Monday's episode of House had everything I could have hoped for in the show's return — and I'm not exaggerating when I say everything. Cameron, Chase, and Foreman were all there — but so was the new team. There were scenes with Wilson and scenes with Cuddy — and a scene with the two of them together. They even threw in a little Hugh Laurie tooling away on the piano. Doesn't it just figure that the episode about a too-happy guy would make me smile for almost an hour straight?

The team's treatment of the happiest man alive ("Is he Canadian?") led them on a quest to figure out why House is the crankiest man alive. Meanwhile, House set about rekindling his bromance with Wilson by proposing joint custody with Amber. Could House survive seeing his best dude on Wednesday nights and every other weekend? To find out, just read more

Trucker largely reminded me of another indie movie titled Come Early Morning, which was written and directed by Chasing Amy's Joey Lauren Adams (who, incidentally, also stars in Trucker). The tone of both movies features a kind of weary, weathered fondness for the southern American landscape (in Come Early Morning it's the South, in Trucker it's the dusty deserts of southern California). At the heart of both movies, too, are hard-edged, tough-talking women in jobs that others in the movie ridicule for not being "women's jobs": Ashley Judd's character in Early Morning worked in construction, while the main character of Diane in Trucker, played by Michelle Monaghan, is a truck driver.

On the surface these two films might blur together in my mind as one unrecognizable narrative of the rough-around-the-edges woman learning to soften and accept love as well as give it. Trucker stands out a bit, though, as a more interesting story, more layered with higher stakes. And while it's not the most memorable movie in general, it's captivating enough and ultimately sends a heartwarming message. To see what I mean, read more

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. In addition to the titles below, you can now rent or own the fourth season of Beverly Hills 90210, which — according to Netflix and my memory—includes moments like Andrea finding out she's pregnant and Brandon meeting Bill Clinton!

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is based on an astonishing true story of Jean-Dominique Bauby, the one-time glamorous editor of Elle France living the high life when he suddenly suffers a stroke and is rendered paralyzed except for the movement of one eyelid. From a premise that sounds unspeakably bleak, director Julian Schnabel (nominated for an Oscar for his work on this film) takes Bauby's own words and whips them into a film imbibed with gorgeous images and touching performances to tell what is actually a very hopeful and life-affirming tale.

I enjoyed this movie very much and think you should consider bumping it up to the top of your queue today. Special features include a featurette titled "Submerged: The making of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"and a Charlie Rose interview with Julian Schnabel.

Two more titles after the jump, so read more

The gorgeous, intimate television version of This American Life was one of the most pleasant surprises of last TV season. All my fears about how the radio show would translate to the big screen were erased by the end of the first installment, and the short, six-episode season left me wanting more.

The show returns for its second season this coming Sunday, May 4, and — as host and indie icon Ira Glass says in the Showtime trailer — this time they "actually sort of semi-even know what we're doing." Once again, each episode will have a theme (this Sunday's premiere is "Escapes"), with a variety of different takes on the theme — from mini-documentaries to first-person storytelling to animated cartoons.

Some of you will be able to get a sneak preview of the second season in theaters this Thursday, but if you can't make it (or can't wait), you can see a trailer for the show's second season when you read more

OK, all this rain quickly went from comforting and good for snuggling up in movie theaters to just plain dreary. But it can't dampen my movie-loving spirit! The Tribeca Film Festival continues to deliver some awesome stuff — and now I have the pictures to prove it.

My time here in New York is soon to draw to a close, but it's been an exciting and thought-provoking four days. I can't wait until next year's festival! Check out some of my thoughts below and a slideshow of pictures here.

• I stood on the red carpet for War, Inc., that surreal wartime movie that was co-written by John Cusack and stars Hilary Duff and Marisa Tomei. Cusack bailed on Tribeca altogether, but Marisa Tomei and Hilary Duff looked spectacular on the red carpet. Duff was whisked by me, so I didn't get to ask her about all the things that perplexed me about her role (was it really a live scorpion that she put down her pants in this film? Really?).

More thoughts and stuff if you read more