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If you've been arguing with your friends and family about the arrest and detainment of Roman Polanski in Switzerland last week, don't feel bad -- you're not the only one with an opinion. There's a debate brewing in Hollywood over the acclaimed director and his current legal predicament, and everyone has jumped into the fray. Polanski fled from the US after a conviction for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor back in 1978, and with his recent arrest some of the biggest names in Hollywood have been publicly showing support. Recently, filmmakers like Michael Mann, Darren Aronofsky, Terry Gilliam, and Woody Allen (ahem, yes, even Woody Allen) signed a petition demanding the filmmaker's release from a Zurich jail. On the other hand, there is a very real possibility that not everybody is on board the love train, and the problem is that those people aren't talking.

Hollywood is a business, and just like in any other business, reputation can be everything. If you think of Hollywood as the world's biggest high school, then you can see how nobody wants to be excluded from the 'cool table' -- and it doesn't help that the pro-Polanski faction has Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese, and the opposition has Sherri Shepherd and 'Nellie Olsen'. In a piece for the LA Times, writer/blogger Melissa Silverstein said, "I think people are afraid to talk in Hollywood. They are afraid about their next job." Sure, that might sound slightly paranoid, but power players like Harvey Weinstein are writing op-eds in support of the director, so maybe she's not completely off the mark.

After the jump: making excuses and Hollywood vs. Middle America...

Or, alternatively, which do you think would make more money at the theater: I Know Who Killed Me or Lindsay Lohan talking to Larry King for an hour? In case you've just woken up and Cinematical is the first thing you're reading today (if so, we're honored -- thanks!), La Lohan was once again arrested in the wee hours of the morning and charged with a number of things, including drunken driving and cocaine possession. Apparently, the cops were called when the mother of Lohan's former personal assistant found her vehicle being chased around a parking lot by Lohan. Just another day in the life, huh Linds? Her arrest comes only a couple days before her latest film, I Know Who Killed Me, is set to hit theaters. Since the marketing campaign for that film has been all but non-existent (has anyone even seen a TV spot?), there's a chance all this free publicity might turn out to be great for a film heading into the weekend with little to no buzz behind it.

Although something similar happened the week before Georgia Rule hit theaters (in that case, video of Lohan snorting coke had surfaced online), it did nothing to bolster that film's box office take. Then again, Georgia Rule wasn't very controversial and/or appetizing -- I guess some would call it a "chick flick." On the other hand, I Know Who Killed Me features Lohan playing a stripper -- it's a thriller -- and those attracted to her bad girl image might be more inclined to check it out after seeing her name splashed across the news all week. Keep in mind, each and every single story that mentions Lohan will, at some point, talk about I Know Who Killed Me. And although TriStar Pictures would never admit it, her getting arrested could be the best thing to happen to a little thriller lost amongst the hustle and bustle of this summer's bigger films. What do you think? Will you be seeing the film this weekend? And will Lohan's latest arrest factor into your decision?

Oh, it's officially on -- as if folks weren't all up in arms prior to Hounddog's screening at Sundance, now there's a petition circulating online attempting to not only block the film's release, but also asking law enforcement to arrest Dakota Fanning's mother (Joy) and agent (Cindy Osbrink). Should you be interested in signing such a petition, here's a little taste of what you'd be agreeing with: "They both are responsible, and if so they should be arrested and the film destroyed so the public doesn't witness this atrocity all in the name of an Oscar, whose name will be tarnished in the process."

Yes, apparently, the people behind this petition also feel like the only reason Dakota decided to take on the role was so she would be nominated for an Oscar. But let's back up for a minute -- is this sexually explicit rape scene featuring a 12-year-old actress against the law? Is it really kiddie porn? Slate looked into the actual law which states that things only get messy if the viewer is somehow convinced by what they see on the screen that Dakota Fanning had actual, real-life intercourse on set which, as most of us already know, rarely ever happens in a film featuring adults, let alone children. Says writer-director Deborah Kampmeier: "... you have a child yelling 'Stop it!' and only when you put that next to an image of a boy unzipping his pants do you see that it's rape."

Kevin and Kim both seemed to feel the same way about the rape scene -- that it wasn't nearly as bad as watching Fanning prance around in a "skimpy undershirt and panties, writing and wriggling her hips and fanny seductively as she imitates Elvis Presley's dancing style." But this is her Jodie Foster moment. This role shall define Dakota's transition from cute and cuddly to serious and thought-provoking. This is what the movies are all about -- consistently pushing the barrier and experiencing uncomfortable images all for the sake of pure entertainment and, perhaps, everyone will learn something in the process. Right?

Eighteen-year-old Haley Joel Osment pleaded no contest in court yesterday, and the judge didn't offer him a chance to Pay it Forward. Osment will serve three years probation, serve 60 hours in an alcohol rehabilitation program, attend 26 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings over a six month period, and pay $1500 in fines. Osment, who fractured a rib and injured his shoulder during an accident in July which involved him flipping a 1995 Saturn after crashing into a brick mailbox outside of Los Angeles, also had a .16 blood alcohol content (twice the legal limit) and a quantity of marijuana.

Osment's film Home of the Giants is currently in post-production and should be released later this year or in early 2007, so what will this mean for the teenage star? He doesn't have a next film lined up, which isn't too uncommon, but his last film was Secondhand Lions, which performed poorly at the box office in 2003 (although I highly enjoyed the Michael Caine and Robert Duvall pairing). He's done a lot of voiceover work since then, but this might put his live-action career on the skids for awhile. He's fallen a long way since his Oscar nominated performance in The Sixth Sense.

While it could bring trouble for the young actor, high-profile arrests in Hollywood have often proven to boost careers, just look at Hugh Grant, Russell Crowe, Robert Downey Jr., Nick Nolte, and Mel Gibson. While the jury is still out on how Mel will ultimately be affected, all of the other actors have enjoyed success after their days in court.

What do you think? Will this hurt or harm his career?

More Haley Joel Osment on Cinematical:

BREAKING: Haley Joel Osment in Serious Car Crash

Haley Joel Heads to Jail?

So, you know that Mel Gibson arrest for DUI that went off "without incident"? Well, according to documents obtained by TMZ, that's not entirely accurate. If this handwritten report (link points to a PDF file) by the arresting officer is real, there was was nothing cooperative whatsoever about saintly Gibson. Instead, after allegedly running for his own vehicle when asked to get into the squad car (and subsequently being cuffed), he commenced swearing like a sailor, threatening to "get even" with the cop who was taking him in. In what the officer reported were the actor's own words, revenge would be simple because, as Gibson repeatedly told the arresting officer, he "own[s] Malibu." When that didn't work, Gibson allegedly took the old, reliable anti-Semitic route. Again according to the arresting officer's (alleged) report, the actor went off a tirade, apropos of nothing: "'F*****g Jews ... The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world.' Gibson then asked the deputy, 'Are you a Jew?'" Boy, nothing but class there, huh?

Just to say it one more time: This is all alleged at the moment. But, damn, it sounds bad. Either Mel is a really nasty drunk, or there's a cop in the LA County Sheriff's Department who really, really wants to be famous.

Edit: Comments on this post are now closed.

Actor Brad Renfro (AKA the kid from The Client) has had sort of a tough week. On Monday he was before a judge for sentencing after pleading guilty to attempted possession of heroin, a charge stemming from his arrest in a December sting operation. Because California has a law that allows non-violent drug offenders to enter treatment rather than the state pen, the judge, in addition to handing down three years of probation and the warning of up to 18 months in jail for a subsequent drug arrest, ordered Refro into a "drug diversion" program.

It turns out, however, that any "Woo hoo! No prison!" celebration following that court appearance was a mite hasty, because when Renfro pleaded no contest yesterday to a November drunk driving charge, he was sentenced to 10 days in prison, another five years probation, and 18 months in (yet another) counseling program. Doh! To his credit, the actor turned himself in on the spot, and began serving the sentence immediately.

Ah, child stars. They're like little, human car wrecks.

Actor Brad Renfro, who was pulled from obscurity at 12 when Joel Schumacher picked him off the street to appear in 1994's The Client, was arrested in California yesterday when he tried to buy heroin from an undercover cop. The sting operation, which reportedly was not aimed specifically at Renfro, resulted in the arrests of a total of 15 people. Renfro, who avoided jail time with a plea in a 1998 cocaine and marijuana charge, is 23. More details as we get them.

[Thanks, Deidre.]