They Needed a Laugh Track

The Scene: Tuesday’s benefit premiere of Paramount’s “John Grisham’s The Rainmaker” on the studio lot. Co-star Danny DeVito said the story of underdog lawyers works because “It has emotion, it’s uplifting, it makes you feel compassion for the characters, you can participate in the joy of these two guys beating giants.”

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Who Was There: The film’s director, Francis Ford Coppola; stars Matt Damon, DeVito, Claire Danes, Jon Voight and Mickey Rourke; plus 700 guests, including Dennis Hopper, Gus Van Zant, Steve Buscemi, Rhea Perlman, Neal Moritz, Talia Shire and studio execs Jonathan Dolgen, Sherry Lansing, John Goldwyn and Rob Friedman. Tickets were $250, and more than $60,000 was raised for the American Civil Liberties Union.

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No Laughing Matter: Coppola left the theater frustrated by the premiere audience’s response. “We didn’t get any laughs,” he said. “We get big laughs. We know the places where the audience laughs. They just didn’t laugh. Maybe it’s because they had to pay over $100 for a ticket. I wouldn’t laugh either.”

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Homecoming: For Rourke it wasn’t just a premiere; it was a return to movie theaters--he said he hasn’t stepped inside one in years. “I don’t go to the movies. I don’t know why. I’m sorting that out now. I think for a long time movies got too cyberland, a little too Steven Spielberg for me. It wasn’t about acting. I just didn’t want to go.”

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Overheard: Two otherwise staid women, reverting to their Tiger Beat-reading days, referred to Damon as a “yummy, yummy gumdrop.” Said one, “Those lips. That smile. Any other questions?”

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Chow: A “southern comfort” menu from Along Came Mary that complemented the film’s Memphis locale. Ham, skirt steak, fried chicken and an L.A. permutation that never passed Elvis’ lips--vegetarian “meat” loaf.

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Fashion Trend: Sharp pointed toes on spike heels. Not since the Ming dynasty have women tortured their feet so passionately for style. “It’s not how you feel,” said one dedicated follower of fashion. “It’s how you look.”