Posted: Wed., Jul. 23, 2003, 9:14pm PT

H'w'd horses around at 'Seabiscuit' preem

Star-studded crowd turned out for racing flick

By Bill Higgins

Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy an U's Stacey Snide hang together at Village Theater's 'Seabiscuit' preem

Tobey Maguire waves to the crowd at Village Theater's 'Seabiscuit' preem

Helmer Gary Ross smiles for the crowd at Village Theater's 'Seabiscuit' preem

Co-stars William H. Macy, Chris Cooper and Jeff Bridges share a laugh at Village Theater's 'Seabiscuit' preem

HOLLYWOOD -- Who knew they made movies for adults?

Tuesday's Village Theater preem for "Seabiscuit" ended the drought of over-25 skewing films with Oscar yearnings that has parched the landscape since January.

Helmer-screenwriter Gary Ross was standing next to scribe Callie Khouri ("Thelma & Louise") at the after-party when a guest told him, "This was the first classy film of the summer," at which point Khouri interjected, "And you certainly had a lot of competition for that," and they both laughed.

Though there were those who saw "Seabiscuit" as the type of film that comes out later in the year, Ross was adamant about midsummer being the correct release slot.

"It would be kind of hypocritical if we brought this thing out in October and treated it preciously," Ross said. "It's a horse-racing movie about a folk hero who 40,000 people jammed Santa Anita to see working out. I'm not going to take that to the New York Film Festival."

Among those at the Hammer Museum after-party were U's Ron Meyer, Stacey Snider, Mary Parent and Scott Stuber; producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall; stars Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, Chris Cooper, Elizabeth Banks and William H. Macy; plus guests Faye Dunaway, Rob Friedman, Sean Daniel, Tom Sherak, Rick Nicita, Chloe Sevigny, John Burnham, Seal, Nia Vardalos, Walter Hill, Michael Apted, Bridget Fonda, Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen and Lorenzo di Bonaventura.

A trifecta of screening events also took place on the East Coast: in Manhattan, out in the Hamptons and in racing town Saratoga Springs. Glossy Gotham affair also marked the 30th wedding anni of New York's Gov. George Pataki and wife Libby, so couple celebrated by bringing a passel of friends to the movie. Others in attendance included Steven Soderbergh, Jules Asner, Sigourney Weaver, Candice Bergen, Rita Wilson and Regis Philbin.