the dish

Pope seen at midnight show Whew! What a relief to learn that "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" has received the blessing of the Vatican. The official Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano lauded the film for highlighting the "sacrifice needed for good to triumph over evil," and even praised the teenage love scenes for achieving the "correct balance." We guess it's forgive and forget about that paganism stuff.

The final reel "Grey's Anatomy's" Patrick Dempsey and Eric Dane co-star with Jennifer Garner in the ensemble romance "Valentine's Day." ... Not sure this is the right way to go about it, but Mel Gibson will resume his acting career with "The Beaver," about a depressed man who finds solace in a hand puppet. It's directed by his old pal Jodie Foster. ... Aaron Sorkin has taken over Brad Pitt's "Moneyball" from Steven Soderbergh. He'll rewrite the script and direct. ... Pierce Brosnan, Patricia Clarkson and Julianne Moore will star in "The Hunter," which Stanley Tucci will direct from his own screenplay.

CYNTHIA DICKISON