As you approach the 233rd anniversary of our bold nation's independence, pause for a moment and reflect on the things that make it great. And if you need help, look no further than Movieline's handy Week in Review, as trenchant a glimpse into the agony, ecstasy and honor of American life as you're likely to find anywhere. At least until next week.
· The Michael Jackson tragedy hit its sad, sordid stride as Brett Ratner, Jane Fonda and tiger-whisperer Tippi Hedren all contributed their memories. We got a glimpse at his final concert rehearsal and the deadly drug found at his home. And as if all that wasn't enough, Ann Curry made her viewers do Jackson Algebra.
· On the night of MJ's death (and his own Bruno premiere), Sacha Baron Cohen mourned MJ the only he knew how: a lap dance for Conan O'Brien. Meanwhile, our blue-ribbon panel of gay editors broke down Bruno itself; if only they'd known about that original gay-bashing ending before their chat.
· More reasons to mourn: Fred Travalena and Karl Malden died. And Kevin Jonas got engaged.
· Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen took in the second-best five-day opening gross in history -- which didn't really make Megan Fox feel any better about being in it.
· Hurt Locker co-star Anthony Mackie dropped by for a candid chat about war films. Filmmaker Alexis Dos Santos, meanwhile, told us all about threesomes. And we welcomed Paulo Costanzo as out latest subject of The Verge.
· If kids weren't jumping on trampolines in the name of Scientology, then they were giving Katherine Heigl an orgasm in the name of selling The Ugly Truth.
· Craig Mazin contributed this week's One-Page Screenplay, That Explains That, while The Cold Case caught up with Hugo Weaving about his 1991 breakthrough Proof.
· Bad news: Moneyball is all but dead at Sony. Good news: Harvey Weinstein won't get to review it.
· We handed down Two-Minute Verdicts for The Invention of Lying, Couples Retreat, The Informant, and Amelia.
· Arnold Schwarzenegger may not have come off that well in his deleted Terminator: Salvation cameo, but at least he wasn't humiliated like Mama Odie.
· In a special series, we journeyed to the arty inner sanctum of the Sundance Labs, where program director Michelle Satter, filmmaker Elgin James, actress Alia Shawkat and mentor Michael Lehmann walked us through their experiences. Stay tuned for tomorrow's final installment featuring a pair of accomplished alumni. And have a great holiday!