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Meryl Streep: It Isn’t Easy Being Queen

Roger Friedman
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59110031Meryl Streep is just as endearing and funny in real life as she is on stage. It’s hard to believe, but it’s true.

Readers of this column may recall a recent entry in which La Streep took two sips of a Tanqueray martini at a premiere, and then backed off.

When I ran into her last night at the Museum of Modern Art, just following the screening of “It’s Complicated,” she’d had a whole martini.

“I had to,” she laughed, “to get through this.” She is not crazy about big premieres, but there she was, meeting and greeting her fans for the third time this month. Nevertheless, Meryl is a sport. She even sat through the last half hour of the movie ‘ something she never does.”It’s hard to be Queen,” someone said to Streep as she entered the party. Meryl shot back, “I wouldn’t want her problems, believe me!”

(Folks, she’s going to get the Academy Award for “Julie & Julia.” I’m just sayin’.)

Co-star Alec Baldwin, on the other hand, did not see the movie. He went off to have dinner with sometime girlfriend Nicole Seidel. At the very swanky MoMA party ‘ which featured a tremendous recreated dessert bakery just like the one Meryl’s character owns in the movie ‘ Baldwin was sweating so hard perspiration ran down his face. He kept trying to mop it up with a handkerchief.

Around the MoMA lobby, there were plenty of celebs eating the delicious food and talking about the fantasy life presented in “It’s Complicated.” Among them: Universal chief Ron Meyer and NBC’s Jeff Zucker, who may be bonding now that the company has been sold. Also, Tina Fey ‘‘sans glasses ‘ who promised me she’s coming up with more ways to zetz the NBC folks on “30 Rock.”’ Plus there was the movie’s costar John Krasinski (who’s very good in this movie) and fiancee Emily Blunt (about to oppen in “Young Victoria“), Steve Martin (and doppelganger pal art dealer Larry Gagosian), Rita Wilson, Alexandra Wentworth, Oliver Stone, Marisa Hargitay and Peter Hermann, Bob and Lynne Balaban, Barry and Diana Levinson, Bob Dishy and Judy Graubart.

Meryl Streep: For Oscars, It’s (Really) Complicated

Roger Friedman
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Everyone should have Meryl Streep’s problems. Are you ready? You can’t be nominated twice in the same category for an Academy Award. So what will Streep do? She’s the lead in Nora Ephron’s “Julie & Julia” and Nancy Meyers‘ “It’s Complicated.” She’s outstanding in each. Yikes! It’s not exactly Sophie’s choice.

My guess is she will probably be nominated ‘ and could win for ‘ her transcendent portrayal of Julia Child. It’s not an imitation of the famed chef. Streep inhabits her. It’s sort of wild. And mesmerizing.

This isn’t to say she isn’t great in Meyers’ new comedy of manners, “It’s Complicated,” the movie that could be termed the anti-”Precious” of 2009. “It’s Complicated” is a dazzling fantasy of what life is like for wealthy, attractive white people who live in paradise ‘ Santa Barbara, California. These people are even better off and more insulated from reality than Meyers’ gang from “Something’s Gotta Give” simply because they are in Santa Barbara, the U.S. equivalent of Cap d’Antibes.

This isn’t a criticism: “It’s Complicated” is set to be a huge hit for Universal. It’s not an Oscar nominee, but something better: a money maker. In a season of downer films about war, layoffs, the ghetto, and other depressing matters, only “It’s Complicated” and Rob Marshall’s “Nine” (an Oscar favorite) are respites from gloom.

“It’s Complicated” is like a very rich dessert. Meryl’s Jane is divorced, happy, and successful. She just doesn’t have a man. So she has an affair with her ex, played by Alec Baldwin. He’s married to an of-age child with a flat abdomen played by Lake Bell who has a child from an interlude in their short marriage (his name is Pedro, he’s the only non-white character in the movie). Meryl lives in a beautiful home on lots of property, but is now so successful as a baker (yes ‘ more cooking!) that she can hire Steve Martin to be her architect and add on more space. She’s finally getting the kitchen she always wanted!

Again, unlike other Oscar movies this season, no one throws a TV at her, she isn’t fragged, or fired, doesn’t have a swastika carved into her forehead. She also doesn’t get to sing and dance in Italian.

What’s more: this sounds like a real story since Nancy Meyers’ real middle name is Jane. Also, apparently she and husband Charles Shyer have never divorced. They’ve been separated for ten years. And they’re both successful writer-directors. They have two daughters, just like movie Jane.

“It’s Complicated” sounds frivolous, and it is. It also doesn’t matter. Meryl and Alec are a riot together. Steve Martin is unusually restrained, but spot on as always while his character waits and watches to see if Meryl can undo what she’s restarted with Alec. And John Krasinski from “The Office” is a welcome surprise as Meryl’s son-in-law to be.

There are, of course, a couple of iconic scenes that will be played over and over: Alec naked in bed with a laptop, giving Steve Martin a lapdance may leave permanent scarring. But Baldwin could get a Best Supporting Actor nomination out of it. And Streep also has a couple of memorable one liners. “I like a lot of sperm” has to be seen to be understood.

But mostly, Streep carries the film and the day. Unlike her showier roles, in this one she has no accent. There’s no crutch to fall back on. She’s exposed, and real, and very human. And then though “It’s Complicated” seems like it’s not very complicated at all, it’s Meryl’s intelligence and warmth as Jane that’s woven through the whole enterprise. You never want her story to stop.

In a way, it doesn’t have to. If you want to read stories in this ilk, catch up with Laurie Colwin. “It’s Complicated” definitely has echoes of the late great novelist’s work including her’ “Home Cooking” essays and comic novels like “Happy All the Time” and “A Big Storm Knocked it Over.”

Original “Sugar”; Dark Side of the Cabernet; Ribbon Cutting

Roger Friedman
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“Sugar,” about Dominicans in baseball, was one of the great indie films of the last year. It was also one of the few original screenplays, too, written by its directors, Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden. This is the pair that brought us “Half Nelson” a year or so earlier. Fleck and Boden’s screenplay is nominated for an Indie Spirit Award but why stop there? Academy Award voters should be including it on their ballots, as well. Fleck and Boden are exciting new-generation filmmakers. And their producer Jamie Patricof is a go-getter in the best sense, who won’t take no for an answer…By the way, the pair’s next one is “It’s Kind of Funny,” from the Focus Features stable of the bowtied genius, James Schamus. Sounds terrific…

…There was a wine tasting backstage at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame shows, sponsored by Wines That Rock. Bono, The Edge, and Mick Jagger were among those who couldn’t get enough of’ a Dark Side of the Moon Cabernet Sauvignon, Rolling Stones Forty Licks Merlot, and a Woodstock Chardonnay. This is a great idea that someone should have thought of a long time ago: the wines come from the award winning Mendocino Wine Company with beautiful labels and the real stuff inside. Delicious.

…Here’s a little good news: Autism Speaks, the group founded by Bob and Suzanne Wright, is behind a new Manhattan school opening today. The non-profit McCarton School gets an old-fashioned ribbon cutting today at 5:30pm at Eighth Avenue and West 25th St. Guests include Dr. Cecelia McCarton, the founder, along with the Wrights and Archbishop Emeritus of New York, Edward Cardinal Egan. There’s a lot of controversy about autism treatment right now, but a new school is very exciting no matter how you slice it. Congrats!

David Bowie’s Kid Scores British Film Awards

Roger Friedman
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Remember Zowie Bowie? He was the kid born to David Bowie and his wife Angela. Now Zowie Bowie is Duncan Jones, film director. On Monday, Jones took home the Best Director prize from the British Independent Film Awards for his “Moon,” starring Sam Rockwell. And “Moon” won Best Feature as well. Not bad for a small film that Sony Pictures Classics released here to little fanfare.

I ran into Sam last night at an after party for rocker Sting’s first show at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The connection here is that Mrs Sting, Trudie Styler, was a producer’ on “Moon.” Both she and Sam were a bit stunned at news of the prizes. They didn’t think it had a chance. For Sam, who’s good in everything he does, it was a nice accolade.

For Styler, it’s more confirmation of her good eye as a producer. Her Dito Montiel movie from 2006, “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints,” featured Shia LaBeouf and Channing Tatum before they were famous. Robert Downey, Jr. was also in that film ‘ which is worth renting. So here’s a secret: it’s Styler who suggested Downey to Guy Ritchie for “Sherlock Holmes.” She also produced Ritchie’s first two movies, “Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” and “Snatch.” So if you like Downey as Sherlock, you have Styler to thank! She sure believes in Guy Ritchie ‘certainly more than another blonde (ahem!).

And Styler is a political activist for the environment, as we all know. She recently spoke at the UN General Assembly’s hearing on climate change. Here’s the text of that important speech

Meanwhile: the British Independent Film Awards gave out a lot of prizes, but the best one, I think, was the Jury Prize to U.K. Daily Mail correspondent and columnist Baz Bamigboye. Baz is the most respected film and theatre writer in London. No one is more deserving. Congrats!

Elton John: Feeling Better, Playing Tennis Tonight on Internet

Roger Friedman
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Elton John’s going to the net tonight ‘ and the ‘Net.

He’s playing tennis with Billie Jean King live on the Internet for his Elton John AIDS Foundation. Here’s the link.’The fun begins at 8pm Eastern time.

Smash Hits 2009, taking place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, will also feature Serena Williams, Andy Roddick, Lindsay Davenport, Anna Kournikova, Tommy Haas, Liezel Huber, Jan-Michael Gambill, Devin Britton and local favorite Chanda Rubin of Lafayette, La.

They do say that Sir Elton will also participate in a doubles match. He must be feeling a lot better since his health scare last month. Forget “Take Me to the Pilot.” I just hope they don’t take him to the hospital! Good luck Elton!

Sting Gets A Little Amnesty for Bruce Springsteen

Roger Friedman
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sting 150x250 Sting Gets A Little Amnesty for Bruce SpringsteenThe audience from the Kennedy Center gala on Sunday night is still talking about Sting’s amazing gospel finale of “The Rising” as a tribute to honoree Bruce Springsteen. Last night at a “friends and family” rehearsal for his shows this week at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Sting told me: “I just wanted to get it right for Bruce. You could see him sitting there, restrained and watching.” From the looks of it, Sting got it very right. We’ll see it when the show airs on December 29th on CBS.

The whole idea of Sting performing for Bruce sprung from their original collaboration for Amnesty International in 1988. They anchored a six-week “Human Rights Now!” world tour for Amnesty (along with Peter Gabriel, Tracy Chapman and Youssou N’Dour). So it was only fitting that Amnesty, along with indefatigable producer Martin Lewis, hosted a swell after party following Sunday night’s awards for Sting, Bruce, and all the honorees ”Robert DeNiro, Mel Brooks, Grace Bumbry, and jazz great Dave Brubeck. It’s a long time ago now, but people forget: it was Sting’s participation for Amnesty in the “The Secret Policeman’s Ball” in 1981 that got Peter Gabriel, Bono, and others motivated to save the world. If you’ve never heard or seen this amazing spectacle, it’s finally available on DVD.

I don’t think the Amnesty people party much or get their names in print for all the great work they do, so Larry Cox,’ Timothy Higdon, Sandee Borgman, Karen Scott, Helen Garrett.’ Also present was one of Sting’s oldest friends, former Argentinian prisoner-of-conscience Juan Mendez and wife Silvia.)

The Amnesty party at the Mandarin Oriental was so much fun ‘ with lots of sponsors (Piper-Heidseick, Skyy Vodka, Stella Artois, Bass, Remy-Martin, Cointeau) picking up the tab so that the stars could party until 3am. And so they did. Did you know Robert DeNiro likes cucumber martinis? Did we even know such a thing existed?

I can only wonder what Kennedy Center producers George Stevens and his son Michael thought as guests Lewis put together for this shindig kept coming up and congratulating them. The usually staid KC surely needed this adrenalin rush. Here’s the Oscar party-like gang that mixed it up with Bruce, wife Patti Scialfa, Sting, and the sensational Trudie Styler: Meryl Streep, Martin Short, Herbie Hancock, Eddie Vedder, Matthew Broderick (Sarah Jessica Parker was in London), Carol Burnett, Jon Stewart, Jack Black , Ed Norton , Bob and Lynne Balaban, Joe Mantegna, Bill Irwin, Richard Kind, Florence Henderson; and Mel Brooks stars Roger Bart, Gary Beach , Shuler Hensley, Cory English, Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland not to mention that Laura Dern was also there as the wife of Ben Harper.

P.S. It was Dave Brubeck’s 89th birthday, so of course there was a cake and singing at 2am. (He’s also been married for 67 years. Hello, Tiger Woods!) Sting told me last night that he and Bruce spent a lot of time talking to Brubeck on Sunday night. Did he get any secrets? “I’ve been getting them right along,” Sting said, with gravity in his voice. He added, joking: “It’s a tantric thing.”

And more names! That “friends and family” rehearsal was mindblowing last night at St. John the Divine. In the audience were lots of familiar faces starting with Sting and Trudie’s actress daughter Mickey Sumner, who brought along famed acting teacher Sandra Lee; also Dan Abrams, Amy Sacco, John Sykes, and famed artist Stephen Hannock who’s busy drawing, sketching, etc. while the show goes on. “Larry King” show producer Sarah Holbrooke got to film a couple of the songs for Larry’s Christmas show on December 23rd. And the show has a special, unbilled guest among the two dozen musicians on stage: trumpeter Chris Botti.

Procter & Gamble Fulfills Its Destiny, Kills ‘World Turns’

Roger Friedman
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Procter & Gamble completed its corporate objective today. They got out of the soap opera business by killing off their remaining show, “As the World Turns.” The show has been cancelled by CBS, which is code for: “P&G pulled the plug.” The show has been on CBS since April 1956.

P&G’s second to last show, “Guiding Light,” left the air on September 18th. The writing was on the wall.

The killing of “As the World Turns” began 18 months ago when the company refused to negotiate the contract of its star, Martha Byrne. Byrne had been with the show for 25 years, was a mother in her late 30s, and the perfect demographic for the show. Losing her meant losing audience, and so the show did: tremendous drops in their numbers followed. But that, it seems, was the plan.

“As the World Turns” was always the Cadillac of soaps. Until the last couple of years it was always the best written, acted and produced show. It went through a huge Renaissance from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s under writer-producer Douglas Marland, who knew and respected the genre.

The shows boasts more than a dozen “vets” who’ve been with it for years including Don Hastings, Helen Wagner, Eileen Fulton, and Kathryn Hays. New York theater star Larry Bryggman played Dr. John Dixon for three decades until his character faded out several years ago. The show also launched lots of stars including Julianne Moore, Meg Ryan, Marisa Tomei, Parker Posey, Steven Weber, and Dana Delany. Even hip-hop artist Lauryn Hill got her start on “World Turns.”

CBS replaced “Guiding Light” with a game show, which is cheaper to produce. They’ll probably do the same with “World Turns.” By doing so, they’ve helped P&G–which once boasted at least seven shows– destroy a genre. P&G certainly is vulnerable to the ire of fans against their products, but the downside is probably minimal. The sad thing is, after half a century in the business, they never took their legacy or the product seriously.

Billy and Christie’s Daughter Alexa Had a Great Family Holiday

Roger Friedman
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The most ridiculous and pathetic attack on Billy Joel and his family comes today in the New York Post. The fish wrap tabloid actually suggests that a nine-day family trip to Turks and Caicos pushed Alexa Ray Joel to attempt suicide. They depict Christie Brinkley as a “mommie dearest.”

This is completely untrue and unfounded, say friends.

Indeed, one friend has read me a postcard from Alexa that she wrote on the last day of the trip. It’s upbeat, positive, and even mentions Brinkley. It certainly sounds like they were having a great time. Brinkley even took swimsuit model pics of a glowing, sexy Alexa and sent them to close friends under the title “Bod-icelli.”

“She loves Alexa so much,” says a friend.

Brinkley is not perfect. She has had four bad marriages. There’s no scrubbing that away. But she’s always done two things: had a very good relationship with Billy Joel, and she’s been totally supporting and nurturing with Alexa. In fact, when Brinkley was suffering over the break up with Peter Cook, it was Joel to whom she turned. She went to a barbecue at his house. When Joel played a big luxe concert in East Hampton in the summer of 2007, Christie brought Alexa and son Jack, and cheered Joel on. In May 2007, Christie also came to the Rainforest Foundation show at Carnegie Hall to support both Billy and Alexa.

Not only that: Every show that Alexa has played in New York, no matter how small the club, Brinkley has been front and center. She’s not a stage mom, and doesn’t hog the spotlight. Rather, she’s there for her daughter, helping with hair and makeup, etc.

It’s not outside the realm of possibility that the Post’s unnamed source on all this is, ta da! Peter Cook, Brinkley’s ex. He’d like nothing better than to embarrass both Christie and Alexa, who testified against him in court when Cook was publicly embarrassed.

Even worse: Friends are convinced that Cook has been logging nasty comments using pseudonyms on the web about Brinkley. Cook certainly has a lot of experience using the internet. He admitted in court during his divorce trial that he was addicted to web porn. In October, when he and Brinkley were in another court battle, Cook started posting under his own name and then possibly under others including, possibly, NYnowTELLURIDEthen.

“Those posts are too personal,” says a friend.

Madonna Sets Sights on New Carlos

Roger Friedman
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Madonna has been dating Jesus, but she also has her sights set on a new boytoy: call him Carlos II.

Carlos I of course was Carlos Leon, the father of Madonna’s pre-teen daughter Lourdes.

But last night at the premiere of Tom Ford’s “A Single Man,” Madonna took over a center booth at the Monkey Bar so she could flirt with Jon Kortajarena, the 24-year-old Spanish fly who plays Carlos in the film.

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This was sort of hilarious since Colin Firth and Julianne Moore are the actual stars of the film. They’re also tipped for Oscar and Golden Globe nominations in this exceptional film. But neither actor was of any interest to Madonna. She was just focused on tall, dark, handsome and young “Carlos,” whom she kept at her table all night. It didn’t matter that Moore (with father-of-her-kids director Bart Freundlich) and a smashing blonde Ellen Barkin were at the booth next to hers, or that Firth was available for conversation. Kortajarena plays a male prostitute on the Sunset Strip circa 1962. He resembles Carlos Leon. Wherever Madonna’s boyfriend, Jesus, is, he may have to sleep on the couch next.

Madonna also caused a huge problem at the “Single Man” screening at the Museum of Modern Art. The screening began a half hour late as organizers waited for her arrival. Her lateness dragged on and on, so the movie was finally allowed to start without her. Madonna and posse finally showed up a few minutes after the film began.

At the party, Madonna also pretty much ignored Courtney Love and REM’s Michael Stipe, who sat across from her at a smaller table. The pair didn’t seem to mind. They had a lot to talk about, especially Love’s new album in progress. Also at the “Single Man” premiere: Kevin Bacon, Olivia Palermo, Rose Byrne, a glowing and pregnant Padma Lakshmi, Lee Pace, Judy Greer, and Gina Gershon. There were fewer Academy voters than usual for this sort of thing, lots of young pretties, and the photographers wound up posting pix of the publicist and his boyfriend. Weird.

But make no mistake: both Firth and Moore are certain Oscar contenders. Their long scene inside Moore’s character’s house ‘ including dancing to Etta James and Booker T and the MGs ‘ is simply a classic. Firth goes right up against George Clooney, Daniel Day Lewis, Jeff Bridges, Morgan Freeman ‘ and swing vote Viggo Mortensen.

Alexa Ray Joel Leaves Hospital

Roger Friedman
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Alexa Ray Joel, daughter of Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley, is out of St. Vincent’s Hospital after her long bad night.

Sources say the fledgling pop singer transferred to a rehab facility, where she’ll spend some proscribed time before heading to her mom’s place in the Hamptons.

Hopefully, the rabid tabloid press will give this girl a break. She’s not Tiger Woods. Mostly she needs time to get over this guy, Jimmy Riot. One listen to his MySpace music and it’s clear he’s not worth it. One of his songs is called “This Place Smells Like Ass.” OMG … Alexa, it’s time to cut bait and move on …

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