Colin Firth

The producers of "Where the Truth Lies," a film with Kevin Bacon, Colin Firth and Alison Lohman that is due to premiere at the Toronto Film Festival next week, have lost an appeal to change its explicit rating, a development that will severely limit its distribution in the U.S. The Motion Picture Assn. of America gave the film, which contains several explicit sex scenes, a rare NC-17 rating about a month ago. The rating means no one age 17 and under can see the film in theaters.

Conventional wisdom says the races in the top Oscar categories are all but locked. Colin Firth and Natalie Portman will win the leads, Christian Bale and Melissa Leo provide the support and "The King's Speech" cleans up for picture and director. But judging from how the three academy members we polled ? a writer, an actor and a director, all men ? marked their ballots, upsets could still occur. Which is why, of course, we tune in on Oscar night. Because in that moment between the opening of the envelope and the winner being announced, anything remains possible.

Hot to talk about: the finale of "Top Chef"? Kevin, FTW. (No, that's not a spoiler. It's a hunch. I wouldn't be upset if Mike pulled off an upset though. He can be cocky, but I rather like watching him concoct all sorts of delicious-looking craziness.) (Wednesday) Please do talk about: "A Single Man" Not since Mr. Darcy has Colin Firth been so extraordinary. The film, a potent examination of regret, heartbreak and desire from fashion designer-turned-director Tom Ford, follows a single day in the life of George (Colin Firth)

Few 18th century authors have achieved the modern popular success that Jane Austen now enjoys. Her novels are always in print, and in the last decades they have been adapted into films and television miniseries, from "Sense and Sensibility," "Emma," Persuasion" and "Mansfield Park" to perhaps her best-known work, "Pride and Prejudice. " Now the story of the Bennet sisters has been adapted for the stage by Joseph Hanreddy and J.R. Sullivan for a South Coast Repertory production that begins previews Friday and opens Sept.

"Femme Fatale" (at the AFI USA Independent Showcase at the Monica 4-Plex) couldn't be deadlier. A boyish-looking forest ranger/artist (Colin Firth) comes upon a young woman (Lisa Zane) enjoying the scenery, offers her shelter for the night, and they swiftly fall in love. She then vanishes almost immediately after their wedding. Just as speedily, the film becomes as dogged as the ranger's search, which takes him to Los Angeles, where his bride said she's from.

Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth have a new little cowboy in the house. The couple welcomed a baby boy named Tennessee James on Thursday in Los Angeles.  "Both mom and baby are healthy and the entire family is thrilled," Witherspoon's rep said in statement. PHOTOS: Hollywood baby boom This is the first child for the 36-year-old "This Means War" star and her talent agent husband, whom she wed last year. Witherspoon has two children, Ava and Deacon, from a previous marriage to actor Ryan Phillippe.  Little Tennessee is already well acquainted with his mom's job: Witherspoon filmed "Devil's Knot" alongside Colin Firth while pregnant.  "I'm going to take a little time off - and go have a baby!"

In THE HBO series "Big Love," Amanda Seyfried plays the eldest daughter in a polygamist family of one husband and three wives. In the lavish new musical "Mamma Mia!," based on the long-running Broadway hit, she plays the only daughter of one mother and one of three boyfriends. In the movie that features the music of '70s band ABBA as prominently as any of its stars, Seyfried plays Sophie, the daughter of single mom Donna (Meryl Streep), who operates a small hotel on a beautiful Greek island.