With the November midterm congressional elections fast approaching, a number of entertainment icons are hefting their star status and huge social-media reach to rally their fans to storm the polls.

The brokenness of life is almost unbearable in Leave No Trace, a movie inspired by a true story. Will (Ben Foster) and his daughter Tom (Thomasin McKenzie) live in the woods of a large public park near Portland, Ore., hiding from discovery by leaving few traces of their existence. They gather mushrooms, drink rainwater, and plant carefully disguised gardens in the lush forest. Will and Tom trek into town periodically, cashing Dad’s disability checks and selling his VA-supplied medications to other veterans.

Critics are heaping praise on the fictional drama The Hate U Give for its message condemning racism and police brutality. But it’s one thing to spotlight problems, and another to offer substantive solutions.

A New York moment: 

Last week I sat in a press conference with Alfonso Cuarón, one of my favorite directors, who discussed his new film Roma (see end of column). These film festival press conferences are always a mixed bag, sort of like a town hall meeting. There are sincere and ridiculous questions—I remember one member of the press last year asked a director what the “takeaway” from his movie was. People also stand up and make statements that are not questions as much as an attempt to impress whichever famous person is in the room.

In a sane world, the crimes of late-term abortionist/serial killer Kermit Gosnell would receive the same Hollywood treatment as other horrifying true stories like Zodiac, Monster, and In Cold Blood. It would have a large budget, a prestigious director, and A-list stars culminating in award nominations. But, of course, in a sane world the story would have received in-depth coverage from major media outlets as well.

The makers of Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer knew exactly what they were doing when they planned a screening of their film in Austin, Texas, for the same night and location as a high-dollar Planned Parenthood fundraiser. Showing the movie about the horrors of abortion next door to an event featuring Cecile Richards, the newly retired president of Planned Parenthood, was “actually quite perfect,” producer Ann McElhinney told me.

If you could combine A Star Is Born, the remake already generating serious Oscar buzz, with Unbroken: Path to Redemption, the Christian biopic some WORLD Magazine readers and WORLD Radio listeners were unhappy with me for panning, you’d have the perfect dramatic film.

Unlike in Unbroken, nearly every moment of A Star Is Born feels real and specific. Often painfully so.