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Air India Crash; Post Partum Depression in Fathers

Aired May 22, 2010 - 16:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And now an investigation is starting after a plane crash in India that killed nearly 160 passengers.

A new study says it is not just new mothers, by the way, who suffer from postpartum depression, about 10 percent of fathers suffer as well. We'll hear from a father and an expert.

And everyone is - their favorite green ogre, remember him? Well, he's back at the movie theater. We'll have a review of "Shrek Forever After."

First, today's top story, they're looking for the flight recorders in the wreckage of an Air India jet. The Boeing 737 was landing in Mangalore in southern India when it overshot the runway and plunged down a hill. 158 people are feared dead. Eight people were actually taken to the hospital.

And now some sobering words from President Obama to members of today's graduating class of the United States Military Academy. Mr. Obama traveled to West Point, New York, this morning to deliver the commencement address. He told the 1,002 cadets, the U.S. faces difficult days ahead in Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So this war has changed over the last nine years. But it is no less important than it was in those days after 9/11. We toppled the Taliban regime. Now we must break the momentum of a Taliban insurgency and train Afghan security forces. We have supported the election of a sovereign government, now we must strengthen its capacity. We have brought hope to the Afghan people, now we must see that their country does not fall prey to our common enemies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And a lonesome return to the U.S. moments ago for three mothers. They just returned from Iran where their children are still in jail accused of being spies. The women traveled to Iran, just last week, in an effort to win their children's freedom. They return this past hour to New York exhausted and empty handed.

Our Susan Candiotti is joining us now from New York at JFK where these women arrived. Susan?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, it was a very disappointing trip for the mothers because, of course, as you indicated, they came home without their children in tow. These are the mothers of the three American hikers who have been in prison in Iran since July, so that's more than nine months.

And they went over after applying for a visa several months ago. During the time of their children's imprisonment, they have only had one phone call with them, so they were overjoyed to get two visits with them for a visit of just about 10 hours.

But after that, they were put on a plane to come back, without their children at their side. This is what one of the mothers said a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our greatest hope was to bring our children home with us where they belong. We will hope and pray that the Iranian authorities will now find it in their hearts to resolve our children's case. And release them without delay.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: Now, while the mothers were in Iran, the Iranian government also set up a meeting between the mothers and some Iranian mothers as well who said that their sons and daughters or daughters had been detained by the Americans in Iraq.

Now those Iranian detainees, according to the U.S. government, were - two of them were released very recently, but the U.S. government denies that any upcoming exchange is pending as a result of this. The Iranian government has been asking for a prisoner exchange. But, again, there is no indication of that happening at this time unless, perhaps, something is happening behind the scenes that no one is aware of.

That, of course, would be the hope of the mothers. They simply want their two sons and daughter home with them. Back to you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: And Susan, did the mothers elaborate on what's next for them? What's their next move?

CANDIOTTI: Well, they hope to continue to, they said, plead with the Iranian government to reconsider, to allow them to be released and they will, of course, continue their international campaign in order to get a lot of public support, put pressure on the Iranian government to free the three hikers.

WHITFIELD: Susan Candiotti at JFK in New York. Thanks so much.

And now to the gulf where unchecked oil spewing at a rate of more than 210,000 gallons a day is fouling the water, the wetlands and, of course, the moods. BP is focusing on its top kill strategy now. But there is no guarantee that that will work.

The plan involves two steps. The first, pump plugging agents into the damaged wellhead to slow or stop the flow of oil. Second, pump in heavy mud or cement, which is supposed to plug it up and possibly seal it.

Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency has changed its mind about the use of dispersants to break up the oil in the ocean. It is telling BP to find less toxic chemicals to deal with the leak. Many experts worry about the quantity that is being dumped on the spill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PROF. PETER HODSON, QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY: The dispersant itself is among the least toxic of dispersants that are approved for use. The problem, I think, is the amount that's being used. The amount is unprecedented in terms of what has been sprayed on the surface and what's been sprayed underneath the ocean directly into the emerging oil.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So there is growing debate about how to deal with the oil in the marshes in particular. Experts say a mechanical cleanup could do more harm than good. One extreme opinion, setting fire to the oily wetlands and then actually burning it.

Well, today, President Obama took steps to help prevent another oil leak disaster. He named a bipartisan commission to investigate the disaster.

All right. A fight over textbooks in Texas that could impact schools across the country. Some say the controversy is more about politics than standards.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Conservatives have won the day in Texas, voting to adopt controversial changes to social studies and history textbooks. Critics denounce the move as an attempt to rewrite history. The vote has nationally impact, because Texas is one of the largest buyers of textbooks in the country and other states often end up buying very similar books.

New Mexico is a state with a lot of technological know how and a whole lot of sunshine as well. And that combination is bringing in all sorts of solar energy giving a real jolt to the job market. Our Tom Foreman is with the CNN Express in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for today's "Building Up America" report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With easily more than 300 days of sunshine each year, New Mexico is one of the sunniest states in the country. And there is a wave of solar energy companies coming to set up shop. One of the biggest, Schott Solar. And ever since this German-owned company opened -

(on camera): ... this massive complex on the south side of Albuquerque, they have been energizing the local jobs market.

(voice-over): Amid the whirl of robots in this 175,000 square foot plant, workers are turning out solar cells and related technology as fast as they can. And their products are going out the door just as quickly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is a growing technology and there is a demand for it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We basically sell everything that we produce.

FOREMAN (on camera): You feel good about it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Personally, I see a future here.

FOREMAN (voice-over): It's no accident. Up in the capital, Santa Fe, another fellow believes he can see the future too.

GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO: Am I always right or what?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

FOREMAN: Governor Bill Richardson is pushing his state hard to recruit more and more solar companies.

RICHARDSON: I just concentrate like a laser on saying, any solar entity, please come to New Mexico. We will do everything we can to recruit you. And it is working.

FOREMAN: And the result, 2,500 new jobs already this year as more companies follow Schott Solar's lead.

Solar is still a tiny sliver of the U.S. energy market, but this state is intent on grabbing a big share of that, convinced it will mean a lot of jobs, money, and bright days ahead.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Tom Foreman is also involved in a CNN special on our home page. It is called "Jobs in Focus, a Sign of the Times." Tom Foreman and a team of CNN's photo journalists showing you the creative ways that Americans are finding ways to get by during these tough economic times. Look for it on cnn.com/video.

All right. Let's check in with our Jacqui Jeras right now. We're talking about the tropics getting some nasty weather and then Chicago area getting a whole lot of heat. What now? What's going on?

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I know, weather headlines, a lot of extremes this weekend from temperatures, tropics and then also some severe weather is going to be popping up here I think in the next couple of hours. So we'll start off with tropics. Because this is new-ish. And we have been dealing with the other things for a while yet. This is an area of disturbed weather, it's out in the Atlantic.

Let's put this in perspective. Here are the Bahamas right here. There you can see Florida. And the brown that you see on the map, that's really dry air. And everywhere that you see the white and this blue, that's a lot of moisture. And notice the little swirl over here, this is not an organized system. That's not a tropical depression or a tropical storm yet.

But it has the potential to become the first named either tropical or sub-tropical system. Right now that dry air is moving into it along with some stronger winds. So that's not allowing it to get organized and developed. But as we think it is going to drift off towards the north and west, it is going to start to encounter some warmer water temperatures and some lighter winds.

So there is the potential we could see this happen in the next couple of days. I think we would be looking at maybe Tuesday at the earliest. And if it takes this northwesterly track, we would be watching places like the Carolina coastline.

We don't think this will be a major storm for you. But it will bring in some heavy rains and also some gusty winds. So this will be something to watch over the next couple of days and notice the spaghetti models as we call it, each one of these lines indicates a potential path that this storm could take. And notice that they're just all over the place. None of these models are really showing much of a consensus here just yet.

All right. Let's see what's going on across the lower 48. Today, we got some showers and thundershowers. They are just trying to get going here across the western Dakotas. The Storm Prediction Center says they could potentially issue a watch here in the next hour or so. Large hail and damaging winds, the big concern, but can't rule out an isolated tornado or two.

We have got a slight risk of seeing some stronger thunderstorms down here in the Carolinas. Everything you're seeing up towards the Great Lakes is just going to be some moderate to light rain showers for you throughout the day for you. As we head to tomorrow, a little more energy with this system kicks in. And we do have a better chance of severe thunderstorms all across the plains states.

Ahead of this system, we have this ridging taking place. And that means that the air is compressing and that means that it is going to be heating up. So the temperatures will be crazy warm here, crazy cool across parts of the west. And we're talking differences between about 20 and 30 degrees.

WHITFIELD: That's huge.

JERAS: Compared to where you should be for this time of the year. So near 90 in Chicago and Minneapolis.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness.

JERAS: 60s for Las Vegas and Los Angeles. WHITFIELD: That's so premature for Chicago. They don't usually see temperatures anywhere like that until what, July or August?

JERAS: 72 is the average high in Chicago for this time of the year. You're talking pushing 90 degrees.

WHITFIELD: Oh, something tells me they're happy though. They'll be happy.

JERAS: Hit the lake tomorrow.

WHITFIELD: There you go. Hit the beach. All right. Thanks so much, Jacqui.

OK. An "SNL" character making the leap to the big screen, yet another one. But how will audiences react to "Macgruber." We're checking out the latest movies.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories right now.

A search is under way at the site of a deadly Air India plane crash. A flight coming in from Dubai overshot a runway at the airport in Mangalore, India, and plunged down the hill. 158 people are feared dead and eight people were actually sent to the hospitals. Investigators are looking for the plane's data and voice recorders, which may offer clues about what caused that accident.

And a pipe bomb exploded early this morning outside a West Virginia nightclub. Investigators blame a domestic dispute. The suspected bomber was killed in the blast, but there are no other reports of any other injuries.

And three American mothers returned home from Iran empty-handed today. They were hoping to win freedom for their adult children, three hikers arrested in Iran last July. While the mothers were allowed to see their children, they were not allowed to bring them home. One of the mothers says the pain, in her words, is almost more than we can bear.

A clueless soldier of fortune, an ogre with an attitude and a Jewish kid who deals ecstasy. Just a few of the characters coming to the theaters. Film critic "What A Flick" from the youngturks.com and host of "Turner Classic Movies", Ben Mankiewicz joining us now from Los Angeles. OK. Good to see you, Ben.

BEN MANKIEWICZ, HOST OF "TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES": Good to see you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: OK. We're going to talk about "Macgruber" first. Tell me a little bit about it.

MANKIEWICZ: "Macgruber" is the adaptation of the "Saturday Night Live" skit, which is a spoof of the '80s TV handy man-turned everything lying around the house into a weapon "Macgyver." And also starring Will Forte's character and has Kristen Wiig in it and Ryan Phillippe.

And it actually has a story and a plot with Val Kilmer as the bad guy and a giant nuclear weapon. And I didn't expect - I didn't expect much from it, but as I'll tell you about momentarily, I was pleasantly surprised.

WHITFIELD: Well, let's take a peek at it then.

MANKIEWICZ: All right.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me tell you how this is going to go down. First thing, I'm going to kick you in the chin, break in your jaw in four places. I'm going to take you and karate flip you over my back and then knee your nose into your brain killing you instantly. I do want to get a throat rip in here. I think that's going to be you, small fry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: OK. Do you like it? It looks a little like eccentric -

MANKIEWICZ: You know, I laughed out loud almost throughout the entire movie. I got to be honest, I was surprised most of the theater laughed out loud throughout the movie. I know not all critics like this film. I think it stands up with some of the best "Saturday Night Live" adaptations. I thought the - if you'll excuse me, the sex scenes in it were hilarious and incredibly inventive. I really, really, really liked this movie. Occasionally as all these character movies do -

WHITFIELD: That was really, really, really - that was three reallies, wow.

MANKIEWICZ: That was three reallies and occasionally they go too far, they go some scatological stuff that isn't necessary but they always come back to funny. Will Forte plays the incompetent brilliantly throughout. Ryan Phillippe is a great straight man. Kristen Wiig, as good as she was in "Knocked Up " or "Adventure Land," she's very funny.

I think this is a winner. I give it a B. I was much closer to B plus than I was B minus. This is very funny. And if you're looking for a comedy, go see it.

WHITFIELD: OK. We like it when Ben is happy. So now, Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy teaming up again for another "Shrek" sequel and Cameron Diaz, right? She's still in there.

MANKIEWICZ: Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Eddie Murphy, everybody comes back for this one. "Shrek 4: Ever After," this apparently the final installment of the "Shrek" series. I think mercifully the final installment. This is kind of a lost theme. Shrek - he loves his family but he dreams of going back one day of being an ogre. And he gets that opportunity, the new character here is Rumpelstiltskin. But when this alternate reality takes place, it puts Shrek in a difficult predicament. Will he even exist in the life that he actually set out and craves with his family?

WHITFIELD: Oh, let's take a little peek at it. Shall we?

MANKIEWICZ: All right. OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome to the resistance.

"SHREK": Resistance?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We fight for freedom and ogres everywhere!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: OK. still filled with a lot of adult humor.

MANKIEWICZ: Yes, you know, as with all the Shreks, you know, there is the idea that their poor kids with a lot of adult humor. The adult humor didn't work here for me, the 3-D didn't work for me. It was very flat. The only funny stuff I thought was the Antonio Banderas' character in the alternate universe being incredibly fat, a fat cat. I though there were a couple of funny lines there, a couple of other funny lines.

I don't think this is a good Shrek. One and two were delightful. Three was a disappointment. I think this is a disappointment. I gave it a C minus. It is tolerable, but I can't say a great deal more than that.

WHITFIELD: OK. This third film is a different kind of crime story. What do we need to know about "Holy Rollers"?

MANKIEWICZ: Well, this movie has been done so many times. It is about Hasidic Jews who go to Europe to smuggle ecstasy back to the United States. I mean, come on, another one of these stories. No, it is original and its based on a true story and it is in that sense inventive. And I will give them credit for that, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: OK. Well, we're going to have to take a peek at it right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You don't be so nervous. I'm not going to rat you out to your rabbi.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there something you want to tell me?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really like you, Sam. I'm willing to offer you $1,500 for the trip plus I'll give you -

(END VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: OK. A letter grade on this one. Something tells me -

MANKIEWICZ: Well, I gave it a C plus, Fredricka. Jesse Eisenberg is the star here. He carries the movie, the first 30 minutes are terrific. He's trying to balance his relationship with his family. He doesn't have any money. And his father is trying to set him up to - with a wife.

But he's drawn into this other life, this life of drug smuggling. He's terrific. The movie breaks down a little bit in the last half. I'm giving it a slight recommendation with that C plus grade.

WHITFIELD: Right.

MANKIEWICZ: I liked it. I didn't love it. But I liked it. The first half is terrific. And Jesse Eisenburg is a very, very, very talented actor.

WHITFIELD: All right. Ben, we're not done with you. We're going to take a short break but we are going to talk to you again about those DVDs that are in stores or video rental place near you that you can pick up coming next week. "The Messenger," "Dear John" among them.

Ben Mankiewicz, see you in a few.

MANKIEWICZ: See you soon. Thanks.

WHITFIELD: OK.

All right. Oil is still spewing from that damaged well in the Gulf of Mexico. You're looking at a live look right now from the ocean floor. Meantime, President Obama just did something today to combat the problem, perhaps. Live report straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Another look at our top story.

Investigators will continue to search for the flight recorders in the wreckage of an Air India jet. The Boeing 737 was landing in Mangalore in southern India when it overshot the runway and plunged down a hill. 158 people are dead. Eight people were taken to the hospital.

And CNN's Liz Neisloss joins us now live from Bangalore, give me an idea of the update.

LIZ NEISLOSS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, I'm in Bangalore, India and I am outside a hospital where two survivors have been brought both with amazing stories. One, a woman in her mid-20s, a Bangladeshi woman, a medical student, who was at the front of the plane when the plane crash landed, broke open. She jumped out of the plane and then plunged further down a ravine, and ended up in a tree. And that's where rescuers found her.

The other, a young man, an Indian worker who was working in Dubai and on his way home. He survived with just minor burns and cuts when the plane crashed, broke into flames. He managed to get out of his seatbelt and run off the plane. So two very amazing stories among eight survivors.

One of those survivors, I'm told, was found just off the end of the runway, wandering around in a daze, Fredricka.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Liz Neisloss, thanks so much from Mangalore, India. Appreciate that update.

Next week we understand BP will be trying again to plug that oil leak in the Gulf. But President Obama is taking action right now to keep disasters like this one from happening again. Today he set up a new commission, the goal, find out what went wrong in the Gulf. Let's bring in our Kate Bolduan now, from Washington-Kate .

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Fredricka.

This is the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. That's the name of the group and its mission is a big one. To nail down what are the root causes of this massive spill. And also then, figure out how to prevent this from happening again in the future.

Men leading this investigation, they come with credentials. Former Democratic senator from Florida, Bob Graham, a state that cares very much about this issue in the Gulf; and former EPA administrator, during the Bush administration, William Riley.

President Obama, he talked about this bipartisan commission in his weekly radio and internet address. Listen here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I can't think of two people who will bring greater experience or better judgment to the task at hand. In the days to come, I'll appoint five other distinguished Americans including scientists, engineers and environmental advocates to join them on the commission. And I'm directing them to report back in six months with recommendations on how we can prevent and mitigate the impact of, any future spills that result from offshore drilling.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: President Obama created this commission with -- through an executive order and all of this comes as the Obama administration has faced increasing criticism about whether it is doing enough to stop this spill, and intervene enough, as this all comes as many elected officials and environmental groups, Fredricka, have really grown frustrated over BP's handling of the cleanup. As you heard, President Obama right there, he said the commission has six months and then will have to report back with recommendations of how to prevent this all from happening again in the future. That's a huge job that he's just handed to them.

WHITFIELD: Yes. All right. Kate Bolduan, thanks so much. For those of you just noticing at the bottom of the screen, there is a box there, 31 days and a count, a count up. And this is ticking the amount of time that that oil spill has been taking place there in the Gulf. Kate Bolduan in Washington, appreciate that.

Meantime, here's what that leaking wellhead actually looks like. It is a very cloudy image, but again this is 5,000 feet below the surface. You can click on to CNN.com for live streaming video of the rupture to get a better view about what's taking place.

Six men have been detained in Pakistan for alleged links to the attempted Times Square bombing. A senior intelligence official says two of the men have admitted to playing a role in that botched attack. We're learning new details now about some of the other detainees including the co-owner of an upscale catering company in the capital of Islamabad. More now from CNN's Reza Sayah.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REZA SAYAH, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT (On camera): A U.S. embassy here in Islamabad cutting off ties with a Pakistani catering company on Friday after what embassy security officials called, "possible links" between this company and terrorist groups. The company called Hanif Rajput Catering Service, is a very popular company that often caters upscale events attended by Pakistani VIPs and military officials.

In a statement e-mailed on Friday, the U.S. embassy asking all U.S. citizens here to avoid contact with this company. The statement did not say what kind of links, if any, this particular company has with terrorist groups. CNN has also learned the son of the founder of this catering company, a 35-year-old by the name of Salman Ashraf has been detained here in Islamabad.

One official telling CNN that Salman Ashraf may have links to the New York bomb suspect Faisal Shahzad, although the military officials did not say what those links are. We spoke to the family, of Salman Ashraf, they're obviously very upset. They described their son as kind, loving and hardworking. They say he spent some time in the U.S. between 1997 and 2001, attending college, first in Tampa, Florida, then Houston, Texas. The family defended their company and then their son.

RANA ASHRAF KHAN, OWNER, HANIF RAJPUT CATERING: It is a very unkind and I should use the word, very lightly, it is a very wicked accusation.

SAYAH (On camera): What about your son? There is accusations by U.S. and Pakistani officials that he's possibly linked to terrorists.

KHAN: That is totally baseless. He is not the type of guy who would ever think of involving himself into any criminal activity.

SAYAH: Ashraf's father telling CNN his son disappeared on May 10th and he had no idea he had been detained until now. He says the family is getting a lawyer to find out where his son is, and what he's being accused of. They say once the facts come out they are confident that the company, and their son, will be cleared of any wrongdoing. Reza Sayah, CNN, Islamabad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, romance is in the air for a U.S. soldier and a conservative college student. But will sparks fly for "Dear John"? We're checking out the latest DVD releases.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories now. In southern India today, a passenger jet crashed killing 158. Eight people were survived. Indian authorities are recovering bodies and investigating why the plane overshot the runway at Mangalore, and plunged into a ravine. The Air India jet was on a flight from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

The Vatican is weighing in on this week's news about scientists creating the world's first synthetic cell. It is praising the development as an interesting result, which could help cure diseases. But the Vatican is pointing out that the creation of cells does not equal the creation of life.

And sobering words from president Obama to members of the latest graduating class of the United States Military Academy. Mr. Obama travelled to West Point, New York, this morning to deliver the commencement address. He told the graduating cadets the U.S. faces difficult days ahead in the tough fight against insurgents in Afghanistan.

A couple of unexpected romances and a dark adventure story are all coming out on DVD. Film critic for "What The Flick" on the Youngturks.com and host of Turner Classic Movies," Ben Mankiewicz, joining us now from Los Angeles.

Hello again. So let's start with "Dear John". And what you liked about it, what we need to know about it.

BEN MANKIEWICZ, FILM CRITIC: Well, "Dear John" is the adaptation, another sort of tear jerking adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel. Amanda Seyfried, Channing Tatum. Here is what you know when you get a Nicholas Sparks adaptation, you get two young lovers, they will fall for each other, there will be obstacles, someone will get very sick, they're probably going to die, and then they're either going to get together or not but you're not going to care, because you're going to feel overwhelmingly manipulated at that point.

WHITFIELD: You're sounding a little cynical here.

MANKIEWICZ: Oh, my God, with these movies, and Nicholas Sparks. You know, I like Amanda Seyfried, and I think she has a great vibrance on screen. I actually like Channing Tatum. I think he's a very talented guy. I think both of them are better than this schlock. I gave it a C minus, because I think it is better than some other Sparks adaptations. But I can't in good conscience recommend it in a theater, or on video.

WHITFIELD: OK, how about "The Messenger".

MANKIEWICZ: "The Messenger", Fred, a totally different story. Woody Harrelson was nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar, also a Golden Globe for his performance in this movie. Also, you Ben Foster there.

They play two soldiers with the horrible task of notifying family members of loved ones who have been KIA in Iraq or Afghanistan. And it is a thankless, terrible job, Woody Harrelson is the long-time vet who has done it, the career soldier, Ben Foster, is sort of finishing out his tour. He's been wounded. This is the end of his tour.

They're very different, but they come together. Their scenes together are great. Ben Foster was great in "310 to Yuma" you might remember him from "6 Feet Under". These are two great performances. Film strays a little bit with the love story, second half not as good as the first half. But this is a strong movie with great performances. I gave it a B. It is on top ten lists including from "New Yorker" film critic David Denby (ph), it is a worthy film. As I said, great performances, and certainly worth checking out.

WHITFIELD: B is good. You're a tough grader. You don't give those Bs lightly. So let's talk about the last DVD, a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and son trying to survive a devastated America. It is called "The Road."

MANKIEWICZ: Yes, well, "The Road," it is tough not to compare "The Road" to "No Country For Old Men" which is the last adaptation of a Cormick McCarthy book, which won best picture in 2007, I think one of the best films of the decade.

This is so much bleaker, this post apocalyptic world were Viggo Mortensen is sort of protecting his son from all of these terrible dangers that lurk in this post-apocalyptic world.

The problem with "The Road" is it is so bleak, it is so dark, I'm not sure director John Hilcoat (ph), in giving us this incredibly depressing world wanted to depress his audience quite so much.

That said, there is some depth to it. The performances, especially from Mortensen, are impressive. It is a B minus, I'm giving it, but be prepared to be pretty bummed out from start to finish.

WHITFIELD: OK. I'm feeling very uplifted now. Not.

MANKIEWICZ: I wanted to -- I thought it was important we end on a real high note.

WHITFIELD: OK, well, good. Good thing. I can always count on you. Thanks so much, Ben.

LAUGHTER)

MANKIEWICZ: Thanks, Fred. Great seeing you. WHITFIELD: Speaking of depression, how about depression after childbirth? I'm not talking about women. I'm talking about the dads.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, a look at our top stories right now, particularly what's going on in the Gulf of Mexico. Take a look right now. We have been showing you images, live images of the leak. Now we're getting a new angle. We understand the cameras are still coming from BP, supplying this live streaming video. If you look at the left of your screen there, you can see now what appear to be even like three maybe punctures, three different plumes of oil mixed with what is still expected to be methane gas coming from that leak, 5,000 feet below the surface. A mile down, below the surface there, a new angle. And if you want to continue to see these images, you can go to CNN.com/live.

Meantime, we understand that while the EPA has asked the BP to change the dispersants, that's an effort that is likely to get under way. And we also understand what was to happen this weekend, maybe now in the early part of the week, we understand that BP will try another method to try to stop or slow this leak and that would be trying to put mud as well as a combination of concrete into those punctures or those areas of the pipe that is leaking, as another effort to try to slow down or at least stop the leak.

Postpartum depression, it is a serious problem for about one in five new moms. Even celebrities like Brooke Shields, Gwyneth Paltrow, Courtney Cox Arquette and Marie Osmond have shared personal stories of depression after giving birth.

Well, moms aren't the only ones suffering from this. Ever heard of paternal postnatal depression? Well, a study in "The Journal of the American Medical Association" says about 10 percent of men are affected.

Well, I talked to an expert on the matter earlier in the week. As well as a dad who says he experienced it, Joel Schwartzberg.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much for joining us, Joel. We're also joined by dr. Will Courtney. He is an expert in men's psychology and well- being. Good to see you as well, Doctor.

Dr. Courtney, let me begin with you. Explain first of all, what is this? And we said one out of ten men get it, but do they know they have it?

WILL COURTENAY, PSYCHOLOGIST: No, and actually as a society, we're rather blind to men's postpartum depression, and men's depression in general. There is a cultural myth that men don't get depressed. So oftentimes we don't recognize it. And men don't recognize it. In fact, we often try to hide their depression which only worsens it.

What that study showed is that actually one in four new dads become depressed in that three to six-month period after their child is born.

WHITFIELD: Wow. That's a big number.

COURTENAY: And that amounts to 3,000 new dads each day who become newly depressed in the United States.

WHITFIELD: OK, let me ask Joel then-if, Joel, you're actually able -- you wrote a book about this, and other things, "The 40-Year-Old Version: Humors of A Divorced Dad". But I wonder, did you know, did you recognize the symptoms? Did you realize, that, hmm, what I'm feeling here could be this paternal depression?

JOEL SCHWARTZBERG, AUTHOR: I certainly didn't put that name to it. In fact, I didn't even call it depression. All I felt is that somehow I had a faulty fatherhood gene. I felt I was a bad dad because I couldn't bond with my children the way I saw literally everyone doing it in my neighborhood, on television. It just made me feel guilty and that exacerbated my depression and my sadness.

WHITFIELD: But, Doctor, couldn't that be as simple as, you know what, I'm new to this whole thing, being a parent? I don't know what to do and everybody feels a little bewildered at first?

COURTENAY: That can certainly contribute. We are expecting dads to be much more involved in parenting today than ever before. Most dads welcome that. But they are uncertain about what they are supposed to do. They don't have models for what they're supposed to do. So that uncertainty can very quickly lead to anxiety. And anxiety postpartum often leads to depression.

WHITFIELD: OK, so what are the symptoms? What do you look for to recognize that this is a condition that you have, and you need a little help?

COURTENAY: It is not so easy to spot men's depression. Because when we picture someone depressed, we usually think of somebody sad and crying. But men's depression doesn't always look like depression. It can look more like irritability, and anger, working constantly, withdrawing from friends and family, drinking too much, gambling too much. These are some of the ways that men experience and cope with depression differently than women do.

WHITFIELD: So, Joel, you identify with these things, you know, weight gain or weight loss, withdrawing, were any of these symptoms things you experienced?

SCHWARTZBERG: Definitely, Fredricka. A lot of that depression turned to resentment and anger. One of the ways I knew something was going on was I would often take my infant son out for a long drives to the nearest 24-hour doughnut place. And I would hope that he wouldn't wake up while I was literally throwing doughnuts in my mouth as if they were the last delicious thing on Earth.

What it was, was this was the one part of my former life before I was a father that meant something to me, eating and indulging myself in this way. I think I was desperately trying to reconnect with that past life. The more I ate, you know, it was sort of making me feel better at the time, but then I'd look back on it I thought, what am I doing. Something is off kilter here.

WHITFIELD: Wow, so Doctor Courtney, are there some men at greater risk than others to go through some of the same things that Joel just experienced?

COURTENAY: Yes, we suspect that men with a history of depression, anxiety about become a father, men that have a rocky relationship with their partner, economic stress, and a sick or colicky baby can all be risk factors.

But any man who isn't getting enough sleep probably is at greater risk. A lack of sleep probably plays a major role in this. We know that when normal healthy adults go without good sleep for just one month, they begin to show clinical signs of depression. Men's hormones also change. Most people don't realize that. They change both during pregnancy and early in the postpartum period. It is a double whammy, not only do our testosterone levels drop, but our estrogen levels and prolactin levels increase. And those hormonal changes, along with a neuro-chemical change in our brain that can result from sleep deprivation, kind of combine to create this perfect storm that peaks in that three to six-month period after the child is born.

WHITFIELD: So, Joel, at what point did you recognize I have a problem here and I need some help, and/or what kind of help did you actually get?

SCHWARTZBERG: Honestly, Fredricka, I didn't realize I was going through a kind of depression until many years later when I began writing about it. At the time, like I said, I felt like something was wrong with me and it was only after my children began to grow up, they began to smile and exhibit, you know, unique personalities, and when I -- my body got used to the sleep deprivation that I started to come out of it, myself.

But I wish, going back, that there had been studies like this where people had been talking about it or as a father we're more allowed to talk about it, and I could have gotten the help I needed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Pretty interesting topic there. All right, Grand Rapids, Michigan, this would-be robber, take a look, probably said oops after going through a grocery store clerk with a knife. It was a pretty big knife, by the way, but it was no match for the baseball bat the clerk happened to have right behind the counter. The clerk got in a few good whacks and licks there as you see right there, at least the run. And another swing and a miss and the robber was simply out of there.

Something else in the water cooler. After 34 years, the old Giant stadium is coming down piece by piece. Demolition crews brought down the press box at the Meadowlands Wednesday night, right there. The brand new Meadowlands stadium opens next week for a Bon Jovi concert. And the Giants and the Jets will play there in the fall. Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Don Lemon is coming up with more of THE NEWSROOM, with a look at your ideas about how to clean up the Gulf Coast oil spill. We'll run them past Bill Nye, the Science Guy. That's straight ahead in the next hour of THE NEWSROOM.

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