Marisa, the Boss, and 'The Wrestler'

So what if Marisa Tomei did a sex scene in Sidney Lumet's "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" and bares almost everything in Darren Aronofsky's new movie "The Wrestler." She's not becoming an adult film star. "It's a very big 'ha ha' moment from above, a cosmic joke," Tomei told us. "They were just the best films I was offered." The Oscar winner and Aronofsky screened the much-anticipated movie starring Mickey Rourke at the Coolidge Sunday night and sat for interviews yesterday. About the Bruce Springsteen tune at the end of the movie, Aronofsky said the Boss is a good buddy of Mickey's and offered the song for free. "Mickey took me to see Bruce at Giants Stadium, and afterward we went backstage," said the Harvard-educated Aronofsky. "We were in the Giants locker room and Mickey says, 'You two have business to take care of,' and he walks out, leaving me alone with Bruce." Springsteen told the director he'd been waiting for someone to make a big movie with Rourke, then proceeded to play the tune, called "The Wrestler," on his acoustic guitar. "I wish I could take credit for it," Aronofsky said of the song, "but it's all Mickey."

Having fun and helping kids

Paul Pierce and a bunch of his famous pals bowled in "The Truth Strikes Again" at Kings Lanes last night, raising money for The Truth Fund, the nonprofit that Pierce created to help disadvantaged kids. He launched a new initiative yesterday, "The Truth on Health," in conjunction with Tufts to promote nutrition and exercise with inner-city kids. "They're close to my heart," Pierce said. "Kids are real genuine, they're our true fans, and they listen to us." Teammate Kevin Garnett was in the all-star bowling lineup, and fellow Celtics Ray Allen, Tony Allen, Rajon Rondo, Leon Powe, Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Brian Scalabrine, Patrick O'Bryant, Eddie House, and J.R. Giddens were expected. Celts coach Doc Rivers was there and co-managing partner Steve Pagliuca was expected, along with super fan Donnie Wahlberg, nightclub king Patrick Lyons, comedian Lenny Clarke, and Patriots Kevin O'Connell, Matt Slater, and Wes Welker. Before the bowling, Rivers said he expected Rondo to bowl the best, and Garnett the worst. "But he can probably just reach down and knock [the pins] down with his hands," the coach said.

Looks like Dennis Lehane is "Gone Baby Gone." The "Mystic River" author's West Roxbury abode is on the market for $619,900. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom Victorian is listed by Carol White Associates. Built circa 1890, the Ivory Street house has updated amenities, including a wisteria-covered front porch equipped with Bose speakers.

Boston the band gets a little love in the new kid flick "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa." The penguins Skipper, Kowalski, Private, and Rico pop an 8-track into the dashboard of their jeep. And what blares out? "More Than a Feeling." In an e-mail, guitarist Tom Scholz said he was thrilled. "Helping animals is my passion and I loved the original Madagascar movie," he said. "Now I get to watch the sequel with the penguins partying to my guitar licks! How cool is that?" Apparently he wasn't insulted by being associated with an 8-track.

United States Artists grants were announced recently, and four locals won $50,000 prizes. On the list of 50: Ann Carlson, Dianne Walker, J. Meejin Yoon, and Lê Thi Diem Thúy. Carlson, a choreographer and dancer, creates unconventional works, sometimes using real people and unexpected sites. Walker has appeared on Broadway and is considered one of the world's greatest living tap dancers. Yoon, a Boston architect, cofounded Höweler + Yoon Architecture with her husband. She also runs an independent practice; for the 2004 Olympics, she installed a grid of luminous fiber optic stalks at the base of the Acropolis. Thúy, of Northampton, is a poet and performance artist

Southie was well represented at this weekend's screening of "What Doesn't Kill You," the directorial debut by favorite son Brian Goodman. A few dozen locals legged it to Brandeis, where the South Boston-based crime drama played to a packed house. Afterward, actor Mark Ruffalo, who stars in the indie film alongside Ethan Hawke and Amanda Peet, told the crowd he was initially intimidated by the rowdy role. "I said to Brian, 'I'm scared to death,' " Ruffalo remarked. To which Goodman replied: "Bring that, we'll film it." A rags-to-riches story if there ever was one, Goodman said he wrote the screenplay on a 37-cent notebook "out of sheer boredom" and then showed it to Donnie Wahlberg, who's a friend from way back. (The New Kid plays a cop in the film and is credited as a co-writer.) Goodman, whose family was in the audience Saturday, told us he's got a couple of projects in the hopper, including an abduction thriller that Cameron Diaz is eyeing. "When I was growing up in Southie, saying you wanted to be an actor or a writer was like saying you wanted to wear tights," he said. "Not anymore."

Radius celebrated its 10th anniversary with a fab fete Sunday that attracted the likes of Sox owner John Henry, nightlife nabob Ed Kane, J. Geils singer Peter Wolf, Angiogenesis Foundation founder William Li, chefs Joanne Chang, Tony Susi, Evan Deluty, Ting Yen of Oishii, Michael Schlow, Seth Raynor, Ming Tsai, and Dante de Magistris, American Hi-Fi's Drew Parsons, and NECN's Chris Collins.

Congrats to former Sox player development dude Dick Berardino and infielder Lou Merloni, newly inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. The pair were cheered by hundreds of paisans, including former boxer Tony DeMarco, state auditor Joe DeNucci, and style siren Yolanda.

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