The Help, which chronicled the experiences of black maids in the 1960s, and the comedy Jumping the Broom were honored at the NAACP Image Awards on Friday, and the life and career of Whitney Houston was celebrated with rousing gospel songs a week after the singer's untimely death.The box-office hit about black maids speaking out against their white employers in Mississippi in the early 1960s won best movie and acting awards for Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer. The film, Davis and Spencer have been nominated for Academy Awards.Davis said "The Help" was an important movie because "the maid hadn't been humanized before. I felt she remained a cardboard cut-out" before the movie was made.Jumping the Broom" also took home three award, for best actor Laz Alonso, Salim Akil and supporting actor Mike Epps.The two-hour ceremony recognizing the accomplishments of people of color was tinged with grief over the death on Saturday of Houston, best known for her hit song I W...

When R&B singer Chris Brown unleashed a Twitter post taunting detractors after his Grammy win last Sunday, he broke a rule that every Hollywood image builder knows don't show contempt for those who may be willing to forgive and forget.This week, the celebrity blogosphere, websites and media pundits have buzzed with commentary about whether Brown is truly remorseful for assaulting ex-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009.William Moran, who provides crisis management services for athletes and celebrities through New York firm McCarter & English, said there are three golden rules" embattled celebrities must remember.One, time heals all wounds," Moran told Reuters. "Two, winning solves most problems. Three, people are forgiving.Where the last rule is concerned, Moran said that showing remorse is a key factor and that is where Brown fell short.People are angry because he's being obstinate and not showing remorse," Moran said. "If he were my client, I would say that ...

In just a few short years, Bridgit Mendler has risen to become one of the Disney Channel's most popular stars thanks to the success of her series Good Luck Charlie and the Disney Channel original movie "Lemonade Mouth.On Friday, the 19-year old heads to the big screen, voicing the title character of the animated Disney film "The Secret World of Arrietty, and that has given rise to the idea Mendler may be the next Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez or Demi Lovato.
But Mendler, who was born in Washington, D.C. and raised outside of San Francisco, is quick to point out that she's her own person looking to expand her career in her own way.I'm not just following a trend. The Disney girls are presented with so many awesome opportunities that it's something to really take advantage of," she told Reuters.Arrietty" is based on Mary Norton's children's book series The Borrowers where a family of very tiny people live undetected underneath the floorboards of a country house, ...

Actress Marcia Gay Harden filed for divorce from husband Thaddaeus Scheel on Thursday after 15 years of marriage, said a spokeswoman for Harden.For the sake of the couple's three children, would like to request that the family's privacy be respected at this time, Harden's spokeswoman said in a statement. There was no further comment or details of the split.The Mystic River actress worked with her husband on the 1996 film drama The Spitfire Grill.The couple have three children, a 13-year-old daughter and 7-year-old twins.Harden, 52, won a best supporting actress Oscar for her role in "Pollock" in 2000, opposite Ed Harris, in the biographical drama about artist Jackson Pollock. She also won a Tony award in 2009 for her role in the Broadway production of God of Carnage.

Oscar winning documentary maker Kevin Macdonald has made what critics are calling the definitive biography of reggae legend Bob Marley, aided by the singer's family and record label who have given the project their blessing.The first authorised film of his life had its premiere at the Berlin film festival, and while questions about Marley remain, it goes some way to revealing the man behind the myth.I just felt like there weren't any good films about him and a lot of misinformation," Macdonald told Reuters this week.I wanted to make a very simple film. It's the most conventional film I think I ever made, very straight forward, just trying to be a detective and uncover the truth about his life and the truth about his character.Marley, too long for some reviewers at 144 minutes, features interviews with Marley's children, his wife Rita, friends and a former bandmate, as well as concert footage.And with his record label Island also on board, the soundtrack speaks for itself.The fi...

Meryl Streeps groaning awards cabinet is about to get fuller still on Tuesday when the Berlin film festival honours the American actress with an Honorary Golden Bear.The prize giving, at a special gala screening of "The Iron Lady", falls on Valentine's Day and two days after the 62-year-old picked up a BAFTA, Britain's top cinema honour, for her portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.Hollywood star Angelina Jolie also picked up an award in Berlin, receiving late on Monday the Cinema For Peace prize, which goes to film makers promoting the values of humanity.She has showcased her hard-hitting Bosnian war drama, "In the Land of Blood and Honey", at this year's festival, and was on the red carpet with partner Brad Pitt ahead of receiving the prize.This award ... is not just so we have a film that looks back, but a cast and a project that look forward to a more prosperous future in the region, and that is what we all really want," Jolie tol...

The body of pop superstar Whitney Houston was en route from Los Angeles to her New Jersey home on Monday ahead of funeral services there, as new details emerged about the death of the singer who had long battled drugs and alcohol.A plane owned by actor-producer Tyler Perry carrying the Grammy-winning singer's remains left a Los Angeles airport at mid-afternoon, about two days after she was found dead in a bathtub of her Beverly Hills hotel room.Family members were said to be also flying to New Jersey fora funeral and memorial, possibly on Friday in her hometown of Newark. A spokeswoman for Houston said plans for services were not yet complete.Beverly Hills Police earlier at a news conference to address media "rumors," said Houston's body had been found underwater in the bathtub but declined to speculate on the cause of her death at age 48.Ms. Houston was apparently discovered in the bathtub by a member of her personal staff," who called hotel security, Beverly Hills P...

Love story The Vow won the hearts of moviegoers with $51.4 million in global ticket sales over a pre-Valentine's Day weekend that featured stronger-than-expected performances from three new releases.The Vow," starring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum, took in $41.7 million at U.S. and Canadian theaters from Friday through Sunday in the biggest domestic opening so far this year, according to studio estimates compiled by Reuters on Sunday. Twenty international markets added $9.7 million, bringing the global total to $51.4 million.Action movie "Safe House" featuring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds took second place with an estimated $39.3 million domestically plus $10.2 million from 25 international markets. The worldwide total stood at $49.5 million.
The studios had projected domestic openings in the $20 million range for each of the top two finishers. To the surprise of industry executives, four movies topped $20 million each. That lifted the domestic weeke...

Rapper Jay Z and wife Beyonce unveiled highly-anticipated pictures of their new baby daughter Blue Ivy Carter on Friday, opting to post intimate family shots on social networking site Tumblr rather than selling them to the highest bidder.We welcome you to share in our joy. Thank you for respecting our privacy during this beautiful time in our lives,The Carter family posted on microblogging site Tumblr.The couple posted five photos which show the newborn, already sporting a head of long black hair, being cuddled by her proud parents and capturing intimate moments of family life.Baby Blue Ivy, born on January 7 in New York, has been shielded from the public by Jay Z and Beyonce until now. The couple shunned the popular celebrity choice to unveil their offspring in lucrative magazine deals and opted to make the pictures available at no cost on the Internet.Former Destiny's Child singer Beyonce, 30, and Watch The Throne rapper Jay-Z, 42, married in 2008, and Blue Ivy is their first chil...

Eat your heart out, Madonna. When it comes to career reinvention, Dwayne The Rock Johnson wins hands-down.First, the college football champion transitioned into professional wrestling and his alter ego, "The Rock, became a huge star on the World Wrestling Entertainment circuit. Then Johnson parlayed that success into a movie career, starring in such action hits as Walking Tall,Gridiron Gang and "Be Cool, before moving into family comedies such as "Tooth Fairy.His newest film opening on Friday, "Journey 2 The Mysterious Island", is another comedy about family relationships and a trip to a mythical island with gigantic creatures hungry for a human supper. Along with the movie, Warner Bros. is showing a short film, Daffy's Rhapsody, aiming to introduce a new set of kids to the studio's lovable Looney Tunes cartoons.Johnson spoke to Reuters about making the 3D film, working with veteran Michael Caine, his ukulele playing and possible new career as a singer. Ther...