Recent content from Cynthia Dickison
Review: 'The Book Haters' Book Club,' by Gretchen Anthony
FICTION: A beloved bookstore in the Lyn-Lake neighborhood is threatened for redevelopment. Chaos, hijinks and resistance ensue.
Review: 'Home or Away,' by Kathleen West
FICTION: A return to the State of Hockey doesn't go as swimmingly as this mom had hoped in West's new novel.
Review: 'Wish You Were Here,' by Jodi Picoult
Alone and out of touch on the Galapagos during the COVID-19 lockdown, a young woman reconsiders her life.
10 best things our critics are watching this week
From the dark fantasy "Shadow and Bone" to the return of Aziz Ansari, here's what we're tuning into.
10 best things our critics are watching this week
From Amazon's new horror anthology to a "Bad Trip" on Netflix, here's what we're tuning into.
10 best things our critics are watching this week
From Marvel's new series to dinner with Andrew Zimmern, here's what we're tuning into right now.
Review: 'Are We There Yet?' by Kathleen West
FICTION: The Minneapolis author offers more tales of parent-child relationships gone wrong.
Tonight is Oscar night: Our predictions of who should win, and who will win
"Joker" led the pack with 11 nominations. Here are our picks for Best Picture, Best Actor and Actress, and Best Supporting Actor and Actress.
Review: 'Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes,' by Kathleen West
FICTION: A Minnesota-set high school farce highlights textbook bad behavior.
Oscar predictions: What will win, what should win for Best Picture?
With the nominations now on the table, we look at what the favorites will be.
Thrilling visuals keep a plot-deflated 'Aeronauts' aloft
"The Aeronauts" can't rise above its marquee faces.
Review: 'The Confession Club,' by Elizabeth Berg
FICTION: "The Confession Club" takes us on another visit to the town that introduced us to "Arthur Truluv."
This Minnesotan fights to keep offensive 'R' word from making comeback
She uses kindness and humor to encourage people to rethink how they treat people with disabilities.
Academy Award shorts focus on parents, children and life's fragility
Oscar-nominated animated and live-action shorts lean heavily on familial bonds and the shadow of death.
Which movie should win best picture? We have some favorites
We weigh in on which movie should win and which ones don't stand a chance.
In 'Marwen,' Steve Carell plays a man who uses toys for healing
Steve Carell plays a real-life man who uses toys for healing.
Concordia Language Villages confronts an ugly truth head-on as a step toward healing
Concordia Language Villages confronts an ugly truth head-on as a step toward healing
How does new 'A Star Is Born' compare with past versions?
Each generation gets its own version of "A Star Is Born," that timeless tale of a young up-and-comer inextricably bound to a self-destructive has-been.
Oscars 2018: Handicapping the 9 nominees for best picture
Which movie will come out on top on Oscar night?
REVIEW: 'Our Short History,' by Lauren Grodstein
FICTION: Lauren Grodstein's poignant new novel unfolds as a letter from a dying mother to her to her young son.
The race for best picture: Can 'Moonlight' edge out 'La La'?
The Star Tribune's Cynthia Dickison assesses the nine nominees for the top Academy Award.
Oscars guide: We rank this year's animated and live action short films
Examining the Oscars' often overlooked short-film category.
Best picture: Which of the eight contenders should win?
"The Revenant" is gaining steam after its big Golden Globes win, but there are other top contenders in the best film race. Here's a look at what will play into each movie's favor, and what's working against them. Plus, our critic's original star rating.
Review: 'The Dream Lover,' by Elizabeth Berg: So many lovers, so little time
FICTION: An imagined recounting of the life — and the many romances — of George Sand.
Movie spotlight: 'Mortdecai' holds little promise
Its trailer has "Austin Powers"-like pretensions, but the fact that "Mortdecai" isn't being screened for critics implies it doesn't approach even those semi-lofty heights.
Oscar noms: The snubs & the worth-the-hubbubs
Here's our take on the Oscar nominees for best picture and their chances of winning the statuette.
Best picture: Here's our take on the nominees
Here's our take on the Oscar nominees for best picture and their chances of winning the statuette.
Best picture: Here's our take on the nominees
Here's our take on the Oscar nominees for best picture and their chances of winning the statuette.
'Maze Runner' puts boys through their paces
REVIEW: Is there room at the multiplex for yet another entry in the young adult/dystopia/survival genre? Those who hunger for more could do worse than "The Maze Runner."
REVIEW: "The Silver Star,' by Jeannette Walls
FICTION: Bestselling writer Jeannette Walls returns with another tale of abandoned children.
Review: Vaughn, Wilson back together in 'The Internship'
Vince Vaughn retains his glib-yet-desperate patter and Owen Wilson his earnest sweetness in the corporate send-up about life at Google.
The Dish: Movie news and tidbits for 7/31
That demon Damon.
Who's up, who's down in movies
Kathryn Bigelow and "Newt"
The Dish: 'Hangover II' trailer pulled from theaters
News and notes.
Picoult sings a new song
Picoult, known for her social-issue themes, pits fundamentalists against a lesbian couple in this novel about the rights of gay parents.
A man on a rescue mission
Can a car wreck of a marriage and a family, born of tragedy, be resuscitated by another tragedy?
The Dish: More trouble on "The Hobbit" set
Plus: Christopher Nolan says "The Dark Knight Rises" will be his last Batman film
Toddlers & Tiaras: oh my no, no
Poor kids.
Dunst wins (?) role in Lars Von Trier's latest
She's the latest to be humiliated by the angsty auteur.
Picoult explores what-ifs of life
Mega-author Jodi Picoult's house rules: Write about what you don't know.
The dish: Limiting Oscar speeches and more
Nominees are being asked to condense speeches
Teen trials turn to town tragedy in 'Testimony'
Sex, lies, videotape and prep school make for a potent brew in "Testimony," Anita Shreve's compelling tale of teenage scandal and its brutal aftermath in a New England hamlet. This focus on the kids marks a bit of a departure for Shreve, a seasoned chronicler of adult love, loss and betrayal. But then again, the event upon which the story turns leaves no one in its ever-widening path -- young or old -- untouched.
Grappling with fish, and life
BOOK REVIEW: An outdoorsman/writer unsparingly chronicles his Alaskan summers with the salmon.
