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    Idol Chatter

    Elton John theme is hard for most American Idol contestants to handle

    Tara Seetharam
    Mar 31, 2011 | 3:15 pm
    • Haley Reinhart's "Benny and the Jets" was her best vocal all season.
    • Jacob Lusk's rendition of "Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word" was too dark anddramatic.
      Photo by Michael Becker/Fox
    • Casey Abrams' rendition of "Your Song" was not his best, but good reminder ofwhy he deserved to stick around.
      Photo by Michael Becker/Fox

    Perhaps it was inevitable that last night’s “Top 11 Redux” week would pale in comparison to last week’s excellent performance show. The Elton John-themed episode was a mixed bag of sorts, containing some bum performances and a handful of good-but-not-great performances. Let’s break down the 11 contestants Twitter style:

    Scotty McCreery – “Country Comfort”

    Not his best vocal (his signature last low note was off), but wholly genuine. His comfort, both on stage and in his own skin, is hard to beat.

    Naima Adedapo– “I’m Still Standing”

    Went back to sacrificing vocals for energy and style. Not sure her reggae spin really clicked with the song. Accent totally threw me off.

    Paul McDonald- “Rocket Man”

    Haunting and quietly intense. Like the melody switch-up. First Paul performance I’ve loved in weeks, save the creepy whispered last words.

    Pia Toscano- “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me”


    Gorgeous note choices - her specialty. Still want to see other sides of her, like Randy. She’s like “Idol Barbie,” (mostly) in a good way.

    Stefano Langone- “Tiny Dancer”


    Needed to pick a song that he could really sink his teeth into, vocally and emotionally. Didn't work. Chorus is too stylized for his voice.

    Lauren Alaina- “Candle in the Wind”


    Her country phrasing and styling sounded amazing - girl was born to sing country. Could've maybe used more oomph and emotional connection.

    James Durbin- “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting”


    High energy, confident performance. Not a stellar vocal, but not a bad one. Love that he always has a hell of a time on stage. Toe touch FTW!

    Thia Megia- “Daniel”


    Pretty fit for her tone, but boring performance with several flat notes. Emotional disconnect is still there, though I see that she's trying.

    Casey Abrams- “Your Song”


    Raw, stripped down Casey. Not his best, but good reminder of why he deserved to stick around. He's not just a performer; he's a singer's singer.

    Jacob Lusk- “Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word”


    Too dark & dramatic - it was distracting and masked the heart (and pitch) of the song. Needs to remember that a little restraint goes a long way.

    Haley Reinhart- “Benny and the Jets”

    Best vocal from her all season, mostly because her natural vocal swagger fit the rhythm of the song. Still, girl does not understand subtlety.

    Bottom Three Prediction: Naima, Stefano & Thia

    Quote of the Night

    “You know how I know a good song? It makes me cry inside”

    -Rare poignant words from Steven Tyler that hit home for me.

    Get more of Tara Seetharam's pop culture musings on her website www.taraseetharam.com and follow her on Twitter @TaraAshley.

    unspecified
    news/entertainment

    Movie Review

    New movie Friendship pairs Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in a bizarre bromance

    Alex Bentley
    May 16, 2025 | 3:30 pm
    Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in Friendship
    Photo courtesy of A24
    Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in Friendship.

    Comedian Tim Robinson has gained a cult following thanks to series like Detroiters and I Think You Should Leave, in which his brand of cringe comedy is on full display. The former Saturday Night Live writer/performer has had a few small movie roles over the years, but he’s now getting his first starring role in the off-kilter Friendship.

    Robinson plays Craig, a mild-mannered suburbanite with a wife, Tami (Kate Mara), and son, Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer). Craig has a boring life that involves little more than going to his middle manager job while wearing the same clothes day after day, anticipating the next Marvel movie, and helping Tami out with her at-home floral business.

    He gets a jolt of energy when Austin (Paul Rudd) moves into the neighborhood. The two men seem to hit it off, with Austin — a weatherman at a local TV channel — even taking Craig on a couple of impromptu adventures. But when Craig commits a couple of faux pas at a group gathering at Austin’s house, their bond starts to fracture.

    Even though the film is written and directed by Andrew DeYoung, it’s clear that Robinson had a big influence on the style of comedy it features. There are no big set pieces with a slew of jokes coming one after another. Instead, the film forces the audience to try to vibe with the very particular type of wavelength it’s giving off, one that could almost be called anti-comedy for the way the laughs come out of left field.

    The 100-minute film is full of random comedic moments, like Steven kissing Tami on the lips, Craig being obsessed with his plain brown clothes, a group sing-along, and more. More often than not, it’s the way Craig reacts to both normal and abnormal situations that gets the laughs. The character is needy and oblivious, two traits that combine to make many of his actions cringeworthy.

    Perhaps most importantly for this type of movie, many things in the story go unexplained or don’t make sense. Seemingly crucial elements are brought up only to fade away just as quickly, while other parts that appeared to be throwaway sections get callbacks later in the film. DeYoung and Robinson are determined to keep the audience on their toes the entire time, never knowing what to expect next.

    Robinson has the perfect face for a story like this, one that’s bland enough to blend into the background but memorable enough to sell the jokes. His demeanor is also excellent, never becoming too expressive, even when he gets angry. With long hair, a mustache, and a certain swagger, Rudd is a great complement to Robinson. Only in a film like this would an everyman like Rudd be considered the suave and cool one.

    There will be some that will see Friendship and come away wondering what the hell they just watched. But anyone who goes in knowing that they’re about to witness a comedy that challenges their sensibilities will likely have a great time.

    ---

    Friendship is now playing in select theaters.

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