Derek Luke

As chief executive of Universal's Focus Features, James Schamus knows firsthand what his awards nominees feel because he's been there himself. Schamus' longtime collaboration with director Ang Lee gave him best screenplay and best song nominations for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," and a best picture nomination in last year's Oscars for "Brokeback Mountain." He lost each time.

Audiences ignored critics and propelled "Just Married" to the top of the weekend box office with $18 million, according to studio projections released Sunday. Starring Ashton Kutcher of "That '70s Show" and his real-life girlfriend, Brittany Murphy, the film about mismatched newlyweds on a disastrous European honeymoon was one of three romantic comedies in the top 10 (which, due to ties, actually involved 12 films). The others were "Two Weeks Notice" and "Maid in Manhattan."

The Early Show (N) 7 a.m. KCBS Today Mika Brzezinski. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC KTLA Morning News (N) 7 a.m. KTLA Good Morning America India.Arie performs; author Elizabeth Gilbert; Teri Hatcher. (N) 7 a.m. KABC Good Day L.A. (N) 7 a.m. KTTV Live With Regis and Kelly Jenna Elfman; pilot Chesley B. Sullenberger. (N) 9 a.m. KABC The View Maggie Gyllenhaal; Mary J. Blige performs. 10 a.m. KABC The Doctors The doctors quiz audience members.

Films about women searching for meaning in their lives dominated the top nominations for the 2003 IFP Independent Spirit Awards announced Wednesday morning. "Lovely and Amazing," "Far From Heaven," and "The Good Girl," each starring female leads in complex, emotional performances, received the most nominations. In addition to those films, best picture nominees were "Secretary" and "Tully."

"Lions FOR LAMBS" has some interesting points it wants to make about the collective complicity of everyone -- cynical politicians, lazy reporters, apathetic students, self-satisfied baby boomer intellectuals -- in the failure of the Iraq war, so it pairs a cynical politician with a lazy reporter, an apathetic student with Robert Redford (he makes a very unconvincing professor), and has them make them.

The American Society of Cinematographers and the NAACP Image Awards both announced their nominations Wednesday for the best of 2008. The ASC awards cover feature film, while the Image Awards nominations span movies, TV, music and literature. For the second consecutive year, Roger Deakins earned double nominations for the ASC's outstanding achievement award. Deakins received nominations for his work on two period films: "Revolutionary Road" and "The Reader."

"Once there was this one day," a struggling April says, trying to explain Thanksgiving to a family of immigrant Chinese, "where everyone seemed to know they needed each other. This one day when they knew for certain they couldn't do it alone." At least that's the idea, the Hallmark card notion of a holiday when stresses fall away and love reigns supreme.