Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Katie Holmes shows a heretofore-unrealized comedic bent in Callie Khouri's forthcoming "Mad Money." That's according to Khouri, who tells us, "She's usually a little more reserved, but in this movie, she really lets go. She's physically very loose. She dances a lot and has a lot of comedic moments."

Starring alongside Queen Latifah and Diane Keaton in the feature about three employees of the Federal Reserve plotting to steal money — which has an advance trailer appearing in theaters starting today (Oct. 26) — Holmes knew she would be doing something unexpected of her. "That's what attracted her in the first place," says Khouri. 

The filmmaker of "Thelma & Louise" fame lets us know that Katie's baby, Suri, was very much of a presence on the set, and so was hubby Tom Cruise. "She's so sweet, such a happy kid. Katie and Tom are so in love with her. She just smiles at everybody. She'd see Katie on the monitor and point and say, 'Amama!'" 

Tom was there "as much as we could get him there," she says. The notorious-for-being-controlling movie star did not give input "other than to say how much he loved the script. He was really supportive, and he would have the baby when Katie was working. He would take Suri outside when we were about to shoot. Suri was really into talking and running — two things that don't go down all that well on a movie set."

SAVING THE WORLD: Jane Goodall is 73 years old now, but the world-renowned primatologist/ecologist says Earth's dire straits preclude any thoughts of retirement. "The more the world seems to be heading toward disaster, the more I feel I have to get out with a message of hope — because if we lose hope, we're doomed. It's as simple as that," says Goodall, whose "Almost Human with Jane Goodall" special premieres on Animal Planet Sunday (Oct. 28). "There's so much to be done and so many places to go. I'm traveling more than ever before."

You'll see Goodall go traipsing through the jungle following a family of chimpanzees in "Almost Human." The program airs as part of Animal Planet's Great Apes Week, which kicks off tonight (Oct. 26) with the special, "Saving a Species: Gorillas On the Brink" hosted by Natalie Portman and Jack Hanna, and ends with the Nov. 2 premiere of "Orangutan Island," a series on the plight of the primates now on the extinction list.

Goodall says her schedule is nonstop until the end of the year. "I've got another intense week in North America, going to Wichita for our Chimpanzoo Conference, then a board retreat for the Jane Goodall Institute.

JGI has grown very fast, and we want to make sure we maintain our connection with our roots. I go back to Washington for a big meeting about education, and after that, I actually get four whole days in England at home."

The much-honored Dame Commander of the British Empire will next see home at Christmas "after having been to China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Vietnam and Nepal. Then, after Christmas, there's Germany, Austria and Italy." Goodall says her ceaseless energy stems from her passion. "It's a mission, isn't it? I mean, my grandchildren, my sister's grandchildren, all the little kids and roots and shoots — that's what gives me the determination to save the world … for them."

LOOK BEHIND YOU: Tobin Bell, back as the extremely nasty Jigsaw serial killer in "Saw IV," opening today (Oct. 26), tells us he's done a changeup for his next movie, "Highway 61." He describes it as "a rock 'n' roll road picture" — with a difference. "It takes off on the legend of Robert Johnson, the Mississippi blues guy who supposedly sold his soul to the devil to be successful. This is about a struggling L.A. band that hears about Johnson and thinks what he did might not be such a bad idea. It's a comedy with good music. I produced it and played a role."

Bell and filmmakers Luke and Jeremy Jackson plan to hit the festival circuit with the flick, beginning, they hope, with the Sundance fest. Meanwhile, will the bloody and disgusting "Saw" franchise continue its unusual course of making more money with each successive picture? "People are saying it's the best one yet. I haven't seen it," says Bell. "I'll probably slip into a theater and watch with a regular audience over the weekend." Now, that could be unnerving.

THE BIG SCREEN SCENE: Steven Sawalich's "Music Within" bio-pic of Richard Pimentel — who came back from the Vietnam War with his hearing destroyed and eventually became a pivotal figure in the creation of the Americans With Disabilities Act — opens today (Oct. 26) after earning praise including the Audience Award at the AFI Dallas International Film Festival. Sawalich gives much of the credit to star Ron Livingston, who, he tells us, became not only the star of the inspiring film but also a key supporter and a draw to other top actors involved, including Rebecca De Mornay and Hector Elizondo. Actor Michael Sheen, who portrays the acerbic and witty cerebral-palsy-ridden character Art Honeyman in the film, has grabbed a large share of critical notice. Sawalich says he did audition a number of actors with cerebral palsy for the part but eventually decided to go with the able-bodied Sheen as the best actor for the job. 

With reports by Stephanie DuBois and Emily Feimster.

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2007 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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