Just realized this: the musician who co-wrote “The Weary Kind” from “Crazy Heart”–which has won the Critics Choice and Golden Globe for Best Song–is named Ryan Bingham.

It’s a little confusing because George Clooney’s character’s name from “Up in the Air” is…Ryan Bingham.’ That must be an Oscar first, as Clooney’s main rival for Best Actor is Jeff Bridges, who sings the song in “Crazy Heart.”

At least Clooney has a name in “Up in the Air.” In “The Fantastic Mr. Fox” he’s just “Mr. Fox.” He has no first name. His wife’s name is Felicity (played by Meryl Streep).

And ironically Clooney must be the Weary Kind at this point, what with putting on Friday’s telethon!

The real Ryan Bingham missed getting his Golden Globe on Sunday. He was at the bar, talking to a friend. Co-writer T Bone Burnett accepted solo. If he does that again, either Maury Yeston or Paul McCartney is going to jump up and grab the Oscar!

A Brangelina split? It would be a tabloid nirvana. The News of the World, which pays for stories and concocts them with ease, has Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie signing papers with a Hollywood divorce lawyer even though they’re not married. The splitting of six children and $400 million are the main subjects. Of course, then Brad will return to Jennifer Aniston and Angelina will add six more kids to the brood.

The tempting headlines for every week of 2010 are upon us.

Unfortunately it doesn’t ring true. Anything’s possible, but just on Friday night a very good friend of the couple’s who’s here in Sundance was chatting with me off the record about them. She talked about how much in love they are, and how affectionate they are with each other when the cameras aren’t on them. This actress is a smart cookie, so if Pitt and Jolie are really splitsville, she’ll be just as surprised as anyone.

Word to the wise: a couple of years ago the tabs launched a divorce attack on Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony. It went on and on, endlessly. They are still together, noticeably happy, and a family with twins. But at the time it sparked circulation for a group of magazines that really should be used for pet-cage lining. Buyer, beware.

The best film from Sundance this year so far? Nicole Holofcener’s “Please Give.” Unfortunately for headlines, it’s already taken by Sony Pictures Classics.

“Please Give,” if SPC handles it right, is bigger than it looks. A beautifully wrought serio-comedy, it stars Catherine Keener and Oliver Platt as a New York couple with too much money and a few problems even they don’t completely understand. Sarah Steele, of “Spanglish” fame, is lovely as their daughter. Rebecca Hall and Amanda Peet play an unsual pair of sisters who are intertwined in the couple’s lives through an unusual circumstance: Keener and Platt have bought their 91-year-old grandmother’s apartment–adjacent to theirs– and are waiting for her to die.

The grandmother is played with expert comic timing by veteran’Ann Morgan Guilbert, who is only 82 and is blissfully remembered as Millie Helper, Mary Tyler Moore and Dick Van Dyke’s neighbor in New Rochelle on the “Dick Van Dyke’Show.” She’s also played both Fran Drescher and Jerry Seinfeld’s grandmothers on TV.

Also featured is the great theatre and movie actress Lois Smith as a patient of Hall’s and the grandmother of her prospective boyfriend (Thomas Ian Nicholas.)

Holofcener has had three films at Sundance previously, the most recent was “Friends with Money” in 2006. None of them worked this well or were so completely formed. “Please Give” is really like a great, classic Woody Allen a la “Alice” or “Manhattan.” All the pieces fit together, and the characters are so well defined that each functions to deliver a satisfying outcome. Keener and Platt are ridiculously good.

The other interesting premieres from Friday included Joseph Gordon Levitt and Rainn Wilson in “Hesher,” a lively punk comedy about a semi-psychopath drifter who terrorizes yet helps a grieving family. The film is a hard swallow for older types, but should play with much success to a young (18-40) audience. The great Piper Laurie, who turned 78 yesterday, is a welcome surprise as Wilson’s mom. The real star of the’film is a’12-year-old named Devin Brochu, who seems indestructible as lots of bad things happen to him. Natalie Portman has a nice turn as a cashier who gets involved with this odd bunch.

And Josh Radnor from “How I Met Your Mother” has directed and written his first feature, called “HappyThankYouMorePlease.” He’s in every frame of the comedy, and you can tell he was completely earnest about it. The best performance comes from Malin Ackerman as his friend who’s suffering from alopecia. Not all of of “happy” makes sense, but it’s a genial story that shows Radnor has a lot of promise. The second characters, played by Zoe Kazan and Pablo Schreiber, actually turn out to be the most engaging.

More later on the parties and the show–there’s lots of each–and the slushing around Park City…

You can watch all the music performances from last night’s telethon, Hope for Haiti Now, at MTV.com.

My personal favorites: Sting’s “Driven to Tears” featuring Chris Botti; Stevie Wonder’s “A Time to Love” combined with Paul Simon’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (a nice tribute to Stevie’s long time Grammy “rival” Simon), Bruce Springsteen’s “We Shall Overcome,” and’Alicia Keys‘ opening number.’ Wyclef Jean, just back from Haiti, provided just the right gravity with “Rivers of Babylon” and “Yele.”

Jennifer Hudson’s rendition of Paul McCartney’s “Let it Be” was simply stunning. She told me later, “I’m just glad I didn’t forget the words!” It hardly the case. She looked gorgeous, and her voice soared. She is poised to be’a superstar of’the new decade.

Most of the numbers were spot on. There were some interesting choices,’however: ‘Madonna’s reedy’”Like a Prayer” with a huge gospel choir, and Justin Timberlake’s “Hallelujah,” which required accompaniment with someone named Matt Morris on vocals and keyboards. Talk about “live aid.”

Beyonce’s rendition of “Halo” with Chris Martin was a great showcase for her to prove she’s more than just hip hop. Shakira singing Chrissie Hynde’s Pretenders hit, “I’ll Stand By You” was just weird enough to work. Chrissie must have been very amused.

And the big collaboration featuring Bono, The Edge, Rihanna, and Jay Z:on’inspired and catchy. And cool. It was brave of them to’debut it on live on international TV.

In the end, George Clooney did something rather remarkable. We announced the idea of this telethon on January 14th. Clooney had only Sting at that point. In eight days, he created a world. All kudos to him. Now let’s hope the money, food and supplies get to the Haitian people.

Here are the newest additions to tomorrow night’s George Clooney telethon, “Hope for Haiti Now.”

Madonna will perform from New York. (God only knows which of her numbers would be appropriate for this.)

Beyonce will join the London artists, where husband Jay Z was already scheduled to perform with U2.

Former President Bill Clinton will appear, as well as Ben Stiller, Brad Pitt, Chris Rock, Clint Eastwood, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jon Stewart, Julia Roberts, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Nicole Kidman,Robert Pattinson, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hanks, and Will Smith with Muhammad Ali, whom’the actor portrayed in an Oscar nominated performance.’

Add those names to Sting, Wyclef Jean, Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, as well as Clooney, Anderson Cooper, and Haitian artist Emeline Michel. Two hours doesn’t seem like enough time, does it?

According to a press release, “Hope for HAiti Now” will be’taking donations as follows:

from’12:00 p.m. ET/9:00 a.m. PT on Friday, January 22 via:
”Online: www.hopeforhaitinow.org
”Phone: 877-99-HAITI
”Text: Text ‘GIVE’ to 50555
”Mail: Hope For Haiti Now Fund, Entertainment Industry Foundation,
1201 West 5th Street, Suite T-700, Los Angeles, CA 90017