MOVIE
1. CINDERELLA MAN
Russell Crowe delivers a knockout performance as a bruised but unbroken heavyweight contender in Ron Howard's raw and rousing film. Review >
TV
2. DANCING WITH THE STARS
Viewers get to vote on the fancy footwork (or faux pas de deux) of some unlikely celebs in ABC's strictly ballroom Idol offshoot. News >
DVD
3. ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN
Before Deep Throat came in from the cold, Hal Holbrook uncannily captured the Watergate whistle-blower with his grim and cagey turn in this 1976 film classic.
MUSIC
4. BE, COMMON
Bracing lyrics and sinuous grooves (courtesy of Kanye West) make the
Chi-town rapper's 11-song set a perfect soundtrack to a summer's eve. Review >
MOVIE
5. LORDS OF DOGTOWN
SoCal punks — sullen and fearless — are the heroes of a gritty and
wondrously kinetic docudrama about the birth of modern skateboard
culture.
BOOKS
6. MARY ELLEN MARK: EXPOSURE
The images burn in the memory: Lost souls, from Bombay brothel workers to Seattle street children, gaze into the humane yet penetrating lens of this award-winning photographer.
DVD
7. JAMES DEAN
Fifty years after his death, the star shines anew in an extras-packed Warner DVD set that captures his brilliant but too-brief career. Review >
DVD
8. MOONLIGHTING: SEASONS 1 AND 2
Silly sleuthing by Cybill Shepherd's downtrodden diva and Bruce Willis' clumsy cad finally hits home on DVD.
MOVIE
9. THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS
A smart cast (including Alexis Bledel and Amber Tamblyn) fits splendidly into a magical pair of jeans in this fresh coming-of-age movie. Review >
TV
10. BEAUTY AND THE GEEK
Dorks and dames teach one another social studies (and social skills) in The WB's goofy bras-and-brains reality challenge.
