Ellen Barkin

Glee creator Ryan Murphy is expanding his television empire with another envelope-pushing series. Tonight, he's debuting a new half-hour comedy on NBC that's a bit more grown-up than the teen musical: The New Normal, about a gay couple trying to find a surrogate.

• What it's about: Committed couple Bryan (Andrew Rannells) and David (Justin Bartha) want to add a tiny new member to their family. Though they would provide a loving and stable home, they're having trouble finding the right surrogate. Enter Goldie (Georgia King), a doe-eyed single mom whose cheating husband has left her looking for a major life change.
• Where it works: The cast is solid; Ellen Barkin is the strongest link as Goldie's brazenly intolerant grandmother, and I was surprised by how well Bartha and Rannells (hot off his gig on Girls) mesh as the fathers-to-be. I was skeptical about the decision to have NeNe Leakes play Bryan's cheeky personal assistant, but I have to admit that I enjoyed her performance.
• Where it doesn't: Goldie's naiveté is a bit unbelievable for someone who had a baby as a teenager. I'm not saying all teen moms have to be jaded, but her idealistic mentality gets grating.
• When it's on: Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. on NBC
• You might like this show if: You've been waiting to see a more progressive comedy on network TV.

Check out a preview of The New Normal after the jump.

There's something very entertaining about watching a messed up family act out their craziness onscreen, and the dark comedy Another Happy Day has dysfunction to spare. Bitter exes Lynn (Ellen Barkin) and Paul (Thomas Haden Church) are forced to interact when their oldest son gets married, and the problems of their other children, including Kate Bosworth and Ezra Miller, are brought up during the festivities (think drug problems and rehab stints). Meanwhile, Lynn has to confront her distaste for her ex-husband's current wife, played by Demi Moore.

The trailer has a sinister tone to it (I blame the intense music playing over the family spats), but there are some funny one-liners delivered by up-and-coming actor Miller, who already appears to be the standout from the preview alone. Decide for yourself when you watch the red-band trailer for Another Happy Day, after the jump

The cast of Money Never Sleeps wrapped up their afternoon press obligations and got black-tie ready for their big premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Lovebirds Carey Mulligan and Shia LaBeouf kept their distance on the red carpet, as he stuck with Michael Douglas and she posed with Josh Brolin. Despite recent speculation on the state of Josh's marriage, his wife, Diane Lane, was out this evening to support his latest big-screen endeavor.

Kate Beckinsale put on her latest show-stopping dress to take in Shia and Carey's movie as a juror. Salma Hayek was once again with husband Francois-Henri Pinault, this time clad in a gown matching the red carpet. BFFs Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna, meanwhile, joined young actors Christopher and Gerardo Ruiz-Esparza for a screening of Abel. The project is Diego's directorial debut, while Gael served as producer. Gael also has Letters to Juliet hitting theaters this weekend, and we recently caught up with him to discuss love letters and eating well — make sure to check out Buzz's review.

To see more from Cannes just read more

Familial relationships are often ripe for dramatic conflict and a few sniffles, and Happy Tears positions itself as such. Jayne (Parker Posey) and Laura (Demi Moore) are sisters who visit their father Joe (Rip Torn), a perverted yet somehow charming old man suffering from a serious case of dementia. Like many movie siblings, they're polar opposites: Jayne is the spoiled younger sister who lives in La La Land; Laura is more practically minded and down to earth.

Their bond (and sometimes hatred) often feels real (hey, they even look like sisters!) and could have made for a nice, simple drama on its own. Instead, the film gets lost in the midst of imagined sequences in Jayne's mind, making you wonder what kind of film Happy Tears really is. A sweet drama? A dark comedy? An art house film? As one of the dream scenes takes a naked Jayne flying on a giant jellyfish, I found myself wishing that the film had just stayed grounded.

For more on what I mean, read more

Matt Damon spent his Friday night hard at work on The Adjustment Bureau in NYC. He was joined by Emily Blunt for the late shoot, and his Ocean's Thirteen costar Ellen Barkin even dropped by to say hello. Matt's currently all about his film project, but he took a little time last week to speak about his ONEXONE charity at the Clinton Global Initiative. He'll also be showing up to promote his organization on the season finale of Entourage, and a recently leaked video from the set shows an enraged-acting Matt telling off Adrian Grenier's Vince — check out the video below.

For additional photos of Matt, Ellen and Emily read more