Don’t Miss
How This Year’s Oscars Contenders Are Tackling Trump—David Sims notes that some of the biggest hits, and one notable flop, at the Toronto International Film Festival played as blunt allegories for the current political moment.
The Business of Creativity
How My First Novel Became a Movie—Caren Lissner explains how it took 14 years of false starts, navigating Hollywood, and a modest payout for her book Carrie Pilby to be adapted into a Netflix film.
Saving One of Western Art’s Most Iconic Paintings—Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell goes inside the massive, two-year museum effort to conserve The Blue Boy, Thomas Gainsborough’s famed 18th-century portrait.
TV
Women Won Big at the 2017 Emmys—David Sims recaps the award show, where top honors went to Big Little Lies, Veep, and The Handmaid’s Tale.
Sean Spicer and the Self-Contradicting Politics of the Emmys—Spencer Kornhaber thinks the cameo by the former press secretary put a confusing spin on the many anti-Trump jokes of the night.
Veep’s Showrunner on Clinton, Trump, and Insulting Jonah—Megan Garber talks to David Mandel about writing political satire for a fractious world ahead of his Emmy acceptance.
How the Emmy Awards Put Hulu on the Map—David Sims notes that The Handmaid’s Tale became the first streaming-TV show to win Best Drama Series, an honor that surprisingly didn’t go to Netflix.
The State: A Provocative New Drama Considers ISIS—Sophie Gilbert reviews the four-part miniseries by Wolf Hall’s Peter Kosminsky that explores life inside the terrorist group for the Britons who join up.
The Anger of Jimmy Kimmel—Megan Garber analyzes the late-night host’s Tuesday monologue on the politics of American health care, in which he offered indignation rather than tears.
The Good Place Is Still TV Heaven—Sophie Gilbert says NBC’s quirky hit returns with more moral philosophy, food puns, and otherworldly humor.
Transparent Tackles Israel-Palestine, and Other Boundary Issues—Spencer Kornhaber writes that the dramedy’s unusually joyful fourth season says that division is agony and reconciliation is a process.
Film
What Is the Meaning of mother!?—David Sims delves into the plot, allegories, and shocking ending of one of the most surprising Hollywood releases of the year.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle Is More Farce Than Satire—Christopher Orr believes that while the sequel shares some of its predecessor’s strengths, this installment of the comic-action franchise is broader and less original.
Battle of the Sexes Is a Breezy Crowd-Pleaser—David Sims offers his opinion on the film about a famed 1973 tennis match with surprising resonance for today.
Lady Gaga’s Illness Is Not a Metaphor—Spencer Kornhaber dives into the new film that details the reason the star postponed her recent tour and tests cultural attitudes about gender, pain, and pop.
Stronger Is a Profound, Oscar-Worthy Gem—David Sims watches the surprisingly excellent inspirational drama, in which Jake Gyllenhaal plays Jeff Bauman, who lost his legs in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
Books
There and Back Again—Vann R. Newkirk II ponders what J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic The Hobbit still has to offer, 80 years after its publication.