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As her new film reminds us, Madonna is as unapologetic as ever – and it's doing wonders for the collective female psyche

If you really want to watch vitriol flow on a monumental scale, be Madonna and dare to make a film.

It's been instructive to watch the trajectory of Madonna's recent fantasy-biopic of Wallis Simpson, We, emerge into the critical light of day. A flawed but daring, visually mesmerizing piece, it takes a look at the journeys of two women – Wallis Simpson, re-envisioned by Andrea Riseborough, and a modern Upper East Side abused Stepford wife, Wally ­– as they emerge from victimization to personal autonomy and self-realization.

Yes, the film is not perfect – it has its historical solecisms, for instance – but it is far from representing the outright crime you would think Madonna had committed, were you a just-landed Martian reading the reviews. The recent Entertainment Weekly notice started: "The movie is a folly,...

“I’ve got a great story and I’ve been looking for, it’s a ‑‑ it’s a great story and it needs to be a graphic novel and a graphic novel TV show. And I’ve been looking for the right person to write it.” – Glenn Beck on Frank Miller, 2011.

Being a ‘fan’ means many things to many people. To a troublingly large section of the population, it apparently means dressing as Knuckles the Echidna and sobbing alone in front of a mirror, while to others it simply means an interest that goes slightly beyond the causal. One thing common to all fans, from those who carve “Qt Rox U3 Sux” into the side of a burning dog before throwing it through a friend’s window, to those who just happen to know slightly more about Batman than most, is the willingness to let their interest – at least partially – define who they are.

Romona Singer attending the 14th Annual Hearts of Gold Fall Fundraising Gala.Photo copyright by Charles Norfleet / PR Photos. Tamara Tunie attending the 14th Annual Hearts of Gold Fall Fundraising Gala.Photo copyright by Charles Norfleet / PR Photos. Tamara Tunie attending the 14th Annual Hearts of Gold Fall Fundraising Gala.Photo copyright by Charles Norfleet / PR Photos. Jill Zarin attending the 14th Annual Hearts of Gold Fall Fundraising Gala.Photo copyright by Charles Norfleet / PR Photos. Cindy Barshop attending the 14th Annual Hearts of Gold Fall Fundraising Gala.Photo copyright by Charles Norfleet / PR Photos. Romona Singer attending the 14th Annual Hearts of Gold Fall Fundraising Gala.Photo copyright by Charles Norfleet / PR Photos.

With a mission of breaking the cycle of violence against children, Love Our Children USA has weighed in on celebrity moms who give back.

The recipients of this years’ Fifth Annual Mothers Who Make A Difference Awards are all familiar faces to People Moms & Babies readers: Julianna Margulies, Amanda Peet, Keri Russell, Meredith Vieira and Vanessa Williams. Love Our Children USA Founder and CEO Ross Ellis says that each “selfless and caring” woman chosen balances work, motherhood and philanthropy with grace.

“At a time when our country’s youth are plagued by bullying, cyberbullying, Internet dangers and school violence … not...

First off I need to apologize for the tardiness of this entry. I was infected with the swine pandemic and was unable to do anything but utter “Bbbbraaaiiinsssss…” feebly from my bed. Now I’m up and about again, so here we go.

One of the first things to do when making your movie is figure out who your main character is going to be. Now, you may pick your plot first and then figure what kind of protagonist you want or you may pick your characters and write about what they do – it all depends on your style of writing. In either case, understanding your protagonist(s) is very important since these are the people whom the plot revolves around, who we will come to know and love and who we will follow for the next 120 minutes. They will be our tour guides through your movie so you have...