Weekend Edition Sunday on NPR News

As the Oscar race heats up, one contender has already won over fans in Hawaii, where the movie was filmed. And not just for its story of a family grappling with death and infidelity — but also for its soundtrack. The Descendants has no orchestral score. Instead, director Alexander Payne chose to fill his movie exclusively with music by Hawaii artists — much of it from existing recordings.

Payne didn't know much about the music when he started the project. Then he discovered one of the giants of Hawaiian music, Gabby Pahinui.

Americans' religious liberties are under attack — or at least that's what some conservatives say.

Newt Gingrich warns the U.S. is becoming a secular country, which would be a "nightmare." Rick Santorum says there's a clash between "man's laws and God's laws." And in a campaign ad, Rick Perry decried what he called "Obama's war on religion," saying there is "something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can't openly ... pray in school."

On-Air Challenge: Each answer is a five-letter word or phrase containing the letters N, O, T, E plus one other letter. Answer the clues to get the words.

Last Week's Challenge: Name certain scores in a certain sport. The score and the sport are both two-word phrases with a total of 10 letters (five letters in each word). Rearrange the letters to name a different sport, also in two words (six letters in the first word, four in the second). What are the scores, and what is the sport?

Answer: Rearrange "field goals" to name "ladies golf."

Austin musician Carolyn Wonderland kicks off her new album, Peace Meal, with "What Good Can Drinkin' Do," an old Janis Joplin tune. You'd be excused if you thought you were listening to Joplin herself.

"You know, it's a funny thing growing up in Texas: If you're a girl, you pretty much learn that you sing Janis songs to yourself in private," Wonderland says. "You don't do it in public. If it's not against the law, I'm not sure why."

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AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

Cautious optimism is about all eurozone countries could muster for the 10 year anniversary of their shared currency, after months of worry over whether the euro would truly survive. When the euro launched its first banknotes and coins 10 years ago, it was amid fireworks and celebration. This year, a more modest approach. The European Central Bank is issuing a new, two-euro coin, a sort of brass and nickel birthday card for the euro.

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AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Audie Cornish. And in this part of the program, we're going to talk to writers at the top of their game. In the world of music, Ryan Adams has been one of the most prolific balladeers on the road. We'll hear from him in a moment. But first, screenwriter John Logan. You'll be forgiven for not knowing his face, but you're bound to recognize the names he's helped bring to the silver screen.

(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE MONTAGE)

RUSSELL CROWE: (as Maximus) My name is Gladiator.