R.O.C.K. the town

While her Hoosier husband John Mellencamp (below) was rocking the Esplanade, Elaine Irwin (above) was sneaking a peak at the huge crowd gathered for the Fourth of July festivities featuring Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops. But the stunning supermodel didn't venture far into the fray, keeping an eye instead on her two young sons Hud and Speck. (An amateur photographer, Irwin had a camera around her neck, which she used to document the goings-on backstage.) Earlier, Irwin and her boys took a boat to see the barge from which fireworks were launched. Mellencamp, meanwhile, remained close to the Four Seasons Hotel, where he and his family stayed. The singer, a heavy smoker who suffered a heart attack in '94, worked out in the gym before doing an interview with the CBS "Early Show" at the hotel's eatery Aujourd'hui.

Lipman story to hit film fest

The movie based on the novel "Then She Found Me" by Elinor Lipman (above) will play at September's Toronto International Film Festival. Helen Hunt (inset) directs and stars in the film about a New York City teacher whose ordinary life suddenly grows very complicated when her husband, played by Matthew Broderick , leaves her; her mother, played by Bette Midler , reappears after a long absence; and she begins a relationship with the father of one her students.

Filmmakers sell 'Young @ Heart' for $2m

The fanfare continues for the Young@Heart Chorus, the extraordinary group of Northampton senior citizens who sing songs by Jimi Hendrix, Coldplay, and Radiohead, among other un likely artists. The award-winning documentary about the group -- cleverly called "Young@Heart" -- has been bought by Fox Searchlight for $2 million. The film, directed by Brit Stephen Walker and produced by his wife, Sally George, offers a backstage glimpse at the compelling group of Western Mass. warblers.

Tom Brady's not due back for training camp until the 27th, but keep your eyes peeled for the Pats poster boy before then. Why? If past is prologue, No. 12 will be a witness for Charlie Weis, whose medical malpractice suit against two MGH doctors gets going -- again -- next week. In February, Brady caused quite a stir when he testified on behalf of his former offensive coordinator, who's suing Dr. Charles Ferguson and Dr. Richard Hodin for allegedly bungling his gastric bypass surgery in June 2002. Notwithstanding the QB's best efforts, Superior Court Judge Charles Spurlock declared a mistrial after the two docs came to the aid of a juror who collapsed during testimony. In the meantime, Brady's in Europe with girlfriend Gisele Bundchen, and we're told the pair is planning a party for family and friends at the supermodel's residence in Rome. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but Bundchen celebrates her 27th birthday July 27.

It could be that Ben Affleck's two-week Hawaiian vacation with buddy Matt Damon had more to do with work than play. US Weekly is reporting that the Cambridge kids have returned to their roots and are writing a screenplay. Although they won an Oscar for "Good Will Hunting" in 1997, the pair haven't written a script together since. So what's this project? Their peeps weren't talking yesterday, but it could be a previously announced courtroom drama about a couple of legal eagles whose pro bono work freed a death-row inmate. Ben and Matt originally signed on to costar in the picture about heroic lawyers Michael Banks and J. Gordon Cooney, but maybe they want a writing credit, too. While in Hawaii, according to US Weekly, the two friends and their families rented a $13,000-a-week house in Kauai. "For the most part, they've been writing together on this trip," an unnamed source told the tabloid.

Are Carrie and Mr. Big still together? Did Charlotte adopt a baby from China? How is Miranda liking motherhood? Is Samantha still keeping things interesting? Those questions, no doubt occupying the thoughts of many "Sex and the City" fans since the long-running HBO series ended in 2004, may finally be answered -- in a much-talked-of but still unrealized feature film spun from the show. New Line Cinema is close to signing a deal to finance and distribute the film in association with HBO, John Smith, a representative at New Line, confirmed yesterday. Daily Variety reported the news Wednesday. The four principal actresses -- Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon , and Kim Cattrall (above, from left) -- will reprise their roles. (AP)

A Brazilian judge ruled yesterday that South America's Live Earth concert could go ahead as planned after organizers convinced her there would be adequate security at the Copacabana Beach event. "We still don't know if she will appeal the judge's latest decision," said Daniel Brunet, a spokesman for prosecutor Denise Tarin , who sought to cancel the show. Chances for the gig -- featuring Lenny Kravitz, Macy Gray, and Pharrell Williams -- got a boost from police who said they could guarantee security for the show expected to draw 700,000 people. (AP)

Avril Lavigne (inset) is being sued by two songwriters who claim that her hit "Girlfriend" sounds like a track their American power pop band recorded in the '70s. Tommy Dunbar, the founder of the Rubinoos, filed the suit this week in a California court. The suit alleges that "Girl- friend" bears striking similarities to the Rubinoos' song "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend." Lavigne's manager, Terry McBride, said, "Our musicologist says there is no similarities of melody, choral progression , or meter. "

The sci-fi action film "Transformers" smashed another box-office record by grossing $29.1 million on its second full day of release -- the most ever for a July 4 holiday, according to figures released yesterday. "Transformers," directed by Michael Bay and based on the shape-shifting characters of the popular toy line and cartoon television series, broke the previous Independence Day record held by "Spider-Man 2," which grossed nearly $22 million in 2004. (REUTERS)

Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder is close to finishing a host of new music for the upcoming Sean Penn-directed film "Into the Wild," according to the movie's distributor, Paramount Vantage. Vedder and Penn have been friends for more than a decade; the Pearl Jam frontman previously contributed music to the soundtrack for Penn's 1995 film "Dead Man Walking." "Into the Wild," based on Jon Krakauer's book, opens Sept. 21. It stars Emile Hirsch, Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener, and William Hurt. (BILLBOARD)

While Bosox catchers Jason Varitek and Doug Mirabelli are busy playing ball, their better halves are building a brand. Karen Varitek (inset left) and Kristin Mirabelli (inset below) are two of the owners of the Athletes Child, a new high-end clothing store for kids. Based in Arizona, the store's other owners are Alison Mahay, wife of former Sox reliever Ron Mahay, and Tatum Borowski, wife of Cleveland Indians pitcher Joe Borowski. "We've all been friends forever and wanted to do something besides baseball," said Alison Mahay, whose husband now pitches for the Texas Rangers. "Our kids are our lives -- we're with them 24/7, and we just love to shop for them." The store, which can be found at theathleteschild.com, features fancy duds by Juicy Couture, Haute Baby, Da'Nang, and Hannah Banana. The owners have 10 children and an understanding of what it's like to be a baseball bride. "It's not a normal life, definitely chaotic," said Mahay. "These are some of my greatest friends." Asked which of the husbands has the best fashion sense, Mahay laughed. "They all like to think they have taste," she said.

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