Mark Ruffalo

TORONTO -- Is sex addiction real? It's the question that, in the wake of scandals involving Tiger Woods, Eliot Spitzer and others, drove Stuart Blumberg to co-write and direct "Thanks for Sharing," which debuted Saturday night to a raucous crowd at the Toronto International Film Festival. Starring Mark Ruffalo, Tim Robbins and "Book of Mormon's" Josh Gad as three men in various states of recovery from sex addiction, the film is the comedic version of last year's challenging "Shame," focusing more on the communal aspect of 12-step programs, rather than the behavior that leads people into those rooms in the first place.

Toronto - Lionsgate is on a buying spree. The company known most recently for its "Hunger Game" franchise has scooped up four new titles from the Toronto International Film Festival in the last 24 hours. In conjunction with its partner, Roadside Attractions, the studio has purchased Joss Whedon's "Much Ado About Nothing," the sex-addiction comedy "Thanks for Sharing," "Imogene," starring Kristen Wiig and Sarah Polley's documentary "The Stories We Tell. " All four films generated interest from a variety of buyers, but Lionsgate appears to be the most aggressive at this year's confab.

Exactly 10 years ago, Mark Ruffalo became the toast of Sundance when "You Can Count on Me" won the Grand Jury Prize for drama and went on to become one of the year's biggest art-house hits. His career took off from there, with roles in indie classics such as "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" to go along with the occasional studio paycheck (including this February's "Shutter Island" directed by Martin Scorsese). A decade later, the actor was again back in Park City as a lion of the festival -- and, briefly, as its punching bag. Sundance fortunes rise and fall, but rarely do they rise and fall during the same festival.

TORONTO -- Is sex addiction real? It's the question that, in the wake of scandals involving Tiger Woods, Eliot Spitzer and others, drove Stuart Blumberg to co-write and direct "Thanks for Sharing," which debuted Saturday night to a raucous crowd at the Toronto International Film Festival. Starring Mark Ruffalo, Tim Robbins and "Book of Mormon's" Josh Gad as three men in various states of recovery from sex addiction, the film is the comedic version of last year's challenging "Shame," focusing more on the communal aspect of 12-step programs, rather than the behavior that leads people into those rooms in the first place.

There is faith, the showy display of religiosity that is the trick-of-the-trade of faith healers, and then there is faith , a kind of belief in a transcendent reality. In a plain Hollywood church, both were on display last February, as actor-turned-director Mark Ruffalo finished filming on his directorial debut "Sympathy for Delicious," an unusual story about a jaded, homeless, paraplegic disc jockey, "Delicious" Dean O'Dwyer, who suddenly finds he has the power to heal, although he can't heal himself.

MAYBE it's just jealousy, but Mark Ruffalo's buddies tease him like he's a kid who suddenly caught the eye of all the popular girls in town. Since getting his big break opposite Laura Linney in "You Can Count on Me" in 2000, the 37-year-old darkly handsome actor has built an impressive list of movie performances as the sizzling love interest of some of Hollywood's hottest actresses. Consider: He's had steamy sex scenes in movies with Meg Ryan and Naomi Watts.

So here's Mark Ruffalo, fresh from his star-making turn as a moody slacker in the hit film "You Can Count on Me," winner of the best actor award at the Montreal Film Festival, young, gifted, ambitious and hot, hot, hot. What's his next big career move? Make a boffo Hollywood action pic? Go on Letterman to tout the six feature films he's working on with brand-name commodities like John Woo, Nicolas Cage, Robert Redford and Gwyneth Paltrow?

Witty, urbane and thoroughly entertaining, "The Kids Are All Right" is an ode to the virtues of family, in this case a surprisingly conventional one even with its two moms, two kids and one sperm donor. Whatever your politics, between peerless performances, lyrical direction and an adventurous script, this is the sort of pleasingly grown-up fare all too rare in the mainstream daze of this very dry summer. Before delving into the layered perfection of Annette Bening, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo, let's start by getting past any hesitations or reservations about the lesbian household premise on which "The Kids Are All Right" is based.

This post has been corrected. See below for details. We'll admit it -- here at the Ministry, we love a popularity contest. Especially in the case of "The Avengers," which boasts an all-star cast playing Marvel's beloved superheroes.  For those curious about which of the characters played by A-listers Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo and Chris Evans fans would most like to be, Facebook has taken...

Two people wanted in connection with the shooting that left actor Mark Ruffalo's brother in critical condition turned themselves in Monday afternoon, police said. Shaha Mishaal Adham, 26, and Brian Burton Scofield, who police said were "persons of interest" in last week's shooting of Scott Ruffalo, 39, surrendered to the Beverly Hills Police about 1:30 p.m., spokesman Tony Lee said in a news release. Adham was booked on suspicion of attempted murder and is being held without bail.

This post has been corrected. See below for details. We'll admit it -- here at the Ministry, we love a popularity contest. Especially in the case of "The Avengers," which boasts an all-star cast playing Marvel's beloved superheroes.  For those curious about which of the characters played by A-listers Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo and Chris Evans fans would most like to be, Facebook has taken...

Into the seemingly idyllic, if nontraditional, two-mom family world of "The Kids Are All Right" saunters trouble in the form of Mark Ruffalo. His rakish Paul, the family's heretofore anonymous sperm donor of the now teen children, brings the swaggering fun you'd expect from any motorcycle-riding, organic-fare restaurateur. Costar Julianne Moore said after all this female energy on the set, when you showed up, you were "über-male" and "all hairy and beardy," and all this male stuff came through.

Witty, urbane and thoroughly entertaining, "The Kids Are All Right" is an ode to the virtues of family, in this case a surprisingly conventional one even with its two moms, two kids and one sperm donor. Whatever your politics, between peerless performances, lyrical direction and an adventurous script, this is the sort of pleasingly grown-up fare all too rare in the mainstream daze of this very dry summer. Before delving into the layered perfection of Annette Bening, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo, let's start by getting past any hesitations or reservations about the lesbian household premise on which "The Kids Are All Right" is based.

Exactly 10 years ago, Mark Ruffalo became the toast of Sundance when "You Can Count on Me" won the Grand Jury Prize for drama and went on to become one of the year's biggest art-house hits. His career took off from there, with roles in indie classics such as "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" to go along with the occasional studio paycheck (including this February's "Shutter Island" directed by Martin Scorsese). A decade later, the actor was again back in Park City as a lion of the festival -- and, briefly, as its punching bag. Sundance fortunes rise and fall, but rarely do they rise and fall during the same festival.

There is faith, the showy display of religiosity that is the trick-of-the-trade of faith healers, and then there is faith , a kind of belief in a transcendent reality. In a plain Hollywood church, both were on display last February, as actor-turned-director Mark Ruffalo finished filming on his directorial debut "Sympathy for Delicious," an unusual story about a jaded, homeless, paraplegic disc jockey, "Delicious" Dean O'Dwyer, who suddenly finds he has the power to heal, although he can't heal himself.

Charles McNulty's article on the L.A. theater scene and the Hollywood connection ("Broadway Bound," May 3) missed the venue that really proves his point. Month after month, "The Play's the Thing" theater series presented by L.A. Theatre Works at the Skirball Cultural Center and broadcast on KPCC-FM and nationwide demonstrates the commitment of our greatest actors to perform and champion theater. L.A. Theatre Works subscribers regularly see the likes of Paul Giamatti, JoBeth Williams, Hilary Swank, Ed Asner, Hector Elizondo, Jimmy Smits, Mark Ruffalo, Laurence Fishburne, Kate Burton, Brian Cox, Neil Patrick Harris and many more of theater's most accomplished artists.

Three days after a shooting that left a man believed to be actor Mark Ruffalo's brother in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the head, police were looking Thursday for two "persons of interest" for questioning in what they called an attempted murder investigation. Police said they were looking for Brian Scofield and Shaha Mishaal Adham in connection with the investigation. Scott Ruffalo, a 39-year-old hairstylist, was hospitalized in serious condition after Monday's shooting, said Mark Ruffalo's publicist, Jessica Kolstad.

Charles McNulty's article on the L.A. theater scene and the Hollywood connection ("Broadway Bound," May 3) missed the venue that really proves his point. Month after month, "The Play's the Thing" theater series presented by L.A. Theatre Works at the Skirball Cultural Center and broadcast on KPCC-FM and nationwide demonstrates the commitment of our greatest actors to perform and champion theater. L.A. Theatre Works subscribers regularly see the likes of Paul Giamatti, JoBeth Williams, Hilary Swank, Ed Asner, Hector Elizondo, Jimmy Smits, Mark Ruffalo, Laurence Fishburne, Kate Burton, Brian Cox, Neil Patrick Harris and many more of theater's most accomplished artists.

A woman held in connection with the death of actor Mark Ruffalo's brother was released from the Beverly Hills jail after her attorney was able to convince police that his client was at the scene of the shooting but had nothing to do with it, the attorney said Wednesday. Scott Ruffalo, 39, was pronounced dead Monday night at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after suffering a single gunshot wound to the head Dec. 1 in his Beverly Hills apartment.

Two people wanted in connection with the shooting that left actor Mark Ruffalo's brother in critical condition turned themselves in Monday afternoon, police said. Shaha Mishaal Adham, 26, and Brian Burton Scofield, who police said were "persons of interest" in last week's shooting of Scott Ruffalo, 39, surrendered to the Beverly Hills Police about 1:30 p.m., spokesman Tony Lee said in a news release. Adham was booked on suspicion of attempted murder and is being held without bail.