EVERYTHING OSCARS

It's always tough to adjust to an actor you're used to seeing in dramatic fashion play comedy, and vice versa. But before you start to judge former "Law & Order" star Benjamin Bratt's transition from a dramatic TV series to the romantic comedy, "The Next Best Thing" you must know that the movie is far from being run-of-the-mill.

"In a John Schlesinger film you'll never get 'predictable,'" Bratt says of the film's noted director. "But in a way it's a nice trick, because the film lulls you into the sense that it's a light romantic comedy. But then it takes you to a very real and heavily dramatic place."

In the film, Bratt stars as Ben, an investment banker who woos single mother Abbie (Madonna). What makes the relationship complicated is that Abbie is raising a child (Malcom Stumpf) and living with Robert (Rupert Everett), her best friend with whom she accidentally conceived the child. But the fact that Robert is gay isn't an issue until Abbie and Ben's relationship blossoms and the question arises as to which parent the child would be better off with.

"What we come away from the film knowing and being assured of is that as long as there are the key ingredients to raising a child in place -- those of love, security and protection -- then it doesn't matter what the family make-up is or who those particular people that make them up are," Bratt says.

Acting In Movies: A Tall 'Order'

Bratt, of course, made the decision last year to leave the successful television series, "Law and Order" for a film career. But unlike other television stars that have gone before him, Bratt seems to fully realize that it's a big risk for him to jump from the small to big screen. He called the career move "silly."

"It's silly, insane and absolutely crazy," Bratt muses. "I had what remains the best job as an actor I've ever had with my job on 'Law & Order.' I had the opportunity to stay on the show for another three years, which would have made it seven years total. In this business of uncertainties, that's the closest thing I have ever gotten to job security. It was a tough gig to walk away from.

"But the trade-off was that in my own personal life, I was being denied the free time and the freedom to travel to the West Coast to see my family or to experience things outside of work."

Of course, a big part of Bratt's outside life includes the love of his life, Julia Roberts. And while Roberts made a guest shot on "Law & Order" last year, there aren't any plans in the near future for the two to star in a film together.

But it's not like Bratt doesn't have good company in his upcoming projects. He'll co-star with Terence Stamp, Tom Sizemore, Val Kilmer and Carrie-Anne Moss ("The Matrix") in the sci-fi thriller "Red Planet" in November; and has been cast alongside Lauren Holly, Ann-Margaret, Burt Reynolds and Joe Mantegna in the Reynolds-directed drama, "The Producer."

--Additional reporting by Bill Carlson

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Note: Tim's column appears every Thursday in our Entertainment section. Have suggestions or questions you'd like to ask moviemakers? E-mail away!