By Christina Radish
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Katie Holmes at the premiere of "Lions for Lambs" held at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood, Calif. on November 1, 2007.
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The Overture Films comedy Mad Money is about three ordinary women who form an unlikely friendship and decide to do something extraordinary -- rob one of the most heavily guarded banks in the world. The trio of mismatched partners hatch a plan to recycle millions of dollars in worn out currency from the Federal Reserve Bank that is scheduled for destruction.
Academy Award winner Diane Keaton, Oscar nominee Queen Latifah and Katie Holmes star as down-on-their-luck co-workers who develop an unexpected bond. Bridget Cardigan (Keaton) is shocked to learn that she is on the verge of losing her comfortable upper middle class lifestyle when her husband Don (Ten Danson) is downsized from his job. Armed only with a decades old English degree and years as a dedicated mother and corporate wife, Bridget is forced into the unfamiliar labor market with no job skills, where she accepts the only position she can find, as cleaning lady at the Federal Reserve Bank. There, she forges friendships with Nina (Latifah), a hard-working single mom with two kids to raise, and Jackie (Holmes), a 20-something with a taste for adventure.
Caught up in a system that underestimates their talents and keeps their dreams just out of reach, the three women set out to even the score and devise a plan to smuggle soon-to-be destroyed currency out of the Reserve. Amassing cash faster than they can spend it, the unlikely crime syndicate is brought to the attention of authorities when it becomes obvious that they are all living well beyond their means. As her partners begin to panic, Bridget reasons that without evidence the authorities can’t build a case against them, and the women are pushed to the limits of their ingenuity to stay one step ahead of the law.
Ohio native Holmes, the 29-year-old former Dawson’s Creek star, and wife of Tom Cruise, spoke with MediaBlvd Magazine about her first role after motherhood.
MediaBlvd Magazine> It looked like you had a lot of fun on this film. Were there a lot of laughs on set?
Katie Holmes> Of course. We had a lot of fun shooting the movie. I was so honored to work with Diane Keaton. It was terrific. It was amazing. We had a lot of laughs, but we were also working, and we had a lot to talk about.
MediaBlvd> What was it like to take a tour of the real Federal Reserve Bank, where the film takes place?
Katie> It was really interesting. I’d never been before. They were nice people. It’s a hard job because it never changes. You’re looking at all this money, and you aren’t making any money, so it’s hard.
MediaBlvd> How do you perceive your character?
Katie> What was appealing and really exciting about playing this character was that she’s very smart, but she’s seen as just a happy-go-lucky girl. It takes somebody with instinct and a wisdom about herself to take on this adventure. I also liked the fun of her and I liked her making an adventure out of this job that was pretty monotonous every day. She is a creative person.. And, I also thought her love for her husband was very sweet. I liked their relationship. I thought they were a very funny, warm couple. I loved the way that she was very open to going on this adventure with people that she’d just met. It’s fun to play people who say, “Why not?,” instead of posing problems.
MediaBlvd> Did you see the similarities between Jackie and April, your character in Pieces of April?
Katie> I had a lot of fun playing April, in Pieces of April. There were definitely similarities between those two characters. They were both different, and not your normal type of person who goes to college and gets a job. But, I felt like Jackie was in a different place. Jackie would have loved to live in the East Village of New York City, if only she’d seen a picture of it.
MediaBlvd> Did you have input into the wardrobe and hair for your character?
Katie> Definitely, which was part of the fun in creating the character. That was my hair. It allowed for a long time in the make-up trailer.
MediaBlvd> Was dancing with an I-Pod in your ear and pushing a big cart an easy thing to do while surrounded by a crew and castmates?
Katie> Yeah. You get over that when you’re working. It’s just part of the environment, so it was fine. I had a good time with it. It was important to me to find the character and what I had to do to make her real for me.
MediaBlvd> What were you listening to?
Katie> It was a lot of the music that you heard in the film.
MediaBlvd> How was it to work with Diane Keaton?
Katie> It’s so exciting to learn from her and see how she works. The movies she’s done have inspired all of us. It’s really amazing. I learned a lot from her.
MediaBlvd> What did you, Diane Keaton and Queen Latifah learn from each other? What did you talk about?
Katie> We had great conversations about so many different things. These women are so talented and dynamic. We were talking about film and the new movies coming out. We talked about architecture, interior design, fashion and clothing lines, music, make-up, bras, kids and raising kids, and being daughters. It was a women’s fest.
MediaBlvd> What do you hope audiences will get out of seeing Mad Money?
Katie> I was excited to be part of a movie with great female characters. I loved seeing a lot of women on screen, and I loved having a female director. I’m excited for women and men to go in and have fun watching the film. They’re interesting characters.
MediaBlvd> Would you do a sequel?
Katie> In a heartbeat.
MediaBlvd> How did you first get into the business?
Katie> When I first came to Hollywood, I came with my mom, when I was 16, to do a million auditions that composed TV pilot season. It was amazing of my parents to let me do that, when I was just this girl from Ohio. I went to a modeling and talent convention and I got a manager there, and then they said to come out, so my mom and I came out after my dad checked everything out and made sure that it was all okay. We were at the Oakwood Apartments in Burbank. We came in January, and I packed all of my shorts and t-shirts because I was from Northwest Ohio and I thought, “I’m going to California! I’m going to get so tan!” We froze. I learned how to drive in Los Angeles. My mom drove me, but we got lost so many times that I now know how to get everywhere, and I know every shopping center everywhere.
MediaBlvd> Was there a time when you finally knew you could make enough money to support yourself and everyone in your family?
Katie> I was 17 when I did The Ice Storm. It was creepy and intense. But then, when I got Dawson’s Creek, I was 18 and I had just graduated from high school. In my eyes, I thought I was making a lot.
MediaBlvd> What did you go and buy?
Katie> I did what every other girl who was 18 and from where I was from did. I bought jeans and a great sweater that weren’t on sale. And then, I thought, “Wow, I better not buy anything for a really long time. I don’t want to let it go to my head.” So, that was my big splurge, and I still have the sweater. I won’t give it up.
MediaBlvd> What sorts of roles are you being offered these days?
Katie> Actually, I’ve read some interesting period pieces, which I love. I’ve seen some great thrillers. There are good female roles out there, but it’s not 10 for 10. It’s maybe one out of 10.
MediaBlvd> Because you’re still a new mom, are you eager to work, or would you prefer to only do one or two films a year?
Katie> It depends on the role. It’s about finding a balance. I don’t want to say I’ll only do this amount a year because that’s not how life works. You have to look at what’s happening. It’s really on a project by project basis. But, I had a great time working on this film, and I love working. I love working and being a mom. It’s something I look forward to doing.
MediaBlvd> This was the first film you made after you had Suri, right?
Katie> Yeah.
MediaBlvd> So, she was just a little thing, and you brought her to the set with you?
Katie> Yeah, it was great. My trailer had a high chair and teddy bears. It was wonderful.
MediaBlvd> Do you ever go back and watch episodes of Dawson’s Creek?
Katie> I’ve seen all the episodes. We’d get them in advance. I’ll watch one when I catch one. But, I feel like I’ve seen them all.
MediaBlvd> Do you feel like that’s another human being from who you are now?
Katie> No. I had great fun. I have fond memories of working with great people. It’s like looking at a yearbook.
MediaBlvd> You’ve come a long way since then. How is life, family and motherhood now?
Katie> It’s great. We had a great holiday and we had a big family celebration, with my whole family and Tom’s whole family. It’s nice to check in around that time of year and see everyone feeling good.
MediaBlvd> Have you settled into this life, after a very whirlwind start?
Katie> I never thought that it was a whirlwind. It was a lot of attention, all at once, and I had never had that attention before, obviously, but I always knew that was coming when I met Tom. So, I’ve always felt very comfortable and happy with everything. You learn more and more, every day. And then, when you have a child, it feels like you’re reading an encyclopedia a day and you’re always behind because children grow so fast and they’re so magical. Suri is so magical. Things are good. As for motherhood, I feel very prepared and I’m so inspired by my mom. I want Suri to feel as happy as I’ve always been in my life.
MediaBlvd> With Valentine’s Day is coming, do you have a favorite love song or any plans to celebrate the occasion?
Katie> I do love a good love song. I like to shop to them. It makes me buy more in the store. I like making a big deal out it. I like to have a whole day. I like surprises with the whole family. It’s an event. It’s fun. And, I like sending Valentines. I went to an all girls high school and every Valentine’s Day they would announce who got flowers, waiting in the office. I got very used to the importance of giving other women Valentines, and receiving them, because my name was never called. I didn’t have any money to send them to myself. Hopefully, they’ve stopped that procedure.
MediaBlvd> Do you find all the paparazzi who follow you around funny or annoying?
Katie> I wouldn’t call it humorous. But, it’s just there.
MediaBlvd> Do you ever wish you could just pack your family in an RV, drive across America and have no one recognize you?
Katie> I do love road trips. I think that would be a family adventure, for sure.
