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AN UNRECOGNISABLE CHARLIZE THERON PLAYS AGAINST TYPE H ollywood heavyweights Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie have teamed up to tell the true story of the women who brought down former head of Fox News Roger Ailes. Bombshell was double duty for Charlize as she served as both star and producer on what she calls “a dream job”. “I won the lottery on this one,” the 44-year-old says. “We’ve had this conversation about how rare it is where you get to work with so many women… to not just see them on a red carpet but to have a working experience with them.” In 2016, the network boss was fired after more than 20 women accused him of sexual harassment. In the film, Charlize plays journalist Megyn Kelly, then one of the biggest stars on the network, who stunned America when she spoke out. Charlize admits she initially struggled to portray the anchor because of their political differences. “I was somewhat averse to who she was.” But it was an origin story, of sorts, that needed to be told. “A lot of those women don’t like calling themselves feminists,” she says. “Megyn hates the word ‘feminist’. And yet here they are, they’re the ones that kind of catapulted us into this moment where we’re having a serious conversation about the nuance and the grey of sexual harassment.” Charlize is proud of the film’s message. “When women come together and unify, they’re so much stronger.”

Bombshell is in cinemas from January 16.

FILM AAAAA LITTLE WOMEN RATING G Director Greta Gerwig takes on Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel Little Women , and her retelling is sure to be a hit with lifelong fans as well as those who’ve never read it. Greta gathered an all-star cast, including Meryl Streep, Laura Dern, Emma Watson and Saoirse Ronan to portray the March family, but it’s up-andcomer Florence Pugh whose performance as youngest sister Amy steals the show. She moves masterfully between innocent girl and blossoming young woman. An unmissable story filled with love, friendship, heartbreak and sisterhood.

Rebekah Hebenton

Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin are returning for the penultimate season of their hit show Grace and Frankie . After Grace (Jane Fonda) revealed in season five she secretly married Nick (Peter Gallagher), the ladies must adjust to their new lives now they’re no longer a twosome. There’s also a rumour of a longanticipated cameo from their 9 to 5 co-star Dolly Parton! Ever the activist, Jane (82) has been using her time between shooting to protest climate change in the US capital. “There is a collective crisis, requires collective action,” she says. “I decided to use my celebrity to try to raise the sense of urgency.” Jane is also enlisting her celebrity friends, with Lily (80) joining her at a protest over the holiday period. J F d d Lil T li E th ti i t J (8 2) h Season six of Grace and Frankie hits Netflix this week. GRACE UNDER FIRE

reading CORNER

Nicky Pellegrino BOOKS EDITOR Spooky!

PRESENCE tense!

BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION THE PAST COMES BACK TO HAUNT LOO The Wayward Girls by Amanda Mason (Allen & Unwin, RRP $32.99). Don’t miss out on the Weekly’s new book club. This month we are reading an apocalyptic drama about climate change, The End of the Ocean by Maja Lunde (HarperCollins, RRP $37.99). Sign up at womansweekly. co.nz/bookclubsignup. Meanwhile, here’s this week’s discussion point: • The main characters in this book, Signe and David, are both quite flawed. Did you like them? Email your thoughts, answers and competition entries to bookclub@nzww.co. nz or post to Book Club, NZWW, Private Bag 92512, Wellesley St, Auckland 1141 WEEKLY BOOK CLUB T his feels like the wrong season to read a ghost story, as they somehow seem to belong in cold, dark places. But this one kicks off during the famously long, hot UK summer of 1976 and is no less atmospheric for it.

The Corvino family is renting Iron Sike Farm on the Yorkshire moors. It seems an ideal place to raise kids but Cathy Corvino’s artistic husband has had to go away to find work, so she has been left to cope alone.

Sisters Bee and Loo hear it first, a strange knocking in the walls. Soon there is other weird stuff; hailstorms of glass marbles in the rooms, unseen hands pinching skin, furniture moving by itself, items mysteriously disappearing. Most creepy of all, the phantom presence starts to speak through the mouth of youngest sister Loo. A group of paranormal researchers becomes interested in the phenomenon and mounts an investigation. They spend much of the summer at Iron Sike Farm observing the two haunted girls, with the help of a local newspaper photographer. A second strand of the story is set in the present day when another group of researchers sets up camp in the now abandoned farmhouse to see if they can pick up on any supernatural activity.

Loo is now an adult and reluctant to revisit the past and face up to what happened, but soon it becomes apparent she doesn’t have a choice.

The suspense builds insistently as the action moves back and forth through time. Nothing is quite what it seems and there are important facts that are teased out to the end. This story simmers with intrigue and creepiness. At the heart of the whole thing is the sisters’ relationship.

There are lots of characters to keep track of in the two halves of the story and while the pace is sometimes a bit too unhurried, I really enjoyed being haunted by The Wayward Girls. It kept me on the edge of my seat and was just the right amount of chilling. About the author… Amanda Mason BOOK WEEK of the

She used to be a teacher and has always loved writing and directing plays. She started writing fiction seven years ago at the age of 50. She lives in north England and this is her first novel. The Wayward Girls was inspired by… “The 1970s fascination with psychic phenomena. I had a vague memory of the Sunday newspapers running splashy headlines about very ordinary families in ordinary homes who nevertheless claimed there was something supernatural going on. I began to wonder what it might be like to be the focus of that kind of attention. The more I thought about it, the more I wondered what effect that would have on someone’s life, and what it might be like to have to go back and face those ghosts all over again.” I wanted to be a novelist because… “It made sense of the bedlam in my head. I have a very lively imagination, and constantly play with scraps of dialogue and ideas for characters and scenes. When I started writing novels it felt natural. It’s not easy and, like every other writer I know, I can struggle with it – but I was absolutely willing to work very hard for as long as it took. I became very determined, very ambitious. It just felt right.”

THE G O L D E N G L O B E S 2020

Clockwise: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson brought the heart, Ricky Gervais the humour, and Sandra Bullock and Jennifer Aniston the love.

GLOW Golden

Meryl saved Helen from a wardrobe malfunction backstage (inset, right).

The stars came out glittering for the Golden Globes, the first big party of the awards season. But while the eyes of the world were on the shiny statuettes and their new owners, who included Renée Zellweger, Joaquin Phoenix, Awkwafina , Taron Egerton , Laura Dern and Brad Pitt, it was the candid moments behind the scenes that lit up social media. Like Dame Helen Mirren getting into a fix backstage in her gown and none other than Meryl Streep sweeping in to rescue her. And Beyoncé and Jay-Z slinking in late, hoping no- one would notice their bodyguard smuggling in two bottles of expensive Champagne! True to form, nice guy Tom Hanks brought the emotion, with the eighttime winner choking up as he accepted the coveted Cecil B DeMille Award.

Patricia Arquette and Ellen DeGeneres (left) both took home globes.

Kiwis come out at night: Taika Waititi caught up with Henry Winkler and Jason Momoa; Anna Paquin (left) arrived with hubby Stephen Moyer.

Above: Toni Collette’s Bond girl moment with Pierce Brosnan. Right: Brad Pitt won his third Golden Globe, and dashed hopes for fans of Team Jen by declaring to a reporter that single ex-wife Jennifer was just “a good friend”.

Jennifer and her pals Kristin Hahn and Reese Witherspoon sprung Beyoncé and Jay-Z smuggling in bubbles. The price of their silence? A cheeky glass each.

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SALMA HA This Gucci dress c contain the ample age-defying actre locks and stunnin the saving graces that didn’t quite h AYEK ould barely e assets of the ss. Her luscious jewels were this look it the mark.

CATE BLANCHE The Ocean’s 8 star is kno for her daring fashion cho but even she couldn’t ma this work. With its paper lantern sleeves and rhine bra, it’s a bit too much fo ETT wn oices, ake sto n r us.

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DAME HELEN MIRREN When doesn’t Helen look great? The 74-year-old exuded old Hollywood glamour in her Dior gown and more than $4 million worth of jewels.

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CHARLIZE THERON We’re green with envy! Only a Bombshell like Charlize could make this Dior couture gown look so sophisticated.

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THE G O L D E N G L O B E S 2020

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JENNIFER LOPEZ Someone tell J-Lo that Christmas is over! Love it or hate it, you can’t deny that this Valentino number is bold and unforgettable.

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REESE WITHERSPOON The actress and producer kept it sweet and simple in this asymmetric dress. While it’s not the most exciting, she certainly looks amazing in it.

FROCK OF THE NIGHT!

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NICOLE KIDMAN The Aussie beauty may not have won on the night, but she’s always a winner in our eyes. The statuesque star was as elegant as ever in this strapless Versace gown.

A big congratulations to Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden (40), who surprised Hollywood last week with the news that they’re parents! The Charlie’s Angels star and Good Charlotte rocker revealed their joy at now being mum and dad to daughter Raddix , who was born just before New Year’s Day. It’s believed Raddix was either adopted or carried by a surrogate, as new mum Cameron (47) was spotted in late November with a very flat tummy. The couple won’t say any more about their little one other than, “She has inst our h om eted our family.”

Cameron & Benji’s Rad news!

ADELE TURNS THE TABLES!

, but 2020 hasn’t quite got off to the start Sir Rod Stewart wanted! The singer and his son Sean (39) were charged with battery after a scuffle at a Palm Beach hotel. The 75-year-old told police he was trying to get his grandchildren access to a private event the hotel was holding, but was stopped by security. Sean is then alleged to have shoved a security guard, with Rod allegedly punching him in the ribs. The duo will appear in court on February 5. H ld ’ SECURITY BREACH

British songstress Adele (31) has undergone quite the transformation since embracing the single life! The star flaunted her incredible 20kg weight loss during a holiday to Anguilla.

Okay, technically it’s a paddleboarding former president, but there’s no denying Barack Obama (58) looked very cool hanging 10 during his holiday in Hawaii, despite falling off just moments later!

A MEAL OF A YEAR

A cheerful Jamie Oliver (44) happily posed for photos with fans outside the Good Morning America Studios in New York City last week. It was a tough year for Jamie in 2019 after the collapse of his restaurant empire, with news emerging last week that more than $160 million owed to creditors will be lost. Former supermodel Cindy Crawford (53) and tequila mogul husband Rande Gerber (57) made quite the pair as they strolled down a Miami beach. It seems they may be interested in moving to the southern state, with the pair spotted checking out a condo earlier in the day. MIAMI ON THEIR MIND!

Head over heels: The model and the media mogul goodhumouredly swept each other off their feet.

Caribbean queen!

Former supermodel Jerry Hall did just that on a holiday to Barbados. With husband Rupert Murdoch in tow, the beauty lent a helping hand to the media giant as he battled through the waves, before the pair retired to the shore for a bit of rest and relaxation. While Jerry (63) soaked up some rays, Rupert (88) indulged in a good book –Utopia for Realists –and then the couple took to the ocean once more. Jerry and Rupert are regulars on the small Caribbean island –and this break is a reprieve for Rupert, who suffered numerous health issues in 2019, including pneumonia and a reported fall on his son Lachlan ’s yacht. IF YOU’VE GOT IT, FLAUNT IT!

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