Pretty Little Liars 506: "Run, Ali, Run"

For the fifth season of Pretty Little Liars tvtag is teaming up with Jaymie Bailey of All Things PLL to break down our favorite moments. Spoilers ahead if you haven't seen "Run, Ali, Run."








VB: Seriously this season is just on fire! The character development, the relationships, the dynamic with Ali back as a regular Rosewood-fixture-- things are getting explosive in so many different ways!



JB: Character development in Season 5 is the best it's ever been in the entire series. I think that has a lot to do with Alison, but I just see the episodes getting better from here on out!



Which couple were you rooting for tonight? Ezria, Haleb, Emison - all of the above?



I've never been the biggest fan of Ezria, but I know they are soulmates. They'll be together in the end, so no need to worry. Alison makes me nervous with her feelings towards Emily. A part of me wants to believe she's being honest, but another huge part of me believes Alison is still hiding something. First and foremost, I want Emily happy and confident in who she is. So, I'd have to say this week I was rooting for Haleb! Hanna and Caleb need to be together -- it just needs to happen already. Travis is a great guy, so Hanna, I'll take him off your hands and you go back to Caleb.



I loved the Haleb scenes this week, I'm rooting for that couple more than any other and I'm with you: I'm really concerned for Emily and how she's reacting to Ali's return. "A" threatened to kill Ali if she tried, but should she leave Rosewood anyway? It seems like Ali's a target no matter where she is, at this point.



Alison is making things hard for everyone in Rosewood by sticking around. One of her best friends was doing everything but shoving her out the door in this week's episode. But since Alison's a target no matter where she is, she needs to stay in Rosewood. She is essential to solving the identity of "A" and I think if she left, it would cause even more tension between the girls, especially between the girls and Emily. The "A" torture isn't going to stop if she leaves Rosewood, so the girls need to figure out how to protect themselves and Alison until unlocking the mystery of the "A" game.



One mystery seemingly solved this week is the root of Peter Hastings' shady behavior. He denies killing Mrs. D or Bethany Young and explains away his behavior by admitting he suspected one (or both) of his daughters of murder. Spencer forgives him and feels awful for doubting him but do you think he's still involved somehow?



Peter Hastings knows more than he's letting on, and I think his older daughter, Melissa, is key. I think her secret is going to affect everyone around her, especially Alison and the Liars. One thing I've learned from this show is that Spencer should never doubt herself, even if a suspect is her own father. Mr. Hastings is also a master manipulator, so it's no surprise that he likely has Veronica Hastings back in his corner and that he turned the situation back on his daughters. But whatever Peter's hiding, it's going to rock Spencer Hastings' world.



Alison got her world rocked at the end of the episode this week. It looks like Tanner takes over this season as the member of law enforcement bent on nabbing the Liars. How much do you think she knows about Shana and the Philly/NYC trip?



Tanner is really smart, and she knows that people in Rosewood are expert Liars, especially our five favorite girls. I think she's got an idea of what happened in New York, but she still needs more people to bury themselves in lies they can't get out of that easily. Shana was in New York at the Fitzgerald Theater the night Ezra got shot. Tanner knows this can't just be a coincidence. And Aria, why do you leave your belongings sitting around in Ezra's apartment? Everyone knows the weird animal-print accessories belong to you!



The teaser for next week is that "Answers are near." Which questions do you most want the answers to?



When it comes to answers in Rosewood, I look at the short term. If we get long-term answers (who is A?) then there is essentially no longer a need for the show. So, right now, I mostly want to know what Melissa Hastings is hiding, who killed Mrs. DiLaurentis, and the answers to more secrets about what's hidden in Radley. I think we're going to start getting some of those answers as the summer season comes to an end.



Pretty Little Liars airs Tuesdays at 8pm on ABC Family, image used with express permission.

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Monty Python's Life of Brian Turns 25 (And Gives Aome Bad Advice)

(Co-written by David B. Feldman PhD)



It's something to rejoice about! Monty Python, the iconic comedy troupe, has reunited on stage this week. It's a big year for the group, given that it also marks the 25th anniversary of one of the their seminal achievements, The Life of Brian . Over the past few days, we've taken a quick-and-dirty poll of friends and Python aficionados, asking what stuck with them most from this classic film. The winner: the final scene, in which our titular hero finds himself crucified. The man next to him, sharing a similar fate, implores poor Brian in song to "always look on the bright side of life."



Great scene, but poor advice. Yes, the scene was meant to be tongue-in-cheak. But it's a piece of advice many people follow. So, for a moment, let's take the song literally and look at why it might not be great advice...

"Some things in life are bad. They can really make you mad. Other things just make you swear and curse."

So far, the song holds true. To leave comedy behind for a moment and focus on brutal reality, there are a lot of things to make us swear and curse. This year roughly 13 million people will be diagnosed with cancer, 10 million people will be affected by traumatic brain injuries, and 50 million people will survive car wrecks. In bringing up these statistics, we aren't trying to scare anyone. But, according to the research, some kind of trauma will occur at some point in the lives of somewhere between 50 and 80 percent of us. So, the majority of us will face the task of recovering and rebuilding from such adversity. What helps?

"When you're chewing on life's gristle, don't grumble. Give a whistle.

And this'll help things turn out for the best."

While thinking positively is certainly better than thinking negatively, life probably isn't so simple. There's nothing inherently bad about thinking positive, yet to do so at the expense of denying reality is potentially damaging. In writing our book, Supersurvivors: The Surprising Link Between Suffering and Success , we reviewed more than two decades of research on resilience and performed over 100 interviews with trauma survivors in search of the factors that help people to bounce back, and in may cases, to bounce forward, after tragedy. Whether it was a leukemia sufferer who went on to win Olympic Gold, a young man who permanently lost his sight and ended up being the first to cross the Atlantic in a rowboat, or a woman who survived genocide in Rwanda to eventually become an Obama appointee, we were surprised that many told us that positive thinking had very little, if anything, to do with their recovery. So, what did?

"If life seems jolly rotten, there's something you've forgotten, and that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing. When you're feeling in the dumps, Don't be silly chumps. Just purse your lips and whistle. That's the thing."

Whistling and dancing might take you away from a terrible situation temporarily, but research shows that more lasting resilience doesn't necessarily flow from forcing yourself to think positively.



The supersurvivors we interviewed told us about a much more realistic, yet still forward-looking kind of thinking, than simplistic positive thinking. We've come to call this kind of approach Grounded Hope. Building partially on the research of University of Kansas psychologist C. R. Snyder, it's an approach to life that's more realistic than positive thinking, yet more positive than pessimism.



The "grounded" part of Grounded Hope refers to being grounded in a realistic understanding of one's life and oneself. Supersurvivors seem to avoid the temptation to paint a smiley face over what has happened to them, to deny it or distort it to make themselves feel better temporarily. Instead, they bravely look reality in the face and say, "Yes, I've just lost my leg in accident," or "Yes, I'm only 24 and have lost my vision." While this may at first sound depressing, the power in this approach is that by seeing the situation clearly, without distorting it or trying to make it seem better than it is, it's possible to work toward recovery.



But supersurvivors don't stop there. Next, they ask the incredibly hopeful and forward-looking question: "Given what's happened to me, what am I going to do about it? How can I build a better life on top of it?" They marshal their personal strengths and nurture confidence in their ability to plot out what happens next. They set goals for themselves and find sources of motivation to pursue those goals. This is the "hope" part of Grounded Hope. Over two decades of research have shown that such hope is associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety, as well as greater satisfaction and meaning in life.

"For life is quite absurd. And death's the final word. You must always face the curtain with a bow. Forget about your sin. Give the audience a grin. Enjoy it. It's your last chance, anyhow."

As the song takes this sharp turn toward existentialism, we think Monty Python has finally got it right with this line. Here, the lyrics begin to mirror the science, which explains how, under some circumstances, reflecting on death can lead to a better life.



While writing the book, we met a designer and urban planner named Candy Chang. She was leading a successful life, but had not given much thought to the meaning of her life until a close fiend passed away suddenly. This event threw Candy for a loop. For the first time, she viscerally realized that anything could happen at any time, and that life could be shorter than any of us anticipate. She began examining her values and asking herself what she really wanted in life. This motivated her to move to New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina, with the motivation to help in the rebuilding efforts.



Her particular neighborhood was hard hit, and she felt as though what it needed was an emotional center. So she and a few friends got up one morning and brought buckets of chalkboard paint to one of the neighborhood's most bombed-out-looking houses. She painted an entire side of the house, making it into a blackboard. At the top, she stenciled in white paint: "Before I die I want to..." and drew 80 blanks underneath. She left some chalk behind for people to fill in answers. But, honestly, she thought little would come of it. The house wasn't on a main road, and she figured that by the next day gang members might even graffiti over it. But to her surprise, the next morning all 80 blanks were filled in, with answers spilling into the margins: "I want to see my child graduate." "I want to found a company." "I want to climb a mountain." She erased the wall, and the next day others filled in the blanks once again. These walls now span 75 countries.



It's just a wall, just chalk. But what's incredible is that, for the eighty people who filled in those blanks, we can see that just below the surface rests amazing dreams. And it's probably that way for most of us. But we often don't share these dreams with others. We keep them to ourselves, and most of the time we don't act them. There's something about reflecting on our mortality that allows us to access those dreams in a more vivid or motivating way.



University of Minnesota psychology researcher Philip Cozzolino, along with Angela Staples, Lawrence Meyers, and Jamie Samboceti, performed a series of experiments in which they asked participants to reflect upon death in deeply personal way. They not only asked participants to imagine their deaths, but also prompted them, among other things, to reflect on the life they had led up to that point. It's reminiscent of the way some survivors of traumatic experiences say their lives flash before them, or the question Candy Chang asked passersby to consider. As a result, participants who normally were oriented toward extrinsic goals (e.g., money and fame) became less greedy and more spiritual.

"Always look on the bright side of death, just before you draw your terminal breath."

While looking on the bright side of life is certainly preferable to the alternative, there's something to be said (and sung and whistled) about bravely facing the present, and boldly embracing the future. In the meantime, we can always embrace the past with another viewing of The Life of Brian .



Lee Daniel Kravetz and David B. Feldman PhD are the authors of Supersurvivors: The Surprising Link Between Suffering & Success (Harpercollins, Summer 2014)

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Todd Akin: 'The Legitimate Doesn't Apply To Rape'

Former Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) spoke with HuffPost Live on Friday about his infamous comments about "legitimate rape," saying people misunderstood the meaning of the phrase.



"The legitimate doesn't apply to rape," Akin said.



Akin said "legitimate rape" and "legitimate case of rape" are terms used by law enforcement in his home state of Missouri. HuffPost Live host Marc Lamont Hill pointed out that many law enforcement experts claim they've never heard the term.



Akin also shared what he learned from the controversy that came after he said victims of "legitimate rape" rarely get pregnant while campaigning in 2012.



“No male [running for election] should ever use the word ‘woman,’ or ‘rape,’ or any of those topics," Akin said.



Akin is currently making the media rounds to promote his book, "Firing Back."



Watch Akin's comments on HuffPost Live above.



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CBS Chief Says Network Would Be Interested In Buying CNN

CBS would be interested in buying CNN if it were for sale, CBS president and CEO Les Moonves said Thursday.



Reuters reported that Moonves was at a Television Critics Association meeting in Beverly Hills, California, and reporters asked him to comment on the possibility of CBS buying the cable news network.



"We've always talked about doing things with CNN," Moonves said. "We'll see. It's something I'm sure we will look at if that becomes available."



The possibility of a CNN sale arose after Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox offered to buy Time Warner for $80 million. The bid was rejected, but Fox has said that if a deal were to go through, it would sell CNN.



Analysts have estimated CNN's worth anywhere from $5 billion to $10 billion.



CBS and CNN talked on and off for years about a potential partnership. The talks didn't go anywhere, according to former CBS News executive vice-president Paul Friedman, because CNN was non-union.



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Late Gary Ballance wicket leaves Test in the balance as India strike at the end of day two

Alastair Cook's poor form with the bat continued as the England captain was dismissed for another low score - but Gary Ballance put his off-field issues behind him as he scored his second Test century.

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Rory McIlroy makes birdie despite pheasant during The Open 2014 at Hoylake

Rory McIlroy scored two birdies on the par four ninth at Hoylake - as he managed to negotiate the hole in just three shots despite the presence of a local pheasant.

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'The Big Bang Theory' Season 8 Threatened After Cast Demands Pay Raise

Bazinga! The joke's on you, CBS.



After renewing "The Big Bang Theory" through Season 10, the network and producing studio, Warner Bros. TV, have run into problems when it comes to the cast of the hit show. Deadline is reporting that contracts have yet to be locked in for the five core cast members, including Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco.



This isn't the first time a paycheck has caused problems for the series. In 2010, the original cast renegotiated their salaries after the massive success of the show's first few seasons. Now, reportedly, there's been "little dialogue" between the two sides, although more communication is expected to happen as the film deadline draws near.



While we're not sure how much the cast is asking when it comes to their new paychecks, Season 7 of the show saw Parsons, Cuoco and Galecki raking in $350,000 per episode. Deadline is speculating their new deal could see the actors reaching close to $1 million per episode for Season 8.



The Huffington Post's request for comment was not immediately returned by CBS.

[h/t Deadline]

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The Daily Show's Jessica Williams Takes On Army's New Hairstyle Rules With 'Operation Black Hair'

If you've been keeping up with the news on the Army's new grooming and appearance policies, then you know just how biased the new standards seem. Basically, the natural way in which our hair grows out of our head, including the hairstyles that help maintain those follicles, have been banned.



Silly, right? Well it definitely makes for some great comic relief when you get past the sad reality. And that is exactly what "The Daily Show" had in mind.



This week comedian Jessica Williams took on the hot hair topic for the Comedy Central program with a video entitled "Operation Black Hair." In her signature tongue-in-cheek humor, Williams attempts to educate the masses -- er, white people -- on how to maintain "an army without a lot of pissed of black ladies."



Check out the hilarious video above!

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Today's New York Times Front Page Is Dominated By Women

There was something quite noteworthy about the New York Times front page Thursday morning.



Take a look:





Photo via Newseum



Female journalists reporting from war zones took control of A1 and outnumbered male writers above the fold. Jerusalem bureau chief Jodi Rudoren and Beirut bureau chief Anne Barnard covered the Israeli invasion of Gaza and science correspondent Sabrina Tavernise reported on the Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 crash from Ukraine.



It's a refreshing sight to see and hopefully a step in the right direction following a recent Women's Media Center study on 10 top US newspapers that showed men dominate 63 percent of bylines -- nearly a 2-1 difference in content contributed by men than by women. The Times had the largest gender gap, its public editor Margaret Sullivan noted in May, with 69 percent of bylines attributed to men.



(h/t: Lydia Polgreen)



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The Daily Show's Jessica Williams Takes On Army's New Hairstyle Rules With 'Operation Black Hair'

If you've been keeping up with the news on the Army's new grooming and appearance policies, then you know just how biased the new standards seem. Basically, the natural way in which our hair grows out of our head, including the hairstyles that help maintain those follicles, have been banned.



Silly, right? Well it definitely makes for some great comic relief when you get past the sad reality. And that is exactly what "The Daily Show" had in mind.



This week comedian Jessica Williams took on the hot hair topic for the Comedy Central program with a video entitled "Operation Black Hair." In her signature tongue-in-cheek humor, Williams attempts to educate the masses -- er, white people -- on how to maintain "an army without a lot of pissed of black ladies."



Check out the hilarious video above!





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Who Cares About the Price of Almond Milk?

As someone that works within the retail food sector, I am truly quite puzzled by the recent "news" pieces getting circulated regarding the price of almond milk. If you haven't heard, the gist is that some people seem to be outraged that almond milk is cheaper to make yourself, because almond milk is basically a small amount of almonds blended with filtered water.



What I find astounding, is that people 1) didn't already know this and 2) are shocked that it's cheaper to make food at home. I don't quite understand why almond milk is being targeted. Any food bought from the store is going to be cheaper to make at home.



An article on Mother Jones, claiming almond milk is a scam, points out that according to their calculations, there are about .39 cents of almonds in a $3.99 container of almond milk. Who cares? Almonds are just one ingredient and there are a lot of other costs that need to be considered before a product gets to a shelf.



Food manufacturers have packaging, labor, production, shipping, graphic design, marketing, etc. costs in addition to the cost of a single ingredient. The actual cost of producing the $3.99 container of almond milk is probably a lot higher than .39 cents.



After production, brokers typically sell the product to distributors, who in turn sell it to the retail outlet where the end consumers make their purchase. A markup and margin gets taken each step of the way. In other words, it's pretty elementary thinking to assume that since the almonds cost .39 per container that the company is profiting to the tune of $3.60 per unit.



This is why I am puzzled and confused about how this piece even began circulating. Does the author not realize that all food in a grocery store is marked up to make a profit? Do they not understand there are more costs to bringing a product to market beyond the cost of a single ingredient? Is anyone shocked that it's ultimately cheaper to make everything at home?



It really almost makes you wonder if this could be some sort of clever PR campaign by the dairy industry. Certainly, I'm not making any accusations, but it does all seem very curious indeed. Perhaps the idea that it's more cost-effective to cook at home is a revolutionary idea for some people.



Either way, almond milk isn't a scam and almond milk manufacturers aren't doing anything that any other retail food product isn't. There's no secret scandal and no one is getting ripped off. You can go ahead and drink your almond milk without feeling as though you're contributing to some sort of giant conspiracy.








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26 Disney Channel Stars Come Together For A Fun Cover Of 'Do You Want To Build A Snowman?'

What could possibly unite 26 of Disney Channel's biggest stars? A new rendition of "Do You Want To Build A Snowman?" from "Frozen," of course.



In honor of Disney's "Frozen" weekend, the stars got together to shoot a music video of one of the film's most popular songs. Featured in the video are stars from "Austin and Ally," "Liv and Maddie," "Good Luck, Charlie." and more. In the video above, you can see a special behind-the-scenes look at the making of this star-packed music video, including some sneak peaks of the song and a lot of goofing around.







The full music video is set to premiere today on the Disney Channel app, with the song also debuting on Radio Disney -- so yes, you're about to have the song stuck in your head for another month!



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Gary Neville awarded honorary doctorate by University of Salford for sustainability work

Gary Neville has added a doctor of science award to his career honours including eight Premier League titles, three FA Cups and two Champions League victories.

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Cyclist Jon Dibben out of Commonwealth Games after fracturing elbow in training

Cyclist Jon Dibben has had to withdraw from England's team for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games due to a fractured elbow.

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Thomas Vermaelen poses with Robin van Persie amidst Manchester United transfer speculation

Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen might be on a holiday from football, but he still found time for a kick-about on the beach in Barbados.

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Theo Walcott should return to Arsenal training in August, says Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger has revealed that Theo Walcott is expected to return to training in August and could be fast tracked back into Arsenal's first team.

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Broadway Lights Will Be Dimmed In Elaine Stritch's Memory

NEW YORK (AP) — Broadway marquees will be dimmed in memory of a Tony- and Emmy-winning actress who epitomized New York and the theater world.



Elaine Stritch died Thursday at age 89 in her home state of Michigan. She was far from her longtime adopted home. But Broadway — and New York —immediately sent their love. The marquees of the Great White Way will be dimmed for one minute at 7:45 p.m. Eastern on Friday.



The feisty actress found new fans as Alec Baldwin's mother on television's "30 Rock." But she was best known for her stage work — especially her candid one-woman memoir and in the Stephen Sondheim musical "Company."



Broadway League Executive Director Charlotte St. Martin says Stritch will always be remembered as an important part of Broadway's rich history.

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26 Disney Channel Stars Come Together For A Fun Cover Of 'Do You Want To Build A Snowman?'

What could possibly unite 26 of Disney Channel's biggest stars? A new rendition of "Do You Want To Build A Snowman?" from "Frozen," of course.



In honor of Disney's "Frozen" weekend, the stars got together to shoot a music video of one of the film's most popular songs. Featured in the video are stars from "Austin and Ally," "Liv and Maddie," "Good Luck, Charlie." and more. In the video above, you can see a special behind-the-scenes look at the making of this star-packed music video, including some sneak peaks of the song and a lot of goofing around.







The full music video is set to premiere today on the Disney Channel app, with the song also debuting on Radio Disney -- so yes, you're about to have the song stuck in your head for another month!

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Willie Tanner On 'ALF': 'Memba Him?

Max Wright is best known for place the out of this world patriarch Willie Tanner -- who plays host to the hilarious martian -- in the late '80s sci-fi comedy "ALF." Guess what he looks like now!

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13 Facts You May Not Know About Stanley Kubrick's 'Eyes Wide Shut'

Fifteen years ago, on July 16, 1999, Stanley Kubrick's final film, "Eyes Wide Shut," opened nationwide. Setting records for the longest shoot in movie history, it was an excruciating labor of love for lead stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman -- one that would often be traced back to the alleged start of their marriage's decline. Throughout the process, cryptic reports implied that Kubrick's obsessive perfectionism had reached peak levels, which was especially eyebrow-raising given the film's sexual explicitness. The director, who won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects for "2001: A Space Odyssey," died of a heart attack in March 1999, days after screening the final cut. Had he lived, perhaps we'd have more perspective on the movie's production -- or perhaps not, as Kubrick was notoriously reclusive.



An excerpt from Amy Nicholson's book, "Tom Cruise: Anatomy of an Actor," printed in Vanity Fair, offers details about the project's goings-on. Coupled with a 1999 Entertainment Weekly article pegged to the film's release and a Los Angeles Times report about its box-office expectations, the passage reveals some things you may not know about "Eyes Wide Shut."



1. Kubrick always intended to cast an actual married couple as the movie's leads, but Cruise and Kidman weren't who he had in mind. The initial pair he thought of was Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger.



2. Sidney Pollack's role first went to Harvey Keitel, who dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.



3. Jennifer Jason Leigh was originally tapped to play Marion Nathanson but left mid-production due to scheduling conflicts. Marie Richardson wound up playing that part.



4. When Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise arrived in London in the fall of 1996 to shoot the movie, they expected to be wrapped and back in Los Angeles by the following spring. Instead, the production didn't conclude until January 1998, making it the Guinness World Record's longest-running film shoot in history. (Kidman and Cruise reportedly signed open-ended contracts that stated they'd stick with the project no matter how long it took to complete.)



5. To say Kubrick is a perfectionist is an understatement: His intent was to film scenes so many times that it would wear down his actors and they'd forget the cameras existed. During the course of shooting "Eyes Wide Shut," the director filmed 95 takes of Cruise walking through a door.



6. Cruise was so anxious about giving the legendary director what he wanted that he developed an ulcer. He never told Kubrick.



7. Frenzied tabloids ran reports that Cruise and Kidman's marriage was crumbling in late '90s. If anything, that notion was only enhanced by their "Eyes Wide Shut" dynamic. Kubrick coaxed the couple into sharing their personal reservations about the marriage with him, in turn transferring those troubles onto their characters, Bill and Alice. Kidman called it a kind of "brutally honest" anti-therapy, as no one asked how they felt about each other's criticisms.



8. Director Todd Field ("Little Children," "In the Bedroom"), who starred in the movie as piano player Nick Nightingale, said of Kidman and Cruise: “You’ve never seen two actors more completely subservient and prostrate themselves at the feet of a director.”



9. Kubrick was terrified of flying, so instead of traveling to New York City to shoot in Greenwich Village, he built a top-secret replica of the neighborhood at England's Pinewood Studios. A set designer was sent to measure the exact width of the streets and distance between newspaper stands.



10. Kubrick allowed only a skeleton crew to remain on the set throughout filming. One rare outsider permitted to watch the action unfold was "Boogie Nights" director Paul Thomas Anderson. Cruise was in talks for the lead role in Anderson's "Magnolia" and had to sneak him past security. ''I asked [Kubrick], 'Do you always work with so few people?' Anderson recalled. "He gave me this look and said, 'Why? How many people do you need?' I felt like such a Hollywood asshole.''



11. Cruise isn't the only actor who filmed dozens of takes. Vinessa Shaw, who played the prostitute Domino, recalled having shot about 90 takes for a single scene.



12. Had Kubrick not died before the movie opened, he may still be making adjustments to it today, like he did with "The Shining" after its release. "I think Stanley would have been tinkering with it for the next 20 years," Kidman said. "He was still tinkering with movies he made decades ago. He was never finished. It was never perfect enough."



13. Warner Bros. wanted a $20 million opening weekend to consider the movie a success. It surpassed that, grossing $21.7 million across 2,400 screens. Marketing tracking studies for the film showed it had an awareness level of 78 but lacked the first-choice status among moviegoers that other summer fare like "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" and "Big Daddy" saw.



Pollack, Kidman and Cruise at the movie's July 13, 1999, world premiere in Los Angeles:

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