William H Macy

Oscar nominee John Hawkes is already generating award season buzz for his performance as a man crippled by childhood polio in The Sessions. Now grown, Mark (Hawkes) is seeking the help of a professional sexual surrogate (Helen Hunt) who will assist him in losing his virginity. At the persuasion of his nurse, a nervous Mark concedes to the idea and even gets the blessing of his priest (William H. Macy), who assures him that God will give him "a free pass on this one."

The Sessions premiered back in January at the Sundance Film Festival and has already been lauded as a crowd-pleaser and critical favorite. I was prepared for this to be a total downer, but the trailer hints that there's as much comedy as reality in this sweet, if not slightly uncomfortable, film. The Sessions opens in limited release on Oct. 26, and you can watch the trailer after the jump.

After films like Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Surfer Dude, and Fool's Gold, Matthew McConaughey hasn't exactly had the best track record as of late. So can a movie about a money-grubbing lawyer with a license plate that reads "NTGUILTY" actually be the way to break his pattern of bad movies? The answer is yes: The Lincoln Lawyer is an entertaining thriller that does more than put the actor's charm on display.

Based on the novel by Michael Connelly, the film centers on Mick Haller (McConaughey), a smooth-talking criminal attorney who's a hustler to his core. He represents the underbelly of LA — bikers, prostitutes, druggies — and his methods of doing business are anything but conventional. Instead of an office, Mick prefers to work from his car (a Lincoln town car per the title) where he wheels and deals. As one character remarks, Mick would've done pretty well for himself on the streets; he knows whose palm to grease to get what he wants whether it's a photographer with valuable video or a local cop. That may make Mick sound like a two-dimensional sleazeball and sometimes he is, but there's also more to him than meets the eye.

Find out more about why the film is worth seeing when you read more

Shameless, Showtime's new comedy about a family that's just barely getting by in the Chicago projects, hit up the Winter TCA today. Star William H. Macy, who plays alcoholic patriarch Frank, chatted with costars Emmy Rossum and Justin Chatwin and the series' producers about their characters and the tone of the midseason TV offering.

• As downtrodden as Shameless can seem in its portrayal of a low-income family with an often-absent father, executive producer John Wells says that it's "really about a loving family." It shows how "people find ways to survive," and the sympathy and empathy they have for each other. Rossum ascertains that "these aren't people who feel sorry for themselves," and that they're "can-do people with a positive attitude." On that note, the producers said that there's an upcoming episode where we'll find out how the Gallaghers are able to live in their house.
• Macy was extremely enthusiastic about his character Frank, calling it the "role of the century," and playfully adding that "it sure is fun to play someone who's toasted all the time." Besides the character, Macy said he was attracted to the show for its great writing, adding that the cast is sometimes surprised by how outrageous the scripts are: "It stops us on the set every once in a while," adding "we just think 'that's shameless.'"
• Rossum also credited her character, Fiona, as the element that made her want to participate. She said she loves the character and had tons of praise for Fiona, citing her "fierce loyalty to her family" and the fact that she has a duality that makes her so strong, yet vulnerable. She's "very much a modern woman," Rossum said.

To learn more about Shameless, like the steamy sex scenes and Chatwin's role, just read more

Back at the Summer TCA, I was treated to first looks at Showtime's new shows, including its adaptation of the British series Shameless. William H. Macy stars as Frank Gallagher, an alcoholic raising six kids on his own in Chicago.

The first half of the preview is packaged as comedy — though the subject matter is dark, Frank narrates about each of his kids as we get a peek at each of their maladjusted daily lives. Then, things start to take a more serious turn as we see his eldest, Fiona (Emmy Rossum) trying to revive Frank after a bender, and a confrontation between two of the kids about an affair with a married man.

The delicate balance between comedy and drama is what sparks my intrigue about the show. It looks rife for black comedy and gags about rebellious kids, but there are also plenty of opportunities for heavy subject matter here. Plus, Showtime has been hitting it out of the park with its new series lately, and having William H. Macy as a leading man pretty much ensures great performances.

The series doesn't air until next January, but check out the funny, poignant preview when you read more

Heidi Klum and Kim Kardashian united in NYC last night to strut the runway at the annual Heart Truth Show. The charity presentation usually kicks off Fall Fashion Week, with last year's event bringing out the likes of Amanda Bynes and Hilary Duff. Kim spent last weekend supporting her boyfriend Reggie Bush during his Super Bowl, but it was his turn to do the cheering on yesterday as he watched her from the front row. Real Housewife of New York Bethenny Frankel showed off her growing baby bump, while Heidi Klum brought two red dresses along after spending the afternoon launching her new maternity line and talking about how she got back in shape after pregnancy. Heidi's adding to her growing list of jobs with an upcoming cameo on Desperate Housewives, but her first TV baby, Project Runway, was back with a new episode last night — do you think the right designer was sent home?

To see more, including Kristin Chenoweth and Felicity Huffman, just read more

• Mia Michaels is leaving So You Think You Can Dance — Mia's Twitter
• Lady Gaga reveals her upcoming tour dates — Billboard
• Ridley Scott goes Red Riding for Sony — Hit Fix
• Season four of Big Love will premiere on Jan. 10 — TV Squad
• William H. Macy will star in an adaptation of the British drama Shameless for Showtime — The Futon Critic
• Josh Duhamel will star in a new Disney flick called What's He Got? — Coming Soon
• Taylor Swift is going to host SNL — should she address Kanye's comments? — PopSugar
• Ever wonder what Carlisle Cullen looked like in the olden days? — MTV Movies Blog
• Brad Pitt's Tree of Life won't be released until next year — Vulture
• Take Yum's Top Chef quiz on last night's episode — YumSugar