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USA Today
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'This is the beginning': Bradley Cooper's documentary unites celebrity caregivers
'This is the beginning': Bradley Cooper's documentary unites celebrity caregivers Show Caption Hide Caption Bradley Cooper new documentary sheds light on caregiving crisis A new documentary, "Caregiving," executive produced by Oscar-nominated actor Bradley Cooper, will explore the hidden struggles of caregivers. unbranded - Entertainment NEW YORK – Bradley Cooper has a call to action: Everyone needs to start talking about the caregiving crisis and how to solve it. The Academy Award-nominated actor said as much at a screening for his new documentary, "Caregiving." "This is the beginning," he said. "You know, it actually starts now." Cooper attended the event with his daughter, Lea, who wore a white dress and pink flowers in her hair. And some of Hollywood's most well-known family caregivers joined on Thursday, June 12, at the United Nations headquarters to celebrate Cooper's latest project. In attendance were Emmy Award-winning "Orange Is the New Black" actress Uzo Aduba; Bruce Willis' wife, Emma Heming Willis, who is launching a book in September, "The Unexpected Journey," about her caregiving experience; and "20/20" coanchor Deborah Roberts, who moderated a panel at the event while her husband, the "Today" show's Al Roker, snapped photos from the audience. (Roberts has cared for Roker through several surgeries over the years, including after his prostate cancer diagnosis in 2020.) Former President Jimmy Carter's grandson, Josh Carter, was also there with his family. More: His sick wife asked him to kill her. He could never, but he can't shake the haunting memories. A clip from the documentary (premiering June 24 on PBS at 9 p.m. ET), which features caregivers from across the country, screened Thursday for about 200 guests. "This is the beginning," Cooper said, adding he hopes the film sparks a national conversation about the care crisis. "Obviously, the ultimate goal is to actually create a system where people can be taken care of in other ways," Cooper said. For now, by telling his own story and amplifying the voices of caregivers everywhere, the documentary aims to build community. "Just so we don't feel alone," Cooper said. The caregiving crisis is real. USA TODAY wants to hear from you about how to solve it. It's working. "For so long it's felt like it's our family against the world," said Kristin Denning, 34, a caregiver who was at the event. Denning lives in Georgia and helps care for her mother, who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. Denning said her father is her mother's primary caregiver. "And to be here with other people and to hear stories very similar to our own, it's so important to me that we're not alone in feeling these things." Bradley Cooper, Uzo Aduba say they didn't realize they were caregivers at the time Cooper said he only realized he was a caregiver for his father in retrospect. Aduba echoed the sentiment with her story about caring for her mother. "There's a large, wide net of people who are walking through the same experience and having this invisible work be part of their day-to-day experience, with nowhere or few places where they get to feel as though their voice and experience are heard," Aduba said. It's a common refrain from family caregivers, that they didn't know they were part of the caregiving community until later. Matthew Cauli, who continues to share his journey of caring for his sick wife and young son on social media, said the same thing. He had to quit his job when his wife had two strokes and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. "I still haven't wrapped my head around it," he said. Financial, emotional tolls of caregiving can be all-consuming Chris Durrance, who directed the "Caregiving" documentary, said caregiving is "perhaps one of the great untold stories of the country today." Financial stress and emotional stress are some of the most pressing issues for caregivers, said Ai-jen Poo, executive director and board secretary for Caring Across Generations. Tarek Rabah, president and CEO of Otsuka North America Pharmaceutical Business, one of the underwriters for the film, understands the emotional toll. His parents are in Lebanon, he said, and it's hard being so far away from them even though he feels "super blessed" that they have an in-home caregiver. Still, Rabah said he "dreads the moment" he gets a call that something has gone wrong. "It's always in the back of my mind," he said. For Cauli, the daily stress can be all-consuming and he's been struggling to make ends meet. Between taking care of his wife and his son, Cauli said, he could never go back to a traditional 9-to-5 job. During the panel, Roberts asked Cauli how he takes care of himself, too. Cauli shook his head and threw up his hands, shrugging. The rest of the room gave knowing nods and chuckled in empathy. Cauli found his answer in the woman sitting in the audience who continues to regain her strength and relearn skills five years after her strokes changed their lives forever. It might be a cheesy answer, he said, but it's true. "Seeing my wife progress." Madeline Mitchell's role covering women and the caregiving economy at USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal Ventures and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input. Reach Madeline at memitchell@ and @maddiemitch_ on X.
Tom's Guide
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
Netflix just added a new dystopian drama — and it's already 100% on Rotten Tomatoes
When looking through everything new on Netflix this week, one of the shows that caught my eye was "Families like Ours." This Danish dystopian drama miniseries comes from the mind of Academy Award-nominated director Thomas Vinterberg ("Another Round"), who wrote and directed all seven episodes. The show is set in a near-future Denmark where rising sea levels have caused the Danes to abandon their homeland. But while the impending doom of the story certainly plays a role, the show is more focused on how the mass exodus impacts those forced to leave — and those who choose to stay behind. While the drama series is new to Netflix this week, it debuted at the Venice International Film Festival last year and then first aired in its native Denmark later that same year. That means we already have some critical reviews, and they're so far very positive — a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. So here's everything you need to know about "Families like Ours," and why it needs to be the show you start binge-watching right now. As I already mentioned, "Families Like Ours" is set in a near-future world where rising sea levels force the Danish government to announce a mass evacuation. This decision causes a catastrophic domino effect. Property becomes worthless, which tanks the wealth of the Danish people. Those who still have wealth can sometimes secure their evacuations to the countries of their choosing, but others must take part in a government-funded relocation process that can tear families apart. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. One such family is Laura's (Amaryllis August), whose family is being torn apart as her mother (Paprika Steen) goes to one place, her father (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) to another and her boyfriend, Elías (Albert Rudbeck Lindhardt), goes to yet another location. Now Laura has to choose which path she'll take for herself. There aren't a ton of critics' reviews for "Families like Ours" yet, but those that have come in are all positive, albeit while highlighting some of the show's shortcomings. "Fascinating and infuriating in equal measure and ultimately oddly moving, for all its flaws," wrote Keith Watson for The Telegraph (UK). "'Families Like Ours' pulls you into its emotional slipstream and won't let go." Lucy Mangan had a similarly positive review, with some caveats. "There is much to admire," she wrote. "It doesn't preach, it does have the themes work through the characters instead of the other way round (and has a cast stuffed with Danish heavyweights to help it). But it all feels a bit thin, a bit bloodless – like a thought experiment made flesh rather than a compelling, provocative drama." By all accounts, "Families like Ours" won't suddenly become the next "Adolescence" for Netflix. But it also seems like everyone who has watched it has given it a positive review. Even better, as a seven-part miniseries, you're getting a complete story that you could finish over a week or even on a lazy weekend day. So, yes, go ahead and hit play on this Danish drama next time you log onto the streaming service. It definitely seems to be worth a watch. Stream "Families like Ours" now on Netflix Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made. Here's what he's been watching lately:
Boston Globe
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Paul English and Rachel Cohen's grand wedding at an Irish five star resort was the stuff of fairy tales
Rachel does remember Paul's 'power pose': arms crossed with a slight lean forward. Paul is the founder of career path working for luxury brands, which, to a guy who wears 'sweatshirts and T-shirts,' was intriguing, he says. On Friday, guests were able to explore the grounds of the 840-acre estate — visiting the falconry and taking carriage rides before the welcome dinner. Most stayed on site for the wedding weekend. Christina Brosnan They matched in November 2019. Rachel, then 31 and a Miami native living in New York then 31, was surprised that the app had connected her with someone outside of her set dating preferences. (She and Paul have a 20-year age gap between them.) Still, when he asked her to dinner at 'She was like, ' Just go — what else are you going to do?' says Rachel. Advertisement At dinner, they were seated next to an Academy Award-nominated actor and an uber-famous fashion magazine editor with an equally famous bob. 'I was listening to him, but I'm also trying to listen to the conversation next to us,' remembers Rachel. The Irish ceremony was not overtly religious, however, the pair incorporated a few Jewish traditions from Rachel's family, including a custom chuppah and breaking the glass. The couple also used Rachel's father's tallit during the ceremony. Christina Brosnan Paul, however, won her attention. Nerves and hesitations untangled over shared plates of pasta before they headed to a nearby jazz club called Advertisement 'It was something I didn't expect,' says Rachel, 'but it was such a great, fun, easy date.' He said he had known the moment she stepped out of a taxi at the date's start that he wanted a second; 'but by the time we got to Groove, I really wanted to see her again." His regular work trips from Boston to New York grew from a few days to long weekends during their budding romance. They took leisurely walks through the city during the day and went to hear live jazz at night, pausing for snacks and cocktails along the way. A dozen strings musicians on pedestals lined the aisle, playing — a vision Rachel had when they first began to plan for their big day. Rachel's processional song was "Hallelujah." Christina Brosnan The Covid-19 pandemic, however, put those dates on hold. They talked daily, exchanging texts between meetings while they worked from their respective homes. 'It felt very quickly like Rachel was my best friend,' says Paul. 'We had only gone out a handful of times, and [then], it was nightly FaceTimes.' When travel restrictions loosened, the relationship began to evolve. They introduced each other to close friends, and weekends together stretched into weekdays. Guests were guided by a team of equestrians and hunting dogs to the next event following the cocktail hour. Christina Brosnan A turning point came around Rachel's birthday in 2022. Paul joined her on a trip to Florida to meet her family. 'It was one of those moments of 'What are we doing? Where do we want this to go?'' explains Rachel. 'Because it could either be like, we leave it as is... casual and just fun, or do we want to try to make this work?' Related : Rachel had found herself falling for Paul's good humor and 'approach to humanity.' Both had been frequent daters before they met, and the contextual contrast, for Rachel, helped: 'When you meet people with substance, it's different,' she says. 'He felt like a different level — it drew me in.' Advertisement In addition to a boots-on-the-ground planning team in Ireland, Rachel turned to Etsy, Canva, and her own graphic design skills to create personalized surprises for their guests — from a Paul-Rachel-themed Monopoly board that was left in the resort's sitting rooms to themed newspapers with information about the two and the weekend ahead. Christina Brosnan Paul loved Rachel's duality — her kindness, as well as, her professional ability to command a room and navigate different personalties. He remembers being impressed by her confidence when he overheard her running a meeting while they both worked from home. Her warmth won over his adult son and daughter from a previous marriage. '[My kids] know she has my back... I think both my kids like how happy I am,' says Paul. 'It feels good to have a best friend and a partner who knows everything — the good, bad and ugly — and [is] still my rock." By April 2023, Rachel had moved in with Paul in Boston, where they currently reside with their miniature Yorkshire terrier, Koko. While the couple calls the Seaport home base, they are largely unmoored, estimating they clock 100,000 travel miles each year. The custom dance floor featured the pair's initials — however, it may have gone unnoticed once their band Brooklyn Soul got revelers out of their seats. Rachel gown is by designer Monique Lhuillier; Paul's tuxedo is by Pal Zileri. Christina Brosnan And after Paul proposed that September — moments before the 60th birthday party Rachel had planned for him at Warehouse XI in Somerville — their international mileage ramped up as they prepared for a wedding in Ireland. The multi-day destination celebration took place at the 19th-century former manor home-turned-five-star golf resort named They worked with Irish wedding planner Advertisement American-born Irish dancers and social media stars The Gardiner Brothers were one of several acts that paid tribute to Irish culture throughout the weekend. The duo performed during dinner, but also "dance bombed" the couple during their reception entrance. Christina Brosnan The extravaganza kicked off Friday afternoon; the couple aimed to surprise and delight. A welcome party featured performers who wrote original poems, played the lira, and passed telegrams between guests. By evening, the manor Tack Room was transformed for live music, burlesque, and magic — and a tight five by Paul — before guests were sent to bed with late-night snacks delivered in custom boxes from 'Koko's pizzeria.' (One of the many custom elements Rachel had designed.) They wed in the afternoon on April 26. While they had anticipated rain (it's Ireland), the ceremony took place under blue skies. The couple had legally tied the knot in a New York City Hall ceremony in January, but their April 'I do's were especially poignant, featuring vows they had written themselves. 'I wanted [our guests] to know what a good human Paul is — a good father, grandfather, partner, businessman,' says Rachel of her vows. 'I wanted people to see that it's more than just the one version that they know... or get to see." The giant (inflatable) polar bear is a running joke for the couple who first saw a street artist wearing the costume while on a trip to Berlin, Germany. Rachel ordered a version of the costume as surprise at Paul's 60th birthday, where it hovered over the pair while he proposed. It would have been rude then not invite the bear to the wedding. Christina Brosnan Rachel's design directive for the black tie optional reception had been 'magical, secret garden.' In the manor's Grand Ballroom, floral overgrowth hung among crystal chandeliers, jewel-tone velvet draped the tables and stage, where TikTok-famous Irish dancers newlyweds' first dance was to Aerosmith's 'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing.' F ol lowing t he wedding, they stayed a few more blissful days to explore the Emerald Isle. Advertisement The memories were plentiful , for Paul, the journey will always be his favorite part. 'When the flight attendant says, 'Please buckle your seatbelt,' I get really excited, because it means Rachel and I are off to our next adventure.' Read more from , The Boston Globe's new weddings column. Rachel Kim Raczka is a writer and editor in Boston. She can be reached at
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tom Cruise earns Guinness world record for burning parachute stunt in 'Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning'
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Tom Cruise jumping out of a helicopter with a fiery parachute! The Academy Award-nominated actor is now also a two-time Guinness World Records title holder, earning a new title this week for a jaw-dropping stunt performed in his newest movie, Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning. Cruise, 62, set the record for 'most burning parachute jumps by an individual' on Wednesday. While filming, the actor leapt out of a helicopter 16 times while strapped to a parachute presoaked in fuel and then lit it on fire. Cruise then had seconds to cut himself out of the remnants of the first parachute, before deploying a backup to break his landing. No other actor or stunt person has come close to that number of drops with a lit parachute, according to Guinness World Records. It's not clear whether Cruise, who is famous for doing his own stunts, is the first to receive the title for this particular stunt. 'Tom doesn't just play action heroes — he is an action hero!' Craig Glenday, the editor in chief of Guinness World Records, said in a statement. 'A large part of his success can be chalked up to his absolute focus on authenticity and pushing the boundaries of what a leading man can do. It's an honour to be able to recognize his utter fearlessness with this new Guinness World Records title.' This is Cruise's second Guinness World Records title. In 2024, he was deemed the actor with the 'most consecutive $100-million-grossing movies.' On Thursday, the studio behind the Mission: Impossible franchise released a behind-the-scenes video of the filming of the lit parachute stunt, which includes clips from Cruise's body camera. While filming the scene in Drakensberg, South Africa, last year, the team spent weeks planning and preparing the sequence, Guinness World Records explained. The helicopter would take Cruise up to an altitude of at least 7,500 feet before he would jump out, lighting the fuel-soaked parachute on fire and then cutting himself out of it. 'If [the parachute] is twisted while it's burning, I'm going to be spinning and burning,' Cruise says in the video released by Paramount. 'I have to kick it out of the twist and then ignite within 10 seconds.' The stunt was filmed 16 times, and during some of the jumps, Cruise wore a 50-pound camera rig on his body to capture the fall up close. In the behind-the-scenes video, Cruise consults with the director, Christopher McQuarrie, about which shots to get while wearing the camera. 'We're going to be real smart,' Cruise tells the crew while sitting on the helicopter in the clip. 'I'm not saying be risky. We don't take risks, obviously.' It's certainly not the first time Cruise has performed a daring stunt. In 2011's Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol, he hung off the side of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world's tallest building. In 2022's Top Gun: Maverick, he trained to fly his own P-51 Mustang. (Despite being a licensed pilot, Cruise could not fly the F-18 in the movie because of restrictions from the Navy.) 'I feel that [when] acting, you're bringing everything, you know, physically and emotionally, to a character in a story,' Cruise told Graham Norton in an interview in 2014. 'I've trained for 30 years doing [stunts] that it allows us to put cameras in places where you normally are not able to.' Mission: Impossible -—The Final Reckoning was released in theaters throughout the United States on May 23. It has since become the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2025.
USA Today
03-06-2025
- Health
- USA Today
A caregiver dad, Bradley Cooper and how a national crisis inspired an unexpected film
A caregiver dad, Bradley Cooper and how a national crisis inspired an unexpected film Matthew Cauli had no one to turn to when his wife, Kanlaya Cauli, had a stroke and was diagnosed with cancer during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He left his graphic design career to care for her and their young son, Ty. Cauli said he quickly discovered there were few resources for caregivers. He took to social media to share his story and found a community of caregivers on TikTok, where he continues to post vulnerable videos about his family's daily struggles. "I had to quit my job to go into poverty in order to get on Medicaid so that my wife could get some treatment," Cauli said in a recent social media post. "I've been in poverty for five years, credit card debt for five years. And I am stuck, I'm stuck, I'm stuck." He shares the hardest moments of his caregiving journey, he said, so people understand how difficult it is. 'I just felt like I had nothing to lose," Cauli told USA TODAY. 'I wanted to show everybody, kind of, what it's really like.' More: The caregiving crisis is real. USA TODAY wants to hear from you about how to solve it. Soon, Cauli's story will be shared in a documentary on PBS. "Caregiving," which premieres June 24 at 9 p.m. EST, was created with executive producer and Academy Award-nominated actor Bradley Cooper and features caregivers from across the country alongside advocates and experts in the field. The documentary is available to stream on and the PBS App. Cooper said his own experience caring for his father, who had lung cancer, inspired the documentary. Caregivers, he said, "are heroic people." 'Their ability to focus and give all of themselves is something that I stand in awe of,' Cooper says in the film. Jocelyn Frye, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families, is featured in the documentary. Caregiving issues, she said, "are not niche concerns." "The vast majority of families navigate these problems every day and it is important for people to see that they are part of a large community of people struggling to figure things out," Frye said. She said she hopes the documentary leaves people "optimistic about the change that is possible, and determined to push for policies that we know can and do work." Zulma Torres, also featured in the film, is a paid home health aide and a family caregiver for her granddaughter. She said she sees so many people who need care who can't afford it and can't access the resources to get the help they need. Torres has grown to love her job as a caregiver, but said it's hard work that doesn't get the attention or support it deserves. Home care workers are the ones keeping patients at peace, washing them, feeding them and keeping them company when they feel alone. "We care," Torres said. "We care for these patients." 'Punished for doing the right thing:' Documentary highlights common caregiver struggles The documentary and the nation's renewed focus on caregiving is crucial, said Ai-jen Poo, executive director and board secretary for Caring Across Generations, because people are living longer than ever before. Meanwhile, she said, America "just isn't built to support care." 'The care crisis that everyone experienced during COVID really brought it home for people, in such a stark way, how little infrastructure we have in place to support us on such a fundamental and universal need," she said. "That has sparked a tremendous, exponential growth and awakening in our movement that can't be undone.' A lot of people who care for their family members don't even know they are caregivers, she said. They often feel alone and don't know that solutions are possible. Chronic illness can be hard on marriage. Studies show it's worse when the wife is sick. 'We each have a care story," Poo said. "And sometimes it takes seeing or hearing someone else's to realize that we're caregivers and that we actually share this really profound experience.' Cauli lives in New York and doesn't qualify for the state's paid caregiver program because he is married to his wife. The state's Medicaid members can hire a personal caregiver that is a friend or family member, as long as they aren't the patient's spouse or parent. If he divorced his wife he could apply to be her paid caregiver, he said. But that "sounds silly" to him. 'I feel like I'm being punished for doing the right thing,' Cauli said. He's considered moving states to access better resources, but said that's "near impossible, financially." He had to make major updates to their home to accommodate his wife's needs, including widening the doorframes and getting a new bed. He can't afford to hire in-home care. "Five years in, I'm still doing everything," he said. But Cauli has hope. 'I hope people start sharing their personal stories,' he said. 'I'm very hopeful that this documentary will start a movement to just help caregivers out.' Madeline Mitchell's role covering women and the caregiving economy at USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal Ventures and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input. Reach Madeline at memitchell@ and @maddiemitch_ on X.
