Birth nameJulia O'Hara Stiles Birth information28 March 1981, New York City, New York, USA BioAlready critically acclaimed for a number of youthful film roles, it's just a matter of time before fresh-faced blonde Julia Stiles reaches the height of heights as a new tier of adult talent starts hitting the screen. Born Julia O'Hara Stiles on March 28, 1981, in New York City, she is of Irish, Italian and English stock. The outgoing daughter of an elementary school teacher (father) and a Greenwich Village artist (mother), she is the eldest of three children. Encouraged to take modern dance lessons at an early age, she was introduced to Shakespeare and theater as well. At age 11, she made her debut as a child actress with the experimental off-Broadway La MaMa Theatre. Her passion grew and by the next year was performing professionally and working in commercials. A bright, precocious student, she was seriously considered for the child vampire role of Claudia in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) but lost out in the end to Kirsten Dunst. She continued training at New York's Professional Children's School and, at 15, made her cinematic bow with I Love You, I Love You Not (1996) with Claire Danes. Next featured as the daughter of Harrison Ford in The Devil's Own (1997), her breakout role came on TV with the hard-hitting mini-movie "Before Women Had Wings" (1997), which was produced by Oprah Winfrey and dealt with child abuse. As Ellie Christianson in Wicked (1998), Julia demonstrated a more evil side to her budding versatility. Her wish to play Shakespeare was granted threefold with her participation in 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), which was based on the Bard's "The Taming of The Shrew" and won her the Chicago Film Critics Award as the volatile teen Kat; an updated version of _Hamlet (2000/I)_ which paired her Ophelia with Ethan Hawke; and another updated version of "Othello" entitled O (2001), which had her high school character of Desi (Desdemona) involved in a mixed romantic relationship with African-American Mekhi Phifer. The violent-edged film was made in 1998 but not released until three years later due to the tragic Colorado student shootings at Columbine High School. In addition, Julia later portrayed Viola off-Broadway in a Shakespeare-in-the-Park production of "Twelfth Night" in 2002. She temporarily interrupted her career after deciding to enroll at Columbia University in 2000, majoring in English. Moving into mainstream roles by the millennium, she co-starred with the popular Matt Damon in The Bourne Identity (2002) and its sequel, appeared opposite Julia Roberts in Mona Lisa Smile (2003) and won offbeat notice in the title role of _Carolina (2003)_ with Shirley MacLaine and Randy Quaid as an eccentric actress wannabe who capriciously takes off to Hollywood to pursue her dream. Most recently she returned from Iceland where she filmed A Little Trip to Heaven (2005). Unable to find that one role to put her over the top, this lovely actress continues to engage movie audiences with a potent range of characters in the meantime.

It would have brought a song to the heart of the late Steve Gilliard to see all those Indian runners--nine pairs of cleats--touching home plate in the 7th inning to spoil Opening Day for the NY Yankees in their grandiose new ballpark that looks like a monumental tribute to overweening pride. The Mets lost their home opener as well, but in far less mortifying fashion, and in a new ballpark that retains human scale, despite its corporate name (Citi Field). Tom Watson was there soaking in the spectacle, and I wonder if he and Julia Stiles passed each other on the way to the concession stand, given that she too christened the new stadium with her presence, publishing her opening-day impressions in the Wall Street Journal. (She has a blog, too.) As for me, I've been following the Orioles via Camden Chat, where the laughter sometimes acquires a bitter crispiness.

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The 9th Annual ReelWorld Film Festival hosted the debut of Giancarlo Esposito's first directed film "Gospel Hill." Winner of Best Feature Film at the 2009 Texas Black Film Festival, the stirring civil rights drama stars Samuel L. Jackson, Angela Bassett, Danny Glover and Julia Stiles.
"Gospel Hill" focuses on residential lives and tragic losses in a racially divided community of Julia, South Carolina. Facing eviction from their homes by a proposed luxury golf course development, the townspeople unearth barely suppressed racial discord which has characterized their civic identity for decades.
The disturbance caused by the golf course development serves as a backdrop for the hotpot of hatred, bigotry and resentment that has stewed for so long. Danny Glover plays John Malcom, the son of assassinated civil rights organizer Peter Malcom (Samuel L. Jackson). Still grieved by the murder 30 years on, John struggles to understand why his father's legacy was tragically cut short.

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Nashville Film Festival ~ Day 2
Began the day with the Inuit drama Before Tomorrow and fantastical optimism. Basically I was expecting another Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner. Atanarjuat, one should know, is nearly impossible to repeat. Followed that with a tiny indie called Mothers & Daughters (so tiny it doesn't have an IMDb page) which... I hesitate to talk about. It was so in love with its actresses that I imagine it would be the type of movie I would make (warts and all) if someone handed me production equipment and several eager actresses eager to chew on scenery. Not that anyone should hand me those.
You'd probably be more interested to hear that it was preceded by a short called Water Pills which starred none other than Winona Ryder. She played a shaky sweating desperate hot mess of a former actress / addict. Um... ouch. She attacked the role so aggressively that I
NATHANIEL R

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