Posted on: Saturday, May 28, 2005

Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must-See

"Empire Falls," 6 p.m., HBO; concludes Sunday. A fictional Maine town has been sagging since its mill closed. Miles Roby (Ed Harris) clings to that life and what's left of his family. He runs the Empire Grill owned by the town dowager (Joanne Woodward). Roby's teen daughter (Danielle Panabaker) admires him. Others think he's throwing his life away. They include his ex-wife (Helen Hunt), brother (Aidan Quinn) and his ne'er-do-well dad (Paul Newman, who has been married to Woodward for 47 years). The story flashes back to his fragile mom (Robin Wright Penn), a mysterious stranger (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and more. This is a brilliant cast, skillfully molded by Australian director Fred Schepisi, with Richard Russo adapting his own novel. At times, "Empire Falls" seems too eager to choose every grim possibility. Stick with it, however, because it's an involving ride through some complex lives.

Of Note

"CNN Presents: Autism is a World," 2, 5, 8 p.m., CNN. If you missed this film Sunday, here's a second chance. It's an Oscar-nominated documentary that sees life through the perspective of Sue Rubin, 26, an autistic college student.

"Laugh Whore," 6 p.m., Showtime. Mario Cantone's one-man comedy show is up for a Tony Award. Here's its TV debut. Cantone is best known for playing Charlotte's gay friend Anthony on "Sex and the City."

"Batteries Not Included" (1987), 7 p.m., Pax. Here's a harmless piece of feel-good drama from Steven Spielberg's company. Outer-space creatures reach a tattered New York apartment building, changing lives. The husband-wife duo of Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy led a good cast.

"The Patriot" (2000), 7 p.m., NBC. Mel Gibson plays a former soldier who is reluctantly pulled into the American Revolution. The result is lushly filmed and skillfully acted, but director Roland Emmerich is in the wrong century. The brutality and the whizzing bullets fit better in his "Independence Day."

"Lost," 7 p.m., ABC. If you missed Wednesday's season finale, here's a second chance. Some of the castaways try a raft journey and run into trouble.

"Desperate Housewives," 9 p.m., ABC. Here's a second chance to catch the season finale. It adequately answers the questions surrounding the Mary Alice mystery, but throws in new ones.

"Saturday Night Live," 10:30 p.m., NBC. It's billed as "The Best of Alec Baldwin."