Chris O'Donnell, who has a role in Mark Wahlberg's fall-debuting "Max Payne" feature, scoffs at word that the filmmakers are trying to get a PG-13 rating for the adaptation of the violent, hugely popular video game.

"Good luck. I've been doing my ADR (post-production audio recording) and seeing the footage, it's just not appropriate for kids on too many levels. For adults, yes. Very entertaining. I'm a big fan of Mark Wahlberg."

O'Donnell has strong views about what is and is not OK for children these days. That's not surprising, considering that the actor, who rose to fame with films including "Batman Forever" and "Scent of a Woman," has five offspring of his own — three boys and two girls, ranging from 8 years to 6 months old.

"At home, I hear 'Dad!' about 100 times a day. That's what it's all about for me," says Chris, who's been married to Caroline Fentress since 1997.

He complains that he's "seen most of the kids' films that are out there now, and a lot of films that say they're PG are really not appropriate for children.'"

That's not the case, he points out, with his latest movie, "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl's Story," opening in limited release Friday (6/20) — widening July 2. In it, he plays papa to the title character portrayed by Abigail Breslin. Also starring Julia Ormond, Joan Cusack and Stanley Tucci, the movie is set during the Great Depression of the 1930s, complete with home foreclosures and soup kitchens. O'Donnell's character loses his car dealership.

"You want to protect your kids from the harsh realities of life, but there come times when those realities intervene," he notes.

O'Donnell tells us there's a film shooting in Boston this summer that might be in his future, but "I'm hoping to stay closer to home — maybe do a cable series. I like the fact that they do fewer episodes than network shows. The pace is more of what I'm used to than 'Grey's Anatomy' was. On one-hour shows, the pace is overwhelming."

MEANWHILE: Abigail Breslin is looking forward to some down time now that "Kit Kittredge" is almost launched — on the heels of her "Nim's Island," on the heels of "Definitely, Maybe." The busy 12-year-old 2006 Oscar nominee ("Little Miss Sunshine") also has "My Sister's Keeper" with Cameron Diaz in the can. She tells us that now, "I'm just going to hang out at home and have sleepovers and stuff like that. And my family's going to Prince Edward Island" for a vacation. Still, she has her sites set on what's next. "I would like to play Helen Keller or Lady Jane Gray. I just read a book about her, and she was the Queen of England for nine days. I just thought that was really interesting."

THE VIDEOLAND VIEW: Jamie Lynn Spears has brought teen pregnancy to the forefront this year, which makes the new ABC Family drama "Secret Life of the American Teenager" all the more relevant. "You deal with teen pregnancy, and a lot of time people try to avoid talking about stuff like that, but it's true to society," notes newcomer Daren Kagasoff, who is starring alongside veteran actors Molly Ringwald, John Schneider and Ernie Hudson in the show that deals with an unexpected teen pregnancy. "Like with Jamie Lynn Spears, things happen, and you deal with them in whatever way is morally correct in your mind. Our show keeps you updated with what's going on in real life and how some people choose to handle these situations."

The show, premiering July 1, is Brenda Hampton's latest project after her long run with the other show she created, "7th Heaven." While Kagasoff wasn't the studio's first choice to be one of the main teens, he tells us he couldn't believe how much Hampton fought for him. "They weren't sure about me because I had no prior experience acting in front of the camera. They wanted to audition other people with more experience, but I guess nobody really caught their eye, so Brenda Hampton pushed for me. She came to my house with a dozen roses to tell me I got the part. It's a moment I'll never forget."

BIGGER SCENE: When "Law & Order: SVU" producer Neal Baer finds himself with any free time from the show, he turns to "my other side of my life, doing photographic projects with www.joinipe.org — the Institute for Photographic Empowerment. The idea is to give cameras to people who are traditionally disenfranchised and give them a chance to tell their own stories." The endeavor has brought forth videos from young people in several far-flung locales, including "AIDS orphans in Mozambique and South Africa," according to Baer. It's also, he says, led to a forthcoming book and documentary that Baer reports, "We're cutting right now."

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 2008 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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