Selita Ebanks, Jason Binn, Kyle MacLachlan and Desiree Gruber

Oscar, the Man-About-Town

A year’s worth of film chatter ends here. Each passing awards show has built up momentum for the granddaddy of them all—the Oscars. Now the wait is over, and we can finally fête the year’s best movies at the most glamorous red-carpet event there is.

In this issue we pay homage to the coveted gold statuette by highlighting some of the stars who gave the most-buzzed-about performances of the season—from our cover stars, Vera Farmiga and Stanley Tucci, to An Education’s Carey Mulligan and The Hurt Locker’s Jeremy Renner. We salute these actors—and many more—who moved us with their talent and who made 2009 a year to remember.

Meanwhile, Oscar nominee Up in the Air director Jason Reitman pays homage to Los Angeles by recounting his favorite memories of growing up in our city. And Jennifer and Suzanne Todd— who are always in the know—highlight some of their favorite movies of the year and the inspiration they garnered from them.

In addition to the Oscars, we’re thinking about spring fashion. As we look towards the new collections, we have Jessica Capshaw modeling some of the best styles of the moment and Rick and Kathy Rose from the lifestyle gallery Roseark sharing their impeccable taste with us in their seasonal picks (Jennifer Meyer earrings for the lady in your life, perhaps?).

We hope you enjoy the issue.

JASON BINN
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Samantha Yanks, Haley Binn and Sari Tuschman

Count Your Blessings

It’s Oscar season. Glitz, glam and extravagance are the name of the game. It’s what LA is known for—it’s what we do. But maybe this season we should take a moment to think beyond the gowns and gift bags. We should think about the message Best Picture nominee Up in the Air conveys so poignantly, that while today’s economy has wreaked havoc on many lives, it’s also proven the human spirit can persevere even in the most trying of times.

This rang true to me this holiday season when I found myself in the checkout line at Walgreens behind a woman who was taking a long time because she had several coupons. The affable cashier turned to me and said with a smile, “I’ll be with you in just a second, this woman has some great deals.” With that, the woman—who had been preoccupied sorting out her coupons—looked up at the both of us. “Oh, these aren’t for me,” she said pointing to the cans of food she’d placed on the counter. “When I see good deals, I come in here and shop for the food bank.”

I was speechless (a truly rare occurrence, as anyone who knows me can attest). Here I was, rushing around, feeling like there were never enough hours in the day, and this woman was taking the time to buy for those in need—at a time when they needed it most. It was the giving spirit demonstrated in a way you rarely see so up close.

Which brings me back to my point. Oscar season is fabulous. We are lucky to be in the city that hosts the entertainment industry’s finest hour. But more than that, we are lucky.

Good luck to all the nominees.

Sincerely,

SARI ANNE TUSCHMAN
EDITOR IN CHIEF