't want anyone seeing her like that? The other video where she was unconscious was already public anyway, so what's one more? And it seems like it makes a difference to some people whether she stayed or left the relationship, how to feel about what her partner did to her. I'm not really trying to insult anyone, just thinking out loud, really.

There was only one new opener and it failed to make the Top 10. Next week, maybe dolphins and Idris Elba (and Atlas Shrugged Part III) will save us! September 5–7, 2014 Estimates: 1 (1) Guardians of the Galaxy, $10,160,000 | 3,221 Theaters | $3,154 Avg. | $294,567,000 (4 weekends at #1) 2 (2) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), $6,500,000 | 3,273 Theaters | $1,986 Avg. | $174,647,000 3 (3) If I Stay, $5,750,000 | 3,157 Theaters | $1,821 Avg. | $39,663,000 4 (5) Let's Be Cops, $5,400,000 | 2,932 Theaters | $1,842 Avg. | $66,598,000 5 (6) The November Man, $4,200,000 | 2,776 Theaters | $1,513 Avg. | $17,870,000 6 (4) As Above/So Below, $3,723,000 | 2,650 Theaters | $1,405 Avg. | $15,576,000 7 (7) When the Game Stands Tall, $3,700,000 | 2,766 Theaters | $1,338 Avg. | $23,490,000 8 (8) The Giver, $3,591,000 | 2,576 Theaters | $1,394 Avg. | $37,835,000 9 (9) The Hundred-Foot Journey, $3,200,000 | 2,167 Theaters | $1,477 Avg. | $45,669,000 10 (11) Lucy, $1,950,000 | 1,171 Theaters | $1,665 Avg. | $121,207,000 Outside the Top 10: The Identical, $1,911,000 | 1,956 Theaters | $977 Avg. | $1,911,000 Boyhood, $1,411,000 | 775 Theaters | $1,821 Avg. | $20,718,000 Magic in the Moonlight, $720,000 | 530 Theaters | $1,358 Avg. | $9,272,000 Forrest Gump (IMAX), $405,000 | 337 Theaters | $1,202 Avg. | $405,000 Calvary, $350,000 | 285 Theaters | $1,228 Avg. | $3,017,000 Innocence (2014), $267,000 | 490 Theaters | $545 Avg. | $267,000 But Always (Yi Sheng Yi Shi), $140,000 | 19 Theaters | $7,368 Avg. | $140,000 Last Days in Vietnam, $30,500 | 2 Theaters | $15,250 Avg. | $30,500 God Help the Girl, $12,800 | 2 Theaters | $6,400 Avg. | $12,800 Global Totals: TRANSFORMERS AGE OF EXTINCTION: $833M Overseas Total | $1.077B Global Total DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES: $437.6M Overseas Total | $643.8M Global Total GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: $291.6M Overseas Total | $586.1M Global Total LUCY: $192.2M Overseas Total | $313.2M Global Total TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: $125.6M Overseas Total | $300.2M Global Total HERCULES: $122.9M Overseas Total | $193.3M Global Total

I've always found it odd to count weeks of pregnancy in a way that includes the time before conception. Good to see Jill doing something "normal" like go to a college football game. Hope it means Baby Dillard will get to have a university education someday if he/she wants one.

You know they are. At least with Federer, they could have sold it with some sort of "history" angle. If the reign of the "Big Four" is winding down, the US sports media will probably be harsher about the state of the American men's game. Not that Isner and Sam Querrey and the rest were really contending when it was all about Fed/Rafa/Nole, but I think there will be some annoyance if the "next generation" still doesn't include American guys. I think the commentators are speaking of the "Big Four" in the sense that they were seemingly the Top 4 players on the men's tour, in any given order, even if Murray hasn't won as many majors as the other three. He has made the semi of every slam multiple times and multiple finals of all but the French. Speaking of Murray, if the vote passes for Scotland to break away from UK, does that mean Britain's Wimbledon drought is back on?

Isn't Andy Roddick doing the Fox Sports 1 version of Sportscenter? I don't think he's headed to the commentary booth any time soon.

Denzel Washington and Liam Neesson, preferably before they age out of the latter-day action star career phase.

Okay, how much did Tori Spelling pay Dustin/Lifetime to describe her as Aaron Spelling's "beautiful" daughter? I'm one who thought she looked perfectly nice with her natural face, but the line smacked of 90210's overkill about the gorgeousness that was Donna. And the actress who played her here looked about 12.

August 29–31, 2014 Estimates: 1 (1) Guardians of the Galaxy, $16,313,000 | 3,462 Theaters | $4,712 Avg. | $274,610,000 (now 2014's #1 movie) 2 (2) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), $11,750,000 | 3,543 Theaters | $3,316 Avg. | $162,406,000 3 (3) If I Stay, $9,260,000 | 3,003 Theaters | $3,084 Avg. | $29,822,000 4 (N) As Above/So Below, $8,342,000 | 2,640 Theaters | $3,160 Avg. | $8,342,000 5 (4) Let's Be Cops, $8,200,000 | 3,010 Theaters | $2,724 Avg. | $57,322,000 6 (N) The November Man, $7,660,000 | 2,776 Theaters | $2,759 Avg. | $9,351,000 7 (5) When the Game Stands Tall, $5,650,000 | 2,673 Theaters | $2,114 Avg. | $16,320,000 8 (7) The Giver, $5,253,000 | 2,805 Theaters | $1,873 Avg. | $31,526,000 9 (9) The Hundred-Foot Journey, $4,603,000 | 1,918 Theaters | $2,400 Avg. | $39,398,000 10 (6) The Expendables 3, $3,500,000 | 2,564 Theaters | $1,365 Avg. | $33,139,000 Outside the Top 10: Cantinflas, $2,625,000 | 382 Theaters | $6,872 Avg. | $2,625,000 Ghostbusters (30th Anniversary re-release), $1,650,000 | 784 Theaters | $2,105 Avg. | $1,650,000 Magic in the Moonlight, $825,000 | 438 Theaters | $1,884 Avg. | $8,014,000 Chef, $664,000 | 757 Theaters | $877 Avg. | $30,242,000 Hercules (2014), $600,000 | 337 Theaters | $1,780 Avg. | $70,865,000 Calvary, $520,000 | 322 Theaters | $1,615 Avg. | $2,323,000 Love is Strange, $262,000 | 27 Theaters | $9,704 Avg. | $425,000 Life of Crime, $99,500 | 33 Theaters | $3,015 Avg. | $99,500 Starred Up, $11,000 | 2 Theaters | $5,500 Avg. | $15,300 Global Totals: TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION: $828.1M Overseas Total | $1.072B Global Total DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES: $408.1M Overseas Total | $613.3M Global Total HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2: $420.2M Overseas Total | $593.6M Global Total GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: $273.1M Overseas Total | $547.7M Global Total TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: $112.1M Overseas Total | $278.2M Global Total LUCY: $151.6M Overseas Total | $270M Global Total HERCULES: $103.8M Overseas Total | $174.8M Global Total INTO THE STORM: $47.7M Overseas Total | $89.6M Global Total

Diana responded to some reader questions in The Outlandish Companion, including the criticism she received about Claire's "don't get fat" advice to Bree.

Ben in the guest house already? I'm surprised Jim Bob and Michelle don't consider that too much temptation to handle for those crazy kids!

Trailer for 'The Brittany Murphy Story'

August 22–24, 2014 Estimates: 1 (2) Guardians of the Galaxy, $17,631,000 | 3,371 Theaters | $5,230 Avg. | $251,884,000 (now 2014's #1 summer movie) 2 (1) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), $16,800,000 | 3,864 Theaters | $4,348 Avg. | $145,610,000 3 (N) If I Stay, $16,355,000 | 2,907 Theaters | $5,626 Avg. | $16,355,000 4 (3) Let's Be Cops, $11,000,000 | 3,140 Theaters | $3,503 Avg. | $45,246,000 5 (N) When the Game Stands Tall, $9,000,000 | 2,673 Theaters | $3,367 Avg. | $9,000,000 6 (5) The Giver, $6,730,000 | 3,003 Theaters | $2,241 Avg. | $24,101,000 7 (4) The Expendables 3, $6,600,000 | 3,221 Theaters | $2,049 Avg. | $27,519,000 8 (N) Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, $6,477,000 | 2,894 Theaters | $2,238 Avg. | $6,477,000 9 (7) The Hundred-Foot Journey, $5,562,000 | 1,944 Theaters | $2,861 Avg. | $32,750,000 10 (6) Into The Storm, $3,800,000 | 2,375 Theaters | $1,600 Avg. | $38,301,000 Outside the Top 10: Boyhood, $1,864,000 | 734 Theaters | $2,540 Avg. | $16,526,000 Magic in the Moonlight, $1,332,000 | 787 Theaters | $1,693 Avg. | $6,821,000 What If (2014), $652,000 | 680 Theaters | $959 Avg. | $2,204,000 Love is Strange, $127,000 | 5 Theaters | $25,400 Avg. | $127,000 The One I Love, $55,100 | 9 Theaters | $6,122 Avg. | $55,100 Obvious Child, $25,500 | 15 Theaters | $1,700 Avg. | $3,050,000 Global Totals: TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION: $821.3M Overseas Total | $1.065B Global Total MALEFICENT: $510M Overseas Total | $748M Global Total HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2: $402.3M Overseas Total | $574.4M Global Total DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES: $353.1M Overseas Total | $557M Global Total GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: $237.6M Overseas Total | $489.4M Global Total THE FAULT IN OUR STARS: $156.5M Overseas Total | $280.9M Global Total TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: $93.2M Overseas Total | $238.8M Global Total LUCY: $103M Overseas | $226.6M Global Total HERCULES: $90.7M Overseas Total | $160.6M Global Total STEP UP ALL IN: $53.5M Overseas Total | $67.1M Global Total

Derick is the one who was seemingly a good catch, on paper at least, for a woman with an upbringing similar to his, yet he chose to get a wife through Jim Bob, rather than the singles group at the nearest mega-church or Christian Mingle. Is it really surprising that the Duggar lifestyle would be appealing to a guy who jumped through all the hoops to seek out a Duggar daughter?

The Bruno Mars halftime show averaged 115 million viewers for its twelve minutes, so...yes. The return of the marching bands would bring the return of the other networks running counterprogramming against halftime and potentially drawing away tens of millions of viewers from the telecast: This one's been preserved in all its infamy...glory, on Youtube: Part 1 Part 2