entertainment - "movies"

Actress Connie Nielsen hit the big time when she starred in 'Gladiator' as Lucilla, sister of the deranged Emperor Commodus. Since then she has appeared in hit movies including 'One Hour Photo' and 'The Hunted'.

'Swing Vote' is one of the most surprising, politically suggestive movies to come out of Hollywood this year.

'Clearly Swing Vote isn't a public service announcement, but I think it might be better than that because it doesn't preach,' says Kevin Costner of his new comedy. If anything, he hopes the 'comedic ride' will lead fans to ask the fundamental question, 'Who am I going to be moving forward.' Hopefully not like his character Bud, a beer swigging single dad who can't keep a job. A charismatic loser who turns out to be the one person in America who can decide the election between President Andrew Boone (Kelsey Grammer) and his opponent Donald Greenleaf (Dennis Hopper). With Bud's apathetic attitude toward politics, it will take his precocious daughter Molly (Madeline Carroll) to help steer him in the right direction. Hollywood.com caught up with Costner to talk politics, the new film and more.

@ In the Mix: DanDeLuca writes about pop music and culture. http://go.philly.com/ inthemix@ Flickgrrl: CarrieRickey offers her take on movies. http://go.philly.com/ flickgrrl

Many filmic treatments of Washington present a more hard-edged political reality than most of today's so-called journalism.