Parker's post-'Sex' life includes 'Family'

NEW YORK -- Gone are the Manolo Blahniks. They've been replaced bypeach satin pumps by some designer that no one can pronounce.

Gone are the three girlfriends riding shotgun. They've beenreplaced by one woman expressing great loathing for Sarah JessicaParker.

Film icon Diane Keaton rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "Sheacts. She produces. She has a perfume line. Frankly, it's disgusting.It's vile to me," Keaton says. "I had a little chat with Sarah in thedressing room the other day and said, 'Exactly how much money do youhave?' "

All this talk clearly embarrasses Parker, 40, who recently -- andmuch to her horror -- landed on a list of the wealthiest females ofNew York City.

"I was stunned to be on this list," says the actress, who arrivesfor an interview at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in a flouncy, A-line peachdress and her long hair pulled back in a ponytail. She's a rail inperson, but full of the same spunk and the same voice that became arole model to single women everywhere on "Sex and the City" (1998-2004).

If you believe the rich babes of New York list, Parker couldafford a lot of Jimmy Choos.

"First of all, I don't have $38 million, which is what they said."My God! I worked in cable," she quips.

"I'm well-paid, and I'm not complaining because it's pretty great,compared to what most Americans make who work much harder than me.

"Believe me, I'm aware of my good fortune on a daily basis."

Her good fortune includes a second act. It quickly becomes clearthat Carrie Bradshaw has left the building.

Now she's the "bitch from Bedford" -- uptight, brittle, self-confidence-gone-AWOL Meredith Morton in "The Family Stone," openingFriday. Parker plays a type A, career-driven professional, who is outof her element when brought home to New England for the holidays tomeet her boyfriend's (Dermot Mulroney) eclectic family.

It's hate at first sight.

Parker wasn't worried about shedding her plucky, good-girl imageto play bitchy.

"Believe me when I say that I was very prudent and patient after'Sex and the City' ended," she says. "Playing a bitch was somethingthat was the exact opposite of Carrie. And frankly, I got into itright away. It was a radically different role and one I wasn't surewould come my way again."

Parker wanted to work with Keaton, who is one of her role models.They bonded in the makeup trailer. "They put the ladies of a certainage in the same makeup trailer, so we were together every singlemorning," Parker says.

"Of course, I was there much earlier than Diane. I need themaximum time to look like what you see on the screen. I'd be sittingin the chair bleary-eyed and tired, and Diane would walk in fullydressed with the hat, the glasses, the huge cinch belt, a huge skirtand heels.

"Finally, I said to her, 'How do you do it? I can barely pull onthese jeans,' " Parker says. "Diane replied, 'Well, I've been upsince 4 in the morning with the kids, eating breakfast and startingthe day."

"It only happens because I'm jacked up on coffee," Keaton says.

Parker is jacked up on starting the next chapter of her life, andmovies are her current focus. She just wrapped a romantic comedy withMatthew McConaughey called "Failure to Launch," and in an upcomingproject -- a movie called "Slammer" -- she will play a prisoner atSing Sing who puts together an inmate musical.

Her other focus is her husband of eight years, actor MatthewBroderick, and their 3-year-old son James Wilkie. As for having morechildren, she smiles and says, "We'll see what happens. We have ahealthy, happy, young boy, which is just amazing."

Her secrets to a happy marriage are simple:

"Matthew and I have a sense of humor with each other," she says."We also just like each other. I still think he's the funniest personI've ever known. I find him sexy, attractive and I really love him."

"I still annoy him and he annoys me," she adds. "That's normal.That's marriage."