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SAN FRANCISCO – Cynthia Nixon learned the hard way this week that when it comes to gay civil rights, the personal is always political. Very political.

The actress best known for portraying fiery lawyer Miranda Hobbes on “Sex and the City” is up to her perfectly arched eyebrows in controversy since The New York Times Magazine published a profile in which she was quoted as saying that for her, being gay was a conscious choice. Nixon is engaged to a woman with whom she has been in a relationship for eight years. Before that, she spent 15 years and had two kids with a man.

“I understand that for many people it’s not, but for me it’s a choice, and you don’t get to define my gayness for me,” Nixon said while recounting some of the flak gay rights activists previously had given her for treading in similar territory. “A certain section of our community is very concerned that it not be seen as a choice, because if it’s a choice, then we could opt out. I say it doesn’t matter if we flew here or we swam here, it matters that we’re here and we’re one group and let us stop trying to make a litmus test for who is considered gay and who isn’t.”

To say that a certain segment of the gay community “is very concerned that it not be seen as a choice” is an understatement. Gay rights activists have worked hard to combat the idea that people decide to be physically attracted to same-sex partners any more than they select to be attracted to opposite-sex ones because the question, so far unanswered by science, is often used by religious conservatives, including GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum and former candidate Michelle Bachman, to argue that homosexuality is immoral behavior, not an inherent trait.

Among the activists most horrified by Nixon’s comments was Truth Wins Out founder Wayne Besen, whose organization monitors and tries to debunk programs that claim to cure people of same-sex attractions with therapy. Besen said he found the actress’ analysis irresponsible and flippant, despite her ample caveats.

“Cynthia didn’t put adequate thought into the ramifications of her words, and it is going to be used when some kid comes out and their parents force them into some ex-gay camp while she’s off drinking cocktails at fancy celebrations,” Besen said. “When people state it’s a choice, they are green-lighting an enormous amount of abuse because if it’s a choice, people will try to influence and guide young people to what they perceive as the right choice.”

Nixon’s publicist did not respond to an e-mail asking if the actress wished to comment on the criticism.

While the broader gay rights movement recognizes that human sexuality exists on a spectrum, and has found common cause with transgender and bisexual people, Nixon might have unwittingly given aid and comfort to those who want to deny same-sex couples the right to marry, adopt children and secure equal spousal benefits, stated Jennifer Pizer, legal director of the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and the Law, a pro-gay think tank based at the University of California, Los Angeles.

One of the factors courts consider in determining if a law is unconstitutional is whether members of the minority group it targets share an unchangeable or “immutable” trait, Pizer noted. Even though the definition of how fixed a characteristic has to be to qualify as immutable still is evolving — religious affiliation, for example, is recognized as grounds for equal protection — the U.S. Supreme Court still has not included sexual orientation among the traits “so integral to personhood it’s not something the government should require people to change,” she stated.

“If gay people in this country had more confidence that their individual freedom was going to be respected, then the temperature would lower a bit on the immutability question because the idea of it being a choice wouldn’t seem to stack the deck against their rights,” Pizer stated.

Nixon stirred the identity politics pot further when she explained in a follow-up interview with The Daily Beast this week that she purposefully rejected identifying herself as bisexual although her history recommended it was an accurate term.

“I don’t pull out the “bisexual” word because nobody likes the bisexuals. Everybody likes to dump on the bisexuals,” she stated. “But I do completely feel that when I was in relationships with men, I was in love and in lust with those men. And then I met (her fiancé) Christine and I fell in love and lust with her. I’m completely the same person and I wasn’t walking around in some kind of fog. I just responded to the people in front of me the way I truly felt.”

Although science has not identified either a purely biological or sociological basis for sexual orientation, University of California, Davis psychologist Gregory Herek, an expert on anti-gay prejudice, said Nixon’s experience is consistent with research showing that women have an easier time moving between opposite and same-sex partners.

A survey Herek conducted of gay men, lesbians and bisexuals of both genders bore this out. Sixteen percent of the lesbians surveyed reported they felt they had had a fair amount of choice in their sexual orientations, while only five percent of the gay men did. Among bisexuals, the figures were 40 percent for men and 45 percent for women.

What remains to be teased out, Herek stated, is how a representative national sample of heterosexuals would answer the same question, and what people mean when their sexual orientation was a choice or not. Are they talking about their sexual desires? Acting on those desires? Or simply the identity they choose to show to the world?

“The nature vs. nurture debate really is passé,” he stated. “The debate is not really an either/or debate in the vast majority of cases, but how much of each. We don’t know how large a role biology plays and how large a role culture plays. A possibility not often discussed is it’s not the same for everybody.”

LOS ANGELES – Liam Neeson continues to impress critics with his reinvention as an action hero as he approaches 60 in this weekend’s “The Grey.”

Neeson stars as one of a group of oil-rig workers who find themselves stranded in the snowy Alaskan wilderness when their plane to Anchorage crashes. AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle only gave the movie two stars out of four, though, saying: “`The Grey’ isn’t `Jaws,’ and it’s certainly not `Moby-Dick.’ In the script by (director Joe) Carnahan and Ian Mackenzie Jeffers, adapted from Jeffers’ short story `Ghost Walker,’ the philosophical subtext is forced and obvious.”

Also opening this weekend to far less favorable reviews is “Man on a Ledge,” starring Sam Worthington as a disgraced New York cop who threatens to jump off the 21st floor of a hotel to deflect attention from a heist going on across the street. AP Motion picture Critic Christy Lemire gave it one and a half stars out of four, writing: “`Man on a Ledge’ is so cliched and reheated, it almost feels like a parody of a generic action picture — only no one seems to be in on the joke.”

Here’s a look at how these movies and others fared on the top review websites as of Friday afternoon. Each score is the percentage of positive reviews for the film:

• “The Grey”: Metacritic, 64; Movie Review Intelligence, 63.5; Rotten Tomatoes, 76. Average: 67.8.

• “Albert Nobbs”: Metacritic, 58; Motion picture Review Intelligence, 64.2; Rotten Tomatoes, 53. Average: 58.4.

• “Man on a Ledge”: Metacritic, 40; Movie Review Intelligence, 42.9; Rotten Tomatoes, 22. Average: 35.

• “One for the Money”: Metacritic, 13; Movie Review Intelligence, 11; Rotten Tomatoes, 0. Average: 8.

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Online:

http://www.metacritic.com/

http://moviereviewintelligence.com/

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/

PARK CITY, Utah – Ethel Kennedy prefers coming to the Sundance Film Festival when she’s not the star of a motion picture.

She has been to Sundance in the past to see films by her daughter, documentary filmmaker Rory Kennedy. This time, the widow of U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy is the focus of her daughter’s film, the Sundance premiere “Ethel.”

Ethel Kennedy stated she cares about it better coming to Sundance “just to see Rory’s films.”

Though initially reluctant when her daughter proposed the documentary, Ethel Kennedy opens up on screen with candid recollections about the family, including falling in love at first sight with her future husband on a ski trip to Canada.

“He was standing in front of an open fireplace,” she said in an interview alongside her daughter. “I walked in the door and turned and saw him, and I thought, `whoa.’”

In the film, Ethel Kennedy discusses campaigning for her husband and his brother, President John F. Kennedy, the similarities and differences between her family and the Kennedy clan, and raising 11 children after her husband’s assassination in 1968.

At the time, she was pregnant with Rory Kennedy, her youngest child, who was born six months after her father’s death.

As a widow with such a huge family, Ethel Kennedy stated she coped simply by going about what she needed to do in tending her children.

“After Rory was born, it was — life just happened to take care of daily living, which nearly had practically nothing to do with me,” she stated. “I just started taking carpools in the morning, and by the time I was completed dropping the last child off, I’d pick up the first one. And then, you know, I’m putting on all the galoshes. Well, you get the idea.”

In “Ethel,” airing later this year on HBO, Rory Kennedy coaxes sweet, sad and funny anecdotes out of her mother and her siblings. The Kennedys recollect their mother’s devotion to steeping the children in world affairs, her mischievous sense of humor and her rebellious streak that led to run-ins with the law, such as the time she was charged with rustling horses after freeing some mistreated animals.

Through pics and home movies, the film offers an intimate look at the life of the Kennedys, the family relating how Robert Kennedy and his children slid down a bannister in the White Home after his brother was elected and how the president once cautioned his fun-loving sister-in-law not to push his Cabinet members into the swimming pool anymore.

In front of her daughter’s camera, Ethel Kennedy is unable to discuss the grief over her husband’s death.

“When we lost Daddy …” she begins, then tears up and tells her daughter, “Talk about something else.”

Rory Kennedy, whose past Sundance documentaries include the Emmy-winning “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib,” said “Ethel” probably was her most challenging film because it was so personal.

“I know my mom and she’s just terrific, and I have such admiration and respect for her. She’s such a character, too. I really think she’s one of the great untold stories, not just because of all of the events she’s lived through,” Rory Kennedy said. “But also because she’s just such a wonderful person, and I hope that comes across in the film. She’s so funny, and she’s such an inspiration to me. Our family knows my mom, our close friends know her, but to be able to share her with so many other people I think was important.”

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Online:

http://www.sundance.org

NEW YORK – Daniel Radcliffe had to decide what his first starring film role would be after the “Harry Potter” franchise ended in 2011, and he didn’t make that decision lightly.

Despite demonstrating his acting range by starring in “Equus” and “How to Succeed in Business” on Broadway, the pressure was on for Radcliffe to prove he could play more than Potter on the big screen.

He chose “The Woman in Black,” a dark thriller about a recently widowed dad who is haunted by his wife’s death. The motion picture will be in theaters Feb. 3.

“I never expected the first thing I did after `Potter’ to be a horror film or anything like that. That was one of the reasons it was intriguing to me as well because it was so unexpected,” Radcliffe said in a recent interview. He also talked about growing up fast, getting praise from actor Sean Connery, who starred in James Bond films, and why he isn’t ready to marry his longtime girlfriend.

AP: You knew the world was watching to see what motion picture you picked after “Harry Potter” ended. Why did you decide on “The Woman in Black”?

Radcliffe: This film is a film that has a great story but it is driven by characters at the heart of it. It fit in perfectly. It was going to be filming when I was on break from finishing “Potter” and starring in “How to Succeed,” so it was perfectly timed out. Also, when I was reading the script, I was surprised to be enjoying a horror film because I’ve never gravitated towards that in my own life.

AP: Did any former child stars, or people who have made the transition from doing iconic roles to having diverse careers give you advice about how to avoid being typecast?

Radcliffe: Not particularly, but I did hear the other day from a friend of mine who is friends with Sean Connery and apparently Sean Connery asked him to pass along to me how well he thought I was doing and how well I seem to be handling everything and making good choices. For me, that was great because he’s a great actor. He had this breathtaking begin to his career in Bond and managed to create a fantastic career for himself outside that, so to hear that from him was very flattering.

AP: You play a father in this role. Did you feel that was a stretch?

Radcliffe: It is very hard to create that chemistry with a 4-year-old boy who you’ve never met before and who is stepping onto a film set going, “What in the hell is all of this?” That was one of the reasons that I recommended (director) James (Watkins) audition my real-life godson who auditioned and was great and is great in the film. At the time when we were filming, I was so obsessed with him having a good time and making sure he wasn’t cold or wasn’t freaking out that I didn’t really pay attention to the fact that he is actually quite a good tiny actor.

AP: This movie is dark, but it is also about love. Did you consider the love you’ve for your longtime girlfriend, Rosanne Coker, for inspiration?

Radcliffe: At the time we had been filming this we had only been going out for a couple of months. There’s actually one shot in the film where Rosie had to play the woman in black because we didn’t have a double for her that day so she is actually in one of the reveal shots in the film. She’s going to kill me for telling you that. I don’t think I probably drew on things at that time, but I am sure now I will probably use — the fear of losing her will be a very good motivating tool.

AP: Are you thinking of marriage?

Radcliffe: Who knows. God, I am not even thinking about that for a long time.

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Online:

http://danradcliffe.com/

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Alicia Quarles is the AP’s global entertainment editor. Follow her at http://www.twitter.com/aliciaquarles

NEW YORK – Apparently enough water has flowed under the bridge for Barbara Walters and Star Jones to reunite for a day.

“The View” announced on Wednesday that Jones will appear on the daytime talk show on Feb. 22 to promote an awareness campaign about heart disease among women.

Walters and Jones had a falling out in 2006 when Jones, one of the five original co-hosts of the daytime chat show, exited “The View.” ABC decided not to renew her contract and Jones took Walters by surprise by announcing on June 27 that she would be leaving the show.

That exit came more quickly than expected. Walters wouldn’t allow her back the next day.

Walters later stated that Jones had compelled her co-hosts to lie for her by not revealing that Jones had undergone gastric bypass surgery while on “The View.” Jones took her own shots, criticizing Walters for writing an autobiography that revealed details of an affair.

The women later had something serious in common. Both underwent open heart surgery to mend faulty heart valves within two months of each other in 2010.

Jones is coming back to the show to discuss her involvement in the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” public information campaign. Women are asked to wear red on Feb. 3 to support heart patients.

NEW YORK – Apparently enough water has flowed under the bridge for Barbara Walters and Star Jones to reunite for a day.

“The View” announced on Wednesday that Jones will appear on the daytime talk show on Feb. 22 to promote an awareness campaign about heart disease among women.

Walters and Jones had a falling out in 2006 when Jones, one of the five original co-hosts of the daytime chat show, exited “The View.” ABC decided not to renew her contract and Jones took Walters by surprise by announcing on June 27 that she would be leaving the show.

That exit came more quickly than expected. Walters wouldn’t grant her back the next day.

Walters later said that Jones had compelled her co-hosts to lie for her by not revealing that Jones had undergone gastric bypass surgery while on “The View.” Jones took her own shots, criticizing Walters for writing an autobiography that revealed details of an affair.

The women later had something serious in common. Both underwent open heart surgery to fix faulty heart valves within two months of each other in 2010.

Jones is coming back to the show to discuss her involvement in the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” public information campaign. Women are asked to wear red on Feb. 3 to support heart patients.

LOS ANGELES – Actor James Farentino, who appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows, died Tuesday in a Los Angeles hospital, according to a family spokesman. He was 73.

Farentino died of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Hospital after a long illness, stated the spokesman, Bob Palmer.

Farentino starred alongside Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen in the 1980 science fiction film “The Final Countdown.” The motion picture featured a modern aircraft carrier that travels back in time to Pearl Harbor hours before the Japanese attack.

Farentino also starred opposite Patty Duke in 1969’s “Me, Natalie.”

In 1967, he won a “Most Promising Newcomer” Golden Globe for his performance in the comedy “The Pad and How to Use It.”

He also had recurring roles on “Dynasty,” “Melrose Place,” “The Bold Ones: The Lawyers” and “ER,” playing the estranged dad to George Clooney’s character.

In 1978, he was nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal of Saint Peter in the TV mini-series “Jesus of Nazareth.”

A four-time divorcee, Farentino’s tumultuous personal life made headlines, too.

In March 1994, he pleaded no contest to stalking his ex-girlfriend Tina Sinatra, daughter of Frank Sinatra.

In 2010, the actor was arrested at his Hollywood home on suspicion of battery when he tried to physically remove a man from his home.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1938, Farentino is survived by two sons, David and Saverio.