Of Birds and "Boer"dom

Colin Firth, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon and Ian McKellan are starring in "The Colossus," an adaptation of Ann Harries' novel, Manly Pursuits. Set against the backdrop of the Boer War, Firth plays an ornithologist hired to transport 500 birds to South Africa where an ailing colonist (McKellan) believes his health can only be restored by the sound of an English songbird. Along the way, Firth's character falls for a political activist (Weisz) who is trying to avert the impending war. Authors Lewis Carroll, Oscar Wilde and Rudyard Kipling apparently factor into the book's cast of characters, but no word on whether they'll make it into the movie. Filming begins this fall. -- Amy