Entertainment
The R-Rated Tom Hanks Movie Being Hidden From Viewers, A War Corruption Cover-Up
By TeeJay Small
| Published
Last year I decided I hadn’t seen enough Philip Seymour Hoffman movies. The late Academy Award winner has been called one of the greatest actors of his generation, despite usually appearing in supporting roles, rather than bolstering films as the lead. While tracking down films I hadn’t yet seen to cross off my list, I stumbled across Charlie Wilson’s War, which I rented on YouTube. The movie was so eerily prescient that it feels like it was intentionally crafted with today’s politics in mind, so it’s a shame that it isn’t currently streaming on Netflix or any of the major streaming outlets.
Real Life Adapted To Film
Charlie Wilson’s War is a true story biopic about U.S. Congressman Charlie Wilson, who worked alongside the CIA to support Afghan mujahideen militants during the Soviet-Afghan War. It’s a topic that I wasn’t especially familiar with before watching the movie, having been born nearly two decades after this real-life conflict began. Still, the narrative felt all too familiar to me, since it showcases something that’s been endlessly repeating in American politics for the last 60 years or so.
Tom Hanks portrays the title character, while Philip Seymour Hoffman takes on the role of CIA operative Gust Avrakotos. At the start of the film, Charlie Wilson is more concerned with partying and hooking up with strippers than doing his actual job. He even incurs the wrath of a young Rudy Giuliani, who opens a federal investigation into Wilson’s misconduct with drugs and alcohol. After meeting with a few Houston socialites in his party circles, Charlie changes his tune and is convinced to take on a crusade to help the Afghan people fight against a Soviet occupation overseas.
Destruction, Not Reconstruction
Throughout the narrative, we see Charlie Wilson fending off the possibility of impeachment, lobbying Congress to send more funds and weapons to the Afghans, and working closely with the CIA to ensure foreign nations such as Israel and Egypt assist in the war effort. I would have thought that a congressman putting in this much work was science fiction if I hadn’t looked it up myself, and he managed to do it all with a massive hangover. Over the course of the film, the CIA’s anti-communism budget balloons to $500 million annually, effectively kicking off the Reagan Doctrine, which spread American influence across nations at risk of undergoing communist revolution.
Towards the end of Charlie Wilson’s War, the Afghans emerge victorious, and American parties intend to pull support for the region once the dust settles. Gust and Charlie work to ensure that the U.S. puts some of its Reagan Doctrine money into rebuilding roads, schools, and hospitals, and not just exploding them, but the American taxpayer wants no part of it. In the end, it seems like a major victory for all anti-communist parties, but America’s failure to aid in reconstruction sets the stage for extremist groups to take hold, directly resulting in the rise of global terrorism and eventually the September 11 attacks in 2001.
Heavy Subject Matter, But Not Without Humor
I won’t get too political here, but I will say that Charlie Wilson’s War is a hard watch given our current political climate. As the U.S. prepares to engage in a boots-on-the-ground war with Iran, aided by Israel, to fight against a Middle Eastern government that only exists due to American meddling in the first place, Charlie Wilson’s War is all too prescient. The movie highlights the ways in which our government, which loves to drop bombs but hates to erect buildings after the rubble is cleared, has been making the same mistakes for decades.
Even still, Charlie Wilson’s War is an excellent watch with an incredible cast and a fascinating story. It’s also surprisingly funny, with a number of well-choreographed fast-paced sequences that feel like they’ve been pulled straight out of Archer. If you’re not up on this period of history, you should absolutely track down this movie and give it a watch. It made nearly $120 million at the global box office on a budget of $75 million and garnered a host of Oscar buzz upon release. Given that Charlie Wilson’s War was so lauded in 2007, it’s a bit of a head scratcher that streaming services don’t seem interested in highlighting it.
As of this writing, Charlie Wilson’s War can be rented or purchased on-demand through YouTube, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, and Fandango at Home.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 29, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if have a good ear.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
A sharp sound.
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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter C.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
CLANG
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
Entertainment
NYT Strands hints, answers for May 29, 2026
Today’s NYT Strands hints are easy if you’re an animal lover.
Strands, the New York Times‘ elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There’s always a theme linking every solution, along with the “spangram,” a special, word or phrase that sums up that day’s theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you’re feeling stuck or just don’t have 10 or more minutes to figure out today’s puzzle, we’ve got all the NYT Strands hints for today’s puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: E-I-E-I-O
The words are related to animals.
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Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained
These words describe barnyard animals.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?
Today’s NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.
NYT Strands spangram answer today
Today’s spangram is Farm Animals.
NYT Strands word list for May 29
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Cows
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Farm Animals
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Goats
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Chickens
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Sheep
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Horses
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Ducks
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Pigs
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable’s Games page has more hints, and if you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Strands.
Entertainment
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 29, 2026
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you have a sensitive nose.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that’s captured the public’s attention. The game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
What is Connections?
The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
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Here’s a hint for today’s Connections categories
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
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Yellow: Seas
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Green: Bad odors
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Blue: Found in an estate
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Purple: Acronym
Here are today’s Connections categories
Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:
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Yellow: Oceans
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Green: Sources of distinctive smells
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Blue: Kinds of rooms in a mansion
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Purple: What “PA” might refer to
Looking for Wordle today? Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today’s Connections #1083 is…
What is the answer to Connections today
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Oceans: ARCTIC, ATLANTIC, INDIAN, PACIFIC
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Sources of distinctive smells: AMMONIA, BO, DURIAN, WET DOG
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Kinds of rooms in a mansion: BILLIARD, DRAWING, POWDER, READING
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What “PA” might refer to: FATHER, PENNSYLVANIA, PROTACTINIUM, PUBLIC ADDRESS
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today’s puzzle.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Connections.
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