Wonderland

Elle Fanning gives a luminous, almost transparent performance as a troubled 9-year-old girl in "Phoebe in Wonderland. " As an actress, she's dreamier and less forceful than her older sister Dakota - more like an actual kid - and the movie's halfway over before you realize how many contradictory emotions she's summoning up. God knows what they feed these girls for breakfast - Cream of Streep? The movie itself is an alternately inspired and awkward domestic drama that agonizes over the difference between a "special" child and one who may need actual professional help.

Fare increases Subway: From $1.70 to $2 with Charlie Card; from $2 to $2.50 without; for seniors, from 60 cents to $1; students, from 85 cents to $1 Bus: From $1.25 to $1.50 with Charlie Card; from $1.50 to $2 without; for seniors, from 40 cents to 75 cents; students, from 60 cents to 75 cents The Ride: From $2 to $4 or $5, depending on where customers travel Bus lines eliminated Route 451: Beverly to Salem Depot ...

LIGHTS OUT IN WONDERLAND By DBC Pierre Norton, 350 pp., $25.95 When Adolf Hitler conceived Berlin's Tempelhof Airport as a monumental gateway to his planned capital of Germania, he could not have envisioned that seven decades later it could be reinvented as Orgy Central for the impossibly rich. That preposterous makeover could perhaps only be facilitated by Gabriel Brockwell, the coke-snorting creative thinker at the heart of DBC Pierre's blisteringly funny tale of three cities, "Lights Out in Wonderland.

The MBTA is planning to install solar panels at two sites this fall to expand its use of renewable energy and possibly save the cash-strapped agency some money. The agency is looking for an outside company to design, build, and maintain solar panels at the Wonderland parking garage in Revere and the Readville Yard 5 in Dedham, a spokesman said today. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority began advertising for bids last week and hopes to begin construction in the fall.

Heidi Julavits has a questing, eclectic intellect, expressed in her work as a founding editor of The Believer and in novels with themes ranging from Freud's "Dora" case study of hysteria and witches ("The Uses of Enchantment," 2006) to sisterly hijinks, a real or fantasy hijacking, and Alice in Wonderland ("The Effect of Living Backwards," 2003). Her fourth novel was inspired by the Welsh occult writer Dion Fortune's 1971 book "Psychic Self-Defense," which Julavits discovered on an "Internet wander.

Fare increases Subway: From $1.70 to $2 with Charlie Card; from $2 to $2.50 without; for seniors, from 60 cents to $1; students, from 85 cents to $1 Bus: From $1.25 to $1.50 with Charlie Card; from $1.50 to $2 without; for seniors, from 40 cents to 75 cents; students, from 60 cents to 75 cents The Ride: From $2 to $4 or $5, depending on where customers travel Bus lines eliminated Route 451: Beverly to Salem Depot ...

A musical based on the legend of the bank-robbing fugitives Bonnie and Clyde hasn't been able to outrun poor ticket sales on Broadway. Producers said Friday they're pulling the plug on the Frank Wildhorn musical "Bonnie & Clyde" by the end of the month. The final performance is slated for Dec. 30. The show began previews Nov. 4. It will have played only 69 performances when it closes. The biographical musical star Laura Osnes and Jeremy Jordan. It suffered from bad reviews and lackluster sales.

SHUTTER ISLAND (Comcast Movies: All Movies) Martin Scorsese proves susceptible to the chic of filming a Dennis Lehane bestseller. It’s an inspired extraction though not a terribly satisfying one. The mood, though, is eerie, and the supporting cast — including Ben Kingsley, Mark Ruffalo, and Patricia Clarkson — is excellent. (R; runs through Sept. 26) WESLEY MORRIS LEGION (Comcast Movies: All Movies) Paul Bettany is an angel defiantly determined to protect diner waitress Adrianne Palicki and her unborn messiah-to-be from the apocalypse.

Live for the Moment 8 p.m., Channel 4 Jeff Probst hosts this sob-fest special, which he produced with Mark Burnett. Originally called “Live Like You’re Dying,’’ a title deemed too heavy by CBS, the hour enables a terminally ill person the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream. Yup, another bucket list product. If lots of people watch tonight, Probst (pictured) is threatening to make it a series. Storytellers 8 p.m., VH1 John Mayer pulls out the acoustic guitar for a concert and a confessional.

I'm thinking about going to Yellowstone in the winter. Are there any places to stay in the park during the off-season? H.T., Boston While summer finds Yellowstone jam-packed with families, campers, and hikers, from December to March the national park is a snow-blanketed winter wonderland. Xanterra Parks & Resorts (travelyellowstone.com) operates two lodges in the park that are open year-round : the slightly worn , historic Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and the more modern and stylish Old Faithful Snow Lodge, both of which have cabins, too. While...

Heidi Julavits has a questing, eclectic intellect, expressed in her work as a founding editor of The Believer and in novels with themes ranging from Freud's "Dora" case study of hysteria and witches ("The Uses of Enchantment," 2006) to sisterly hijinks, a real or fantasy hijacking, and Alice in Wonderland ("The Effect of Living Backwards," 2003). Her fourth novel was inspired by the Welsh occult writer Dion Fortune's 1971 book "Psychic Self-Defense," which Julavits discovered on an "Internet wander.

Bing Crosby step aside, no White Christmas for the Boston area this year. "The definition of a White Christmas is to have an inch of snow on the ground by Christmas morning, so we can say ‘goodbye' to that," said Stephanie Dunten,cq meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Taunton. That is not to say that a few flakes did not make a holiday appearance, however. At 10:40 a.m., snow had been reported in Nashua, N.H. and Bedford, N.H. and Dunten said snow sprinkled down during her morning drive from Providence to Taunton.

A musical based on the legend of the bank-robbing fugitives Bonnie and Clyde hasn't been able to outrun poor ticket sales on Broadway. Producers said Friday they're pulling the plug on the Frank Wildhorn musical "Bonnie & Clyde" by the end of the month. The final performance is slated for Dec. 30. The show began previews Nov. 4. It will have played only 69 performances when it closes. The biographical musical star Laura Osnes and Jeremy Jordan. It suffered from bad reviews and lackluster sales.

THREE PIANOS Written, arranged, and performed by Rick Burkhardt, Alec Duffy, and Dave Malloy. Directed by Rachel Chavkin. Sets, Andreea Mincic. Lights, Austin R. Smith. Costumes, Jessica Pabst. Sound, Matt Hubbs. Video, Dave Malloy. Presented by American Repertory Theater at Loeb Drama Center, Cambridge. Through Jan. 8. Tickets start at $25, 617-547-8300, www.americanrepertorytheater.org CAMBRIDGE - While "Three Pianos" is animated by a love for one particular composer - Franz Schubert - there is a broader notion lurking at its heart: that music, all music, has a singular power to speak...

The fifth annual Revere Alumni Gala will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Wonderland Ballroom. All proceeds will benefit CASTLES, a nonprofit that raises funds to provide scholarships for Revere children to attend after-school and summer programs. The gala will feature food from about 25 local restaurants, entertainment by the Revere band Inclusion, a DJ, and raffles. The tax-deductible ticket price is $35. Tickets can be purchased at the door. For more information, visit www.reverecastles.org.

The City Council last Monday voted unanimously to authorize filing special legislation for the planned mixed-use redevelopment project that Eurovest is intending to build next to the Wonderland MBTA station. The legislation, which transfers land from the state to the city and then from the city to Eurovest, was developed over the past two years by the city, working with several state agencies and the office of House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, Mayor Thomas G. Ambrosino said in a letter to councilors.

Discount lodging for teachers In recognition of the good work that teachers do - and recognizing the short money they do it for - I feel it my obligation to make sure these shock troops in the battle against ignorance know about Educators Bed & Breakfast Travel Network (800-956-4822, educatorstravel.com), a kind of cooperative run by teachers for teachers. You must be a working or retired educator to join. Once in - there is a $36 annual membership fee - you pay just $40 a night (plus a $5 booking fee)

In HBO's "Friends of God: A Road Trip With Alexandra Pelosi," which premieres tonight at 9, Red State America is an Oz theme park and evangelical Christians are its munchkins. With filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi as our guide, we visit the Christian Wrestling Foundation and a fighter named Jesus Freak. How cute. We espy the car club Cruisers for Christ; we stop at a drive-through church for a prayer deposit; we take in Biblical Miniature Golf, including a course called Parting of the Red Sea. We glimpse evangelical Elvis.

I PSWICH - They acted like any family enjoying a sunny summer afternoon on the Essex River estuary. Dad took one of the kids out on the marsh to fish or just cruise around. Mom and the other offspring relaxed at home, enjoying the views and sharing some seafood. The weird thing: There were a dozen of us watching from our kayaks. This was a family of four ospreys, you see, living in a nest atop a stand near the edge of the water. In truth, we weren't sure which of these majestic raptors was Mom and which one was Dad, but aside from a few warning "caws" they didn't seem to mind having an...

LIGHTS OUT IN WONDERLAND By DBC Pierre Norton, 350 pp., $25.95 When Adolf Hitler conceived Berlin's Tempelhof Airport as a monumental gateway to his planned capital of Germania, he could not have envisioned that seven decades later it could be reinvented as Orgy Central for the impossibly rich. That preposterous makeover could perhaps only be facilitated by Gabriel Brockwell, the coke-snorting creative thinker at the heart of DBC Pierre's blisteringly funny tale of three cities, "Lights Out in Wonderland.