pick of the week: Time has a way of changing our perspective on some things — but not on others. Take the British film "Maurice," which has been released in a restored print in honor of its 30th anniversary. The story about a young man coming to terms with his homosexuality in Edwardian England was considered eyebrow-raising in 1987, but is ho-hum tame by today's standards. What hasn't changed is our admiration of the film's elegant presentation and rich attention to detail. Based on an E.M. Forester novel, it's by the filmmaking team of James Ivory and Ismail Merchant, the kings of classy literary adaptations. Another new perspective: The lobby poster for the re-release features a smallish photo of the man playing the title character (James Wilby, who has gone on to be a journeyman performer) that is dwarfed by a shot of a supporting actor — a fresh-faced TV bit player who was trying to get a foothold in movies by the name of Hugh Grant. It's at the Lagoon Cinema.
A bite out of history: If you think the Caesar salad was named after the emperor of Rome, forget about getting priority seating. It actually was named after Hollywood restaurateur Caesar Cardini, who created the dressing in 1924 as a promotion for the July 4th weekend. Despite its red, white and blue roots, it wasn't first served in the United States. In order to skirt Prohibition, Cardini had moved his restaurant across the Mexican border to Tijuana. The Tinseltown celebs who made the trip south returned home gushing about the salad. And the rest is history.
Day by day: Wednesday is annual Workaholics Day, a time to honor those poor folks who couldn't come up with an excuse for extending their July 4th holiday.
recommended reading: School's out for the summer? Not at the folk art schools, where attendance is booming in classes on everything from woodcarving to rug-making. Check out the curriculum in Wednesday's Variety.
JEFF STRICKLER • jeff.strickler@startribune.com
