Kiefer Sutherland has been handed an early Christmas gift - a Los Angeles judge has agreed to let the actor serve jail time at a private prison. Sutherland feared he'd be spending Christmas behind bars at the notorious Twin Towers facility after he was sentenced to spend 48 days in jail for drink driving. But the 24 star learned he'll be required to serve his time at the Glendale City Jail on Wednesday. Sutherland, who wore a black suit and tie for his court appearance, must complete his sentence by March 30. The actor pleaded no contest to DUI on October 9. Judge Stuart M. Rice also sentenced Sutherland to five years probation, and insisted the star must complete an 18-month alcohol education program and attend weekly therapy sessions for six months. As WENN went to press, Sutherland was being "processed" and booked into the Glendale City Jail.

In a year with no one film as a specific front-runner of the awards season, the National Board of Review has given a leg up to the Coen brothers' No Country for Old Men, honoring it as Best Picture, as well as with the group's ensemble cast award and adapted screenplay honor. In a reflection of the lack of heavyweight pictures and performances favored for potential Academy Award nominations, the National Board spread around its awards to a number of movies and actors. Tim Burton was named Best Director for Sweeney Todd, while former Oscar winners George Clooney (Michael Clayton) and Julie Christie (Away From Her) were honored as Best Actor and Actress; the supporting awards went to two highly acclaimed performances: Casey Affleck for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and Amy Ryan in Gone Baby Gone (which also starred Affleck). The Diving Bell and the Butterfly won the Foreign Film Award, with Body of War and Ratatouille named the best documentary and animated films, respectively. A group of film aficionados and academics, the National Board is not a critics' group per se, but has gained its fame by handing out the first honors of the awards season. Winners named by critics' groups in Boston, New York, and Los Angeles will follow in the next week, with the Golden Globe nominations being announced on Thursday, December 13.

Other awards include: Breakthrough Performance by an Actor - Emile Hirsch, Into The Wild; Breakthrough Performance by an Actress - Ellen Page, Juno; Best Directorial Debut - Ben Affleck, Gone Baby Gone; Best Original Screenplay (tie): Diablo Cody, Juno and Nancy Oliver, Lars and the Real Girl.

In addition to its Best Picture award, the National Board of Review also names the top ten films of the year, in alphabetical order: The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, Atonement, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Bucket List, Into The Wild, Juno, The Kite Runner, Lars And The Real Girl, Michael Clayton, and Sweeney Todd. --Mark Englehart, IMDb staff

Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers will not face charges following his arrest in connection with a fight in Dublin, Ireland last month. The Tudors star was facing charges of public drunkenness and breach of the peace over a row at Dublin Airport, when he allegedly clashed with staff who claimed he was too intoxicated to travel. But the case was dropped at Dublin District Court on Wednesday, meaning the 30-year-old will not be prosecuted over the incident - which came just two days before the death of his mother. His lawyer, Michael Staines, told the court his client's behavior was "unacceptable and out of character" and the actor has offered to make a donation to charity as a gesture of goodwill.

Actress Teri Hatcher has hit back at the bosses of a cosmetics firm suing her for breach of contract, insisting she complied with all their terms. Legal papers, filed by executives at Hydroderm skincare in Los Angeles on Tuesday, claim the Desperate Housewives actress promoted other beauty items, despite the fact she was paid $2.4 million to solely advertise Hydroderm products. And now angry Hatcher is responding to the suit insisting the allegations are "totally false and completely without merit." She insists she's the victim of the business deal because management changes at Hydroderm constantly left her unsure of the contract. In a statement, the actress' lawyer says, "Clearly, Hydroderm has embarked on this unjustified and public assault on Teri Hatcher's good name, reputation and celebrity in a transparent and pathetic effort to distract from its own failure to live up to its end of the agreement. Ms. Hatcher will respond swiftly and decisively by appropriate legal means to recover everything she is owed under her contract, as well as compensatory and punitive damages for Hydroderm's outrageous accusations."

Scarlett Johansson is threatening an American magazine with legal action over claims she had undergone plastic surgery on her nose. Us Weekly magazine, which recently published a picture of the star with the cover line, 'A-List Nip/Tuck', quoted her as saying: "I definitely believe in plastic surgery. I don't want to be an old hag. There's no fun in that." But the Lost In Translation star has vehemently denied the claims, insisting they are damaging to her image and will alienate her fans. The 23-year-old says in a statement, "I have always been straightforward with the press regarding my body image and I am very concerned that my fans (and perhaps even my employers) will feel mislead. Thus, I feel compelled to take immediate legal action against Us Weekly." Her spokesperson has also slammed the report as "outrageous," adding, "there simply is no truth to the story."

The makers of hit movie Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan have been slapped with a lawsuit from an American driving instructor who appeared in the 2006 comedy. Michael Psenicska began legal proceedings on Tuesday with the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, New York, seeking $100,000 in compensatory damages, citing the extensive advertising which used his image. The Baltimore, Maryland native has also accused the film's staff of lying about the nature of their production, which he believed was a documentary about immigrants in the U.S. But Gregg Brilliant, a spokesman for Twentieth Century Fox, says, "He signed a release, and we have an agreement. Now, two and a half years after giving his consent and more than one year after the movie was released, Mr. Psenicska has decided to file a lawsuit, citing the financial success of the film, in spite of our agreement." The film, which stars comedian Sacha Baron Cohen as his bumbling alter-ego Borat, has grossed over $260 million worldwide.

A man accused of stalking Kill Bill star Uma Thurman has rejected a plea deal to check into a mental health facility after protesting his innocence over charges of coercion. Jack Jordan is facing charges of harassment and felony coercion - which stems from an incident in which he allegedly told Thurman he would kill himself if he saw her with another man. The 35-year-old, who last month pleaded not guilty to the charges at Manhattan's Supreme Court in New York, turned down the prosecution's offer of enrolment in a mental health program on Wednesday - a deal which would have seen him serve a minimum of one year in an institution. His felony charge would then have been reduced to a misdemeanor upon completion of the program. But Jordan now faces up to four years in prison if convicted. He is currently free on $10,000 bail.

Jodie Foster has been honored with the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award for her success in the entertainment industry - but insists she isn't worthy of such an accolade. The actress, 45, was presented with the prize at the Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment Power 100 brunch at Los Angeles' Beverly Hills Hotel on Tuesday, but admits the secret to her long-lasting success is her "nutty" personality. She says, "There's no way you can do that and not be as nutty as a fruitcake. I always feel like something of an impostor. I don't know what I'm doing. I suppose that's my one little secret, the secret of my success." And despite being the guest of honor at the luncheon, she insists she feels like a newcomer to entertainment: "I don't feel very powerful. I feel fragile - unsure, struggling to figure it all out."

Socialite Nicole Richie has escaped her court-mandated anti-drinking-and-driving class - because she's too pregnant. The Simple Life was sentenced to a brief spell behind bars and the driving school lessons after she pleaded guilty to a DUI charge following a 2006 incident that saw her driving the wrong way down a Los Angeles highway. She served just 82 minutes in prison earlier this year and now her lessons have been halted. A spokeswoman for Richie tells Life & Style magazine, "Anyone who is pregnant or has medical issues can leave the class. It wasn't Nicole asking - she just showed up one day and the paparazzi were chasing her and she was exhausted. So the director of the program was concerned for her and suggested she take a leave of absence. She didn't get special treatment." Richie reportedly started the 18-month course last month.

Troubled star Amy Winehouse has denied media accusations she is using drugs, after photos emerged of a suspicious-looking substance in her car. Several British tabloids printed pictures of a "bag of white stuff" in the trunk of her vehicle on Tuesday, sparking further fears of a cocaine addiction. But in a statement released by the singer, she explains the contents of the bag are "in fact the driver's hand towels. Any implication or suggestion otherwise would be unfair." The incident comes after the 24-year-old was ordered by doctors to cancel the remaining dates on her U.K. tour and withdraw from any promotional commitments until the beginning of 2008 - to allow her to "take complete rest and deal with her health issues", according to a statement issued by her record company.

British beauty Keira Knightley has gone topless for the cover of an upcoming U.S. magazine. The Atonement star covers her nipples with braces and a gloved hand for the provocative new Sam Taylor-Wood shot that graces the cover of the December/January issue of Interview magazine. The actress says, "We ended by taking my clothes off. Why does that always happen? Because I say yes, I suppose!"