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Cowboys and ‘Crazy’ love

“Cowboys and Aliens” opens Friday, July 29. Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig), a loner, wakes up in 1873 with no memory of anything. He wanders into an Arizona desert town controlled by a Colonel Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford, 69, whose late mother was Jewish). At first everybody is mean to Lonergan, but things change when space aliens attack the town. He starts to recover his memory and seems to recall a “secret” way to fight the aliens. He’s aided by a beautiful woman (Olivia Wilde) as he pulls together a coalition of cowboys, townsfolk and Apache warriors to battle the outer space baddies.

Directed by sometime-actor Jon Favreau, 44 (“Iron Man”), the script is by Alex Kurtzman, 37 (“Star Trek”), Damon Lindelof, 38 (TV’s “Lost”) and Roberto Orci.

Jonah Bobo, 14, has a big supporting role in the romantic comedy “Crazy, Stupid, Love” (opens Friday, July 29). Raised in an Orthodox home, Bobo’s “funny” last name comes from his Egyptian Jewish great-grandfather. He plays Robbie, the teenage son of Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) and his wife, Emily (Julianne Moore). The Weavers seem to be the perfect couple — nice house, good jobs and great kids. But when Cal discovers that Emily has been unfaithful, he files for divorce and hits the singles bars. The hapless Cal is taken on as “a project” by the smooth and handsome Jacob (Ryan Gosling). He tutors Cal on everything from his approach to women to his wardrobe. Meanwhile, Robbie is smitten with his 17-year-old babysitter and she has a crush on Cal. The film’s original screenplay is by Dan Fogelman, 40 (“Cars”).

Mensches, kids and gowns

Did you catch the grilling of Rupert Murdoch before the British Parliament? If so, you may have noticed, as I did, that a pretty blonde Member of Parliament named Louise Mensch asked Murdoch flat out if he would resign as head of his company. (He replied, “No.”) Well, I had to get to the bottom of this. “Mensch” is a great last name if you are running for office in Miami Beach — but in England? Turns out, Louise is only a “Mensch by marriage.” She was born Louise Bagshawe in 1971 and was raised Catholic. Under her maiden name, she has written popular novels about young British career women, similar in style to “Sex and the City.” Last June, she married Peter Mensch, 58, a New Yorker who’s long been the manager of top rock bands such as Metallica. In summary: Peter is a Jewish Mensch. Louise is a non-Jewish Mensch. I don’t know if either is a “real” mensch.

On July 6, actress Gwyneth Paltrow, 38, appeared at a fundraising event for the Community Security Trust, a British Jewish charity. The event featured an on-stage interview with the actress. She told the host that she planned to raise her daughter, Apple, 7, and her son, Moses, 5, in the Jewish faith. Paltrow’s late father, director Bruce Paltrow, was Jewish and her mother, actress Blythe Danner, is not. Gwyneth, who was raised Jewish herself, spends about half her time in the U.K. Her husband is famous British rock musician Chris Martin of Coldplay.

Last month, Dylan Lauren, 37, the daughter of famous designer Ralph Lauren, 71, wed hedge fund manager Paul Arrouet. A rabbi presided over the ceremony, but I don’t know if Arrouet has a Jewish parent(s). A photo of her wedding gown, which was designed by her father, is in the August issue of “Vogue,” and you can easily find the photo online (just Google her name). So far as I know, Mr. Lauren has designed just one other wedding gown: for actress Elizabeth Berkley, when she married Ralph’s nephew, Greg Lauren, in 2003.