Reese Witherspoon

Nothing important escapes the attention of a certain type of Southern girl, that smart and steely magnolia draped in cascades of velvety grace. She knows what she wants when she sees it and goes right for the object of her desire. Even an unplanned pregnancy has not derailed Reese Witherspoon. Although she has embraced motherhood as her most important career, she's not about to give up on the movies--for her, having it all is not too much to ask.

Scott Sterling, the 32-year-old son of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, died as a result of a pulmonary embolism and  "narcotic medication intake" in what Los Angeles County coroner's officials classified as an accidental death, authorities said Monday. Sterling was found dead in his apartment on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu on New Year's night. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials quickly determined his death did not involve foul play but appeared to involve some type of drug overdose.

It's the summer read everyone is talking about. Gillian Flynn's third novel "Gone Girl" with its equally unreliable narrators, witty pop culture references and thrilling plot has been atop the bestseller list for the last nine weeks. Twentieth Century Fox has adapted it for the screen with Reese Witherspoon's production company leading the charge. The 36-year old actress is already attached to star in the film, and Flynn is writing the first draft. Yet is the "Walk the Line" actress the best person to play the tightly-wound protagonist Amy, who mysteriously disappears at the beginning of the novel?

Who can resist those snappy little personality quizzes? Somehow it feels as though some great mystery about ourselves will be revealed, though it never is. Still, you might have been spending a lot of time wondering whether you're an Adelie sort of penguin or a Chinstrap. The people at Pew Charitable Trusts' environmental group seemingly have been aware of how many sleepless nights you've had pondering this very issue, so they came up with a Penguin Personality Quiz . The official reason is that Thursday is World Penguin Day -- because of course every month, every week, every day, is named for something, and I'm not just talking about the sun, the moon and Norse gods.

There's no dispute that Reese Witherspoon no longer plans to star in "Bunny Lake Is Missing." But some people associated with the movie are challenging the reasons given for why the movie fell apart. Earlier this week, the actress told filmmakers she was opting out of the project, which was scheduled to begin production in five weeks.

"Oh my goodness. I never thought I'd be here in my whole life, growing up in Tennessee," Reese Witherspoon said, holding the Oscar statuette she'd just received for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in "Walk the Line." Frankly, Reese, it didn't much surprise anyone else. Even Charlize Theron, nominated in the same category for "North Country," told the press, "I love Reese, and it's definitely her year....

The Obama family wore festive holiday dress to the "Christmas in Washington" concert Sunday night. [The Cut] Lea Michele flaunts her sex appeal on the cover of the January edition of Marie Claire (on newsstands Dec. 18) and in the interview talks about her rumored feud with Kate Hudson, dating co-star Cory Monteith and finally being comfortable showing off her breasts in L.A. [Marie Claire] Portraits of Jessica Chastain grace four different covers of W's annual arts issue, out this week.

Don't look for Max Baucus in a new edition of “Profiles in Courage.” My colleague Jon Healey on Tuesday lamented the effect that the Montana Democratic senator's decision to not seek reelection in 2014 will have on an overhaul of the tax code. But my issue with Baucus is far less complex; in fact, I just wonder one thing: Why couldn't Baucus throw us gun control advocates a bone on his way out the door? Recall that last week, Baucus was one of four Democratic senators who voted against extending background checks on gun purchases.

She's single, she's undergone a glamorous red carpet makeover, and now she's unemployed. Just weeks before Reese Witherspoon was to star and produce "Bunny Lake Is Missing," the "Walk the Line" Oscar winner has abruptly pulled out of the movie and the production has been shut down indefinitely. Joe Carnahan ("Smokin' Aces") was on board to direct the remake of the 1965 Otto Preminger film about an American woman whose daughter goes missing from a new nursery school in England.