Hot Doc a Day: 'Becoming Chaz'

Hot Docs, North America's biggest documentary film festival, kicks off its 2011 run on April 28 in Toronto. Jam-packed with documentaries running through May 8,Moviefone Canadawill be there from start to finish, offering up looks at some of the festival's noted films.

Chaz Bonois a man.

This wasn't always the case. Gender transition is examined emotionally, spiritually and physically in the stellar documentary 'Becoming Chaz,' which captures the final moments of Sonny and Cher's daughter -- before she becomes their son.

The film joins Chaz and girlfriend Jennifer well into the process. What once was a lesbian couple now find themselves realizing the complications that come with transitioning. Jennifer is an amazing supporter with a great sense of humor about a new regime of surgeries, testosterone injections and weight gain -– but what about living with a man?

The first 30 minutes of 'Becoming Chaz' deals specifically with breast-removal surgery. Borrowing money, the couple sticks together through consultations and pre-surgery prep. Surprisingly, Bono lets directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato capture some of the most intimate moments of the procedure. Back home and healing, an odd selection of little dogs and hairless cats keep Chaz and Jennifer company, while an amazing group of supporters surround the unconventional couple.

As testosterone treatment continues to produce changes in Chaz's attitude and body, Jennifer wonders if their relationship can survive. Both have suffered from substance abuse, which rears its head again through portions of the doc.

Family members and friends come to terms with the transition, and some are thrilled ... but what does Mom think? Cher gives a down-to-earth and revealing interview in the film, with commentary about her thoughts added later by Chaz. She is candid about her reservations with the public nature of the transition, and reminisces about her little girl, but ultimately proves to be a supporter.

The film focuses on Chaz, but takes a few side trips to profile some of the not-so-famous members of the trans community. A slightly jarring segment on bottom surgery, the groups who support trans children, and a trans convention all help to round out coverage on the broader subject.

There is a lot of charm in 'Becoming Chaz.' Bono is a celebrity by genetics and as he ringleads the media circus around his announcement, it is easy to see how others would lose their cool over sophomoric interview questions and flashy commentary (that is insensitive at best). Instead he sticks to a relatively simple message that he has always felt like a man, and is now living out his reality.

Spending time with Chaz Bono in this doc, while a specific example, will help people buy into the idea that transitioning is a real thing for real people. I, for one, left the film feeling that Chaz really is one of the guys.

Following the festival circuit, the doc will get a true litmus test when it's screened on the Oprah Winfrey Network later this year.

Screenings:
Sunday, May 8, 6:45PM– TIFF Bell Lightbox 2

For complete schedule and movie listings, visit theHot Docs website.

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Steven Spielberg Adds More Cast Members to 'Lincoln'

Steven Spielberg is amassing his troops for his upcoming, massive biopic of Abraham Lincoln titled, appropriately enough, 'Lincoln.'The Hollywood Reporterreports that Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hal Holbrook, James Spader, John Hawkes, Tim Blake Nelson, Bruce McGill and Joseph Cross are in negotiations to join the DreamWorks picture.

'Lincoln' is shaping up to be an Academy Award skewing project, with Daniel Day-Lewis playing the 16th president of the United States and Sally Field as his wife, Mary Todd.

Jones will play Thaddeus Stevens, a Republican leader and congressman from Pennsylvania, who was a staunch abolitionist. Gordon-Levitt will play Robert Todd Lincoln, the president's eldest son.

'Lincoln' is based on 'Team of Rivals' by Doris Kearns Goodwin, which centered"on the political collision of Lincoln and the powerful men of his cabinet on the road to abolition and the end of the Civil War."Tony Kushner is adapting the work.

Other actors joining the project -- which will shoot this fall in Virginia for a late 2012 release via Disney's Touchstone label -- include David Costabile, Byron Jennings, Dakin Matthews, Boris McGiver, Gloria Reuben, Jeremy Strong and David Warshofsky.

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Former Child Star Jackie Cooper Dies at Age 88

Jackie Cooper, the first child actor to receive an Academy Award nomination and the gruff editor in the four Christopher Reeve 'Superman' films, has died at age 88.

Cooper died Tuesday at a convalescent home in Santa Monica."He just kinda died of old age,"his attorney, Roger Licht, told Reuters."He wore out."

Thanks to the Hal Roach 'Our Gang' comedies, the actor was the most widely recognized child star of the early 1930s and so popular he was known as"America's Boy."

Cooper acted in 15 'Our Gang' short films between 1929 and 1931 before his uncle, director Norman Taurog, cast him in the title role in'Skippy.'Cooper received his first Oscar nomination for the role at age 9 and is still the youngest performer to be nominated for Best Actor.

He went on to star opposite Wallace Berry in three films, the most famous being 'The Champ' (1931) and 'Treasure Island' (1934).

As he grew older, he found parts harder to come by and, after a wartime stint in the Navy, eventually left Hollywood for Broadway.

While in New York, he worked in live TV as actor, producer and director of 'The People's Choice,' in which he played a city councilman with a talking basset hound, and 'Hennesey,' as a naval medical officer.

In the 1960s, he transitioned behind the scenes to serve as vice president of program development at Columbia Pictures Television. He began to direct episodic TV, wining Emmys for his work on 'M*A*S*H' and 'The White Shadow.'

He returned to the big screen in 1978 as Perry White, editor of the Daily Planet, in 'Superman,' a role he reprised in the three sequels.

He retired from showbiz in 1989, saying,"I'm 67 and worked 64 years."Soured by his experiences as a child actor, Cooper discouraged his four children from acting.

{viaThe Hollywood Reporter}

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Rachel Weisz Gets Witchy Role in 'Oz' Prequel

There's two talented actresses so woefully underused in lead roles that it's a scandal. One is Carla Gugino, who brightens every film she's in, even in a supporting role. The other isRachel Weisz,who brought her talent and good looks to 'The Mummy' franchise, 'The Constant Gardner' and 'The Lovely Bones,' among others, and is now, thankfully, in negotiations for a very, very meaty role: Evanora, one of the evil witches in Disney's'Oz: The Great and Powerful.'

The prequel of sorts to 'The Wizard of Oz,' directed bySam Raimi,already has James Franco and Mila Kunis on board in key roles.

Franco plays a snake oil salesman who has to flee a traveling circus and escapes in a balloon that is whisked by a tornado to an enchanted land. There he gets involved with two powerful, witchy sisters: Evanora, the older of the two, who wants to rule the land (as the Wicked Witch of the East) and who is trying to seduce her sister, Theodora (Kunis), into becoming the Wicked Witch of the West.

No release date has yet been set, but if production begins in July as anticipated, Disney may shoot for an early 2013 date.

{viaVariety,The Hollywood Reporter}

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Director Robert Zemeckis to Return to Live-Action Filmmaking With 'Replay'

Robert Zemeckis, the visionary director behind classics like 'Back to the Future,' 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit?' and 'Forrest Gump,' is closing in on his first live-action film since 2000's 'Cast Away' with the Warner Bros. thriller 'Replay,' according toVulture.

Zemeckis has spent the last decade working on elaborate motion-capture animated films like 'The Polar Express,' 'Beowulf' and 'A Christmas Carol.' He's had some success in the genre -- the three films have grossed over $400 million domestically -- but it's nice to see him return to working with flesh-and-blood performers. Zemeckis's work with Tom Hanks, for example, has brought the actor two Oscar nominations (for 'Forrest Gump' and 'Cast Away') and one win ('Gump').

The director had been attached to the Paramount drama 'Flight,' which was to star Denzel Washington. But with Washington not yet signed on for 'Flight' and currently filming 'Safe House,' it seems likely Zemeckis will move forward with 'Replay' first and return to 'Flight' later.

Based on the bestselling 1987 novel by Ken Grimwood, 'Replay' tells the story of 43-year-old radio journalist Jeff Winston who dies of a heart attack in 1988 only to reawaken as an 18-year-old in 1963. When Winston wakes up, he retains everything he learned in the 25 years between his days as an Emory University student and his death. Though he always dies in 1988, each time Winston wakes up in the sixties, he can make different choices, resulting in different spouses, children and jobs. Thing become even more twisted when Winston discovers that he may not be the only one this phenomenon is happening to.

Cinema Blendnotes that Zemeckis has only made three films in the last decade and that filming 'Replay' and 'Flight' back-to-back seems out of character for the filmmaker. However, the three films he has completed ('Polar Express,' 'Beowulf' and 'Carol') have all been costly motion-capture films that take a great deal of time to produce. Zemeckis has also been at the forefront of creating the new technology necessary to film in that format.

While he is known to take his time, often for the sake of special effects and technological innovation, Zemeckis can turn out two massive films in short order when he puts his mind to it. The director shot his 2000 film 'Cast Away' in two parts and took a year-long break in the middle of production so Tom Hanks could lose over 50 pounds to portray a man who had been stranded on a desert island for several years. During the break, he used the same crew to film the entirety of his hit ghost movie 'What Lies Beneath.'

The result? 'Cast Away' went on to gross over $409 million worldwide and 'What Lies Beneath' pulled in $155 million in the U.S. and another $136 million overseas.

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Lee Pace Joins 'The Hobbit,' Unknown Fills Vacant Dwarf Role

'Pushing Daisies'Lee Pacewill soon be fitted for a pair of pointed ears and a lovely, long wig: The actor's just agreed to join the'The Hobbit'as Elven King Thranduil.

"Casting these Tolkien stories is very difficult, especially the Elven characters,"director Peter Jackson announced."Lee has always been our first choice for Thranduil. He's going to be great. We loved his performance in a movie called 'The Fall' a few years ago, and have been hoping to work with him since. When we were first discussing who would be right for Thranduil, Lee came into mind almost immediately."

Thranduil happens to be the father of Legolas, the character (we don't need to tell you) played by Orlando Bloom in the 'Lord of the Rings' films.

Jackson tweeted the news on his Facebook page, along with the casting of Kiwi actor Dean O'Gorman as Fili, who's replacing Rob Kazinsky.
"Dean's a terrific Kiwi actor, who I am thrilled to be working with. He's recently been in an excellent TV series down here called 'The Almighty Johnsons' and I should let fans of that show know that our shooting schedule allows Dean to continue with a second series next year,"Jackson posted."Dean will be joining us next week."

Pace can be seen as Garrett in parts one and two of 'Breaking Dawn.' He was also in 'Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day,' 'A Single Man' and 'The Good Shepherd.'

'The Hobbit' will be released as two films in 2012 and 2013.

{ViaEmpire Online}

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Today on indieWIRE: Edward Burns Talks Indie Film, Tribeca Doles Out Awards& More

Today onindieWIRE:Edward Burns talked indie filmmaking,'L'amour fou'director talked fashion and Tribeca dolled out awards.

• Tribeca Film Festival vet and indie stalwartEdward Burnsstopped by the Apple Store in SoHo for Apple and indieWIRE's"Meet the Tribeca Filmmaker"series to talk about his low-budgeted romantic dramedy,'Newlyweds,'which is closing the festival on Saturday.

Lisa Aschan's 'She Monkeys'(Apflickorna) andAlma Har'el's 'Bombay Beach'topped theTribeca Film Festival Jury Awardson Thursday night in New York. For the full list of winners click here.

• Oliver Stonedropped down in San Francisco for the city by the bay's International Film Festival to accept the Founder's Directing Award. After a career-highlights clip reel, Stone and journalist David D'Arcy took the stage for an informal Q&A.

• indieWIREwason the sceneat the event to report on the festival standouts.

• "Automobile junkies and environmentalists are likely to embrace the movie with the same excitement they brought the first one, although since it doesn't reveal a lot of new information,"wroteindieWIRE criticEric Kohnof'Revenge of the Electric Car,'the follow-up to the 2006 documentary 'Who Killed the Electric Car.' The film earned a B from Kohn.

• 'L'amour fou'directorPierre Thorettoncaught up withindieWIREduring Tribeca to discuss his Yves Saint Laurent documentary.

• Gregory Peck'svisagewas honored Friday with the unveiling of his Hollywood Legends Forever Stamp.Thompson on Hollywoodwas on the scene to cover the who's who of attendees gathering at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Samuel Goldwyn Theatre to remember Peck.

• Thompson on Hollywoodgot in the spirit ofthe Royal Weddingand rounded up photo and video highlights from Friday's big event. Click here to admire that dress just one more time.

• It looks likeSteven Soderbergh'sretirement plans may have gotten pushed back. The ever-busy director has signed on to direct'Magic Mike,' Channing Tatum'spassion projectabout his early days as a stripper.The Playlistreported on Soderbergh's surprising decision to get back in the saddle one more time.

• When 'The High Cost of Living'hits theaters in May, audiences will witnessZach Braff's dark side.The Playlistsat down with Braff to talk over his decision to play a drug dealer who unwittingly causes the loss of a woman's child."The challenge with me was calling myself on my bullshit go-to acting comfort zones,"said Braff,"and really try to throw that out the window and start new."

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