Baby, You Can Drive My Car

Britney spears admitted she "made a mistake" by driving down Malibu's Pacific Coast Highway last week with her 5-month-old son, Sean Preston Federline, in her lap rather than restrained in a car seat. Her heartfelt apology? "It is what it is, I guess," she told "Access Hollywood." The 24-year-old mom's recent trip to Starbucks was documented by paparazzi who shot photos of Spears driving out of the coffeehouse parking lot and hitting the highway. "Because of a recent incident when I was trapped in my car without my baby by a throng of paparazzi, I was terrified that this time the physically aggressive paparazzi would put both me and my baby in danger," she told People magazine. Funnily enough, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department didn't think that Spears's lap qualified as a safe haven. It reportedly sent an officer to the pop star's home to get "contact information" for the county child-welfare authorities. Spears has yet to explain if she secured a mochaccino in a cupholder or simply left it on the dashboard.

--Lorraine Ali

Robert Redford

Last month Robert Redford hosted his 25th annual Sundance Film Festival. This month we'll hear his commentary on a two-disc edition of the remastered DVD of "All the President's Men." He spoke with NEWSWEEK's David Gates.

How was Sundance?

I wasn't around for all of it. It's too intense for me. To the outside world, it's a big fat market where you have people like Paris Hilton going to parties. Now, she doesn't have anything to do with anything. I think the festival is close to being out of control.

Had you watched "All the President's Men" since you made it?

At the Sundance lab last June, everybody wanted to see it because of Mark Felt coming out. It was the first time that I'd watched it in 30 years.

How did you start getting obsessed with Watergate?

After the break-in, I heard some reporters suggest there was more to it, that it probably went toward Nixon. But nobody wanted to f--- with him. He gave me an award once--I was 13, he was a senator. I remember being struck by what a bad vibe I got from the guy.

What's the political landscape look like to you today?

Now you pick up the paper and there's a Watergate every day. I don't think anyone's connecting the dots and saying to the public, "Wake up, folks, because you could end up in a totalitarian nightmare, wondering what happened to your country."

Does your movie-star-ness keep you from being taken seriously?

You work hard to move away from it, and you're only partly successful. If I go up there to speak about an issue, they're playing "The Sting."

Matt and Ben, Together Again--But Can They Rekindle the Fire?

Not since winning Oscars for 1997's "Good Will Hunting" have Boston's favorite sons headlined a film together. BEN AFFLECK and MATT DAMON will reportedly reunite for a drama, in which the toothsome twosome play attorneys who are fighting to free an innocent man on death row. Damon is a friend, indeed. His career and image have been impeccable over the years. Affleck's career and image have been--well, he's been hunting for a little good will.

--Jac Chebatoris