Happy Birthday, Maggie Gyllenhaal!

Today we're celebrating the birthday of Maggie Gyllenhaal, who turns 34 today. The older sister of Academy Award-nominated Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie got her acting start in the 1992 feature film Waterland. From there, she appeared in bit parts until making a name opposite her brother in the 2001 cult favorite, Donnie Darko. However, she truly hit her big break in 2006's SherryBaby, for which she received rave reviews for her performance. Since then, she's starred in major films like 2006's Stranger Than Fiction, 2008's The Dark Knight and 2009's Crazy Heart, for which she earned her lone Academy Award nomination. She'll next appear in the 2012 films Learning to Fly and Voice from the Stone. So, to celebrate her birthday, I've listed my five favorite of Maggie's roles. Please help me in celebrating and wishing her a happy birthday!

5. Elizabeth Darko
Donnie Darko (2001)


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4. Jean Craddock
Crazy Heart (2009)

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3. Rachel Dawes
The Dark Knight (2008)


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2. LN Fisher-Herrin
Away We Go (2009)


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1. Ana Pascal
Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

Happy Birthday, Will Ferrell!

It's birthday time again, and today we're celebrating the 44th birthday of big-time American funnyman, Will Ferrell. Now, I've had a bit of a love/hate relationship with Ferrell. When he first hit it big, I tended to distance myself from his films because he seemed like the trendy guy to follow at the time. However, after seeing his performance in 2004's Anchorman, there really wasn't any going back. Despite this, I still think that Ferrell is a bit of an acquired taste. You're either going to love his brand of humor or hate it, and there's times where I'm not very fond of it (i.e., I wasn't a fan of 2008's Step Brothers). Still, he's done enough good work to warrant a list of my five favorite Ferrell films, so you can understand the reason for this post. But without any further delay, let's get on with the celebration. Once again, happy birthday Will Ferrell!

5. Chazz Michael Michaels
Blades of Glory (2007)


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4. Big Earl
Starsky & Hutch (2004)


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3. Harold Crick
Stranger Than Fiction (2006)


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2. Chazz Reinhold
Wedding Crashers (2005)


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1. Ron Burgundy
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)


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Awards
2004: Winner - Best Actor, Comedy; Nominee - Best Cameo or Brief Appearance
2005: Nominee - Best Cameo or Brief Appearance
2006: Nominee - Best Actor, Comedy