Country Strong

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I

In the first half of the final chapter in the Harry Potter franchise, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are on the run from Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters. As the dark lord begins to wreak havoc on the magical world and the non-wizarding world, Harry and his friends must recover seven items called horcruxes in order to destroy Voldemort before it's too late. Though the film is a precursor to the grand finale, it received critical acclaim and proved to pack emotional punch and stunning visual effects. DVD extras include deleted scenes, featurettes, and a sneak peek at Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II.

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Country Strong

Gwyneth Paltrow takes her singing voice to the big screen once again as a country singer who tries to make a comeback after a stint in rehab. Unfortunately, she's got some competition in an up-and-coming starlet (Leighton Meester), but she gets some moral support from a handsome fellow singer (Garrett Hedlund). Tim McGraw rounds out the cast as Paltrow's husband but the talented cast can't overcome a cliched script. DVD extras include deleted scenes, music videos, and featurettes.

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Box office numbers were down over the holiday break, and the slump continued this weekend. The box office fell 30 percent from last weekend's tally, making it one of the worst first weekends of January since 2000. But at least there's good news for True Grit. The Western took in $15 million, making it the first Coen brothers film to pass the $100 million mark. It also pushed the film ahead of reigning champ Little Fockers for first place. Little Fockers slipped to second with $13.7 million, while the Nicolas Cage flick Season of the Witch debuted at third with $10.7 million.

Tron: Legacy took the fourth spot with $9.8 million, followed by Black Swan, which took in $13 million and cracked the top five for the first time. Though Gwyneth Paltrow's Country Strong went wide in more theaters this weekend, it wasn't enough to push the film to the top of the competition; it came in sixth with $7.3 million.

Leighton Meester looks red-hot, as Chiles Stanton, in Country Strong. Her studded western belt adds a taste of country to her flowing, fiery frock. With a dress this scorching, Chiles kept her accessories minimal, so we added some kickin' boots and misbehaving Nars lip gloss to finish off the look. Shop now to copy Chiles's sassy style.

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Leighton Meester, who plays Chiles Stanton in Country Strong, looks adorable and angelic in a white, tiered, strapless dress. From her gold heart pendant to her golden goddess makeup, Chiles knows how to wow a crowd. We've added a bag and shoes to make the look complete, so shop all of the key pieces here.

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Gwyneth Paltrow tests out her vocal chops as Kelly Canter in Country Strong. Not only is she singing, but she's also showing off her fashionable side in a blue-and-white plaid button-up, leather moto pants, and black knee-high boots. Her bushel of bracelets added more edge to her country-meets-city chic look. Mimic Kelly Canter's effortless ensemble with similar pieces here.

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Garrett Hedlund is clearly one to watch in 2011. The actor recently wrapped shooting On the Road alongside Kristen Stewart and debuts a pitch-perfect singing voice in Country Strong, which opens nationwide in theaters today. He attended a special screening of the film last night in NYC, but I had a chance to speak with Garrett in Beverly Hills in December as he kicked off his press duties. I also chatted with Gwyneth Paltrow and caught up with Leighton Meester at the junket. It was held the morning after the Hollywood premiere of Tron: Legacy, in which Garrett also stars, and he admitted to being a little overwhelmed by his burgeoning fame, talked about growing up on a farm, and sang the praises of his leading ladies. Check out Buzz's review of the film, and here's what he had to say:

PopSugar: What was it like working with Gwyneth and Leighton?
Garrett Hedlund: It was wonderful. We're so blessed to have these two. They've got such incredible voices, so that's one thing, but also, they're just so good. Gwyneth was so wonderful. From our very first scene, it was a tender moment, so we kind of really had to jump straight into it. She's such a beautiful person and wonderful actress. Sitting there and being able to work with her, and listen and respond accordingly, and just have the moments we got to have, was the opportunity of a lifetime and just surreal. I've been a fan of hers for a long time, and also with Leighton. From the moment I read with her I was very excited . . . because I thought she brought such a genuine believability to this character and such a cuteness. An undeniable cuteness.

PS: You've had an incredible run of success that's happened very quickly. What sort of pressure do you feel — or do you put it out of your mind?
GH: Last night was the most like that, I think. You know, walking down on Hollywood Boulevard, and the barricades being up and everybody roaring, was very similar to the experience that Beau [his character in Country Strong] had coming out of that concert. He's caught by surprise at people with his picture, wanting his autograph. That was the most similar feeling I've had, so I'm glad I got to act it before I experienced it.

PS: You've got two such different projects out right now, Tron and now this. Can you talk about the contrast?
GH: It's been a weird line of transitions, because for two years I was prepping for On the Road, so by the time I did Tron, I had to start a mass amount of training with capoeira, and parkour, and physical training, and motorcycles, and all the wire rigs. So the physicality came into play. The physical transition came in. And then, having wrapped that, going straight into the guitar and sitting back and feeling the soul of all these tunes and moving out to Nashville with the pulled pork . . . I ended up going up to 200 pounds for Country Strong. And after I finished, they said, "All right. Now you have five weeks before Tron reshoots." And then I had to lose 30 pounds to get back into the suit.

To find out what Garrett had to say about his days driving a tractor on the family farm, his "chaotic" year, and performing for a Nashville crowd, just read more

Opening today, Country Strong stars Gwyneth Paltrow as Kelly Canter, a country music singer struggling to overcome her addiction issues. The film is a must see for die-hard Paltrow fans (check out her guitar-strumming skills at the CMA awards), as well as the young country set.
In this scene, the always-pretty Paltrow lounges on a sturdy, wooden-framed bed that could be aptly described by the movie's title. If you're looking for a similar bed frame, go-to sources are Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn, which can both offer plenty of options in the country-strong bed category.

My favorite bed in this style, however, is the Room and Board Heartwood Bed ($1,600). It captures the feel of the bed Gwyneth is lounging upon, while avoiding the bulky mass of wood that the movie version suffers from. The Heartwood features Arts-and-Crafts-inspired lines and handcrafted, quality workmanship.

Check out some more country strong-style beds below!