Unlucky 'Thirteen'

Parking problems plague pic preem

By DIANE GARRETT

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Pic's extended thesp family poses at the 'Thirteen' bow, from left, Holly Hunter, Nikki Reed, Evan Rachel Wood and Brandy Corbet.

 

HOLLYWOOD -- Tuesday night's "Thirteen" bow turned out to be the rare Hollywood preem that actually could have started a little later. Preemgoers were still staggering in from the ArcLight's gridlocked parking structure -- partially blocked off following the "Open Range" rooftop soiree the night before -- after the paparazzi had turned off their lights on the red carpet.

The Cinescape after-party was similarly tricky to navigate, as throngs of well-wishers poured in from two screening rooms. Partygoers sought out the femmes of the evening -- first-time helmer Catherine Hardwicke, co-writer/star Nikki Reed and her film alter-ego, Evan Rachel Wood -- before checking out a concert from teen girl band the Like.

It was not your typical squeaky clean teen preem scene, but then again, neither is the movie. Hardwicke said she and Reed, the now 15-year-old daughter of a former beau, set out to "write some fun little teen comedy" as a way to channel the girl's adolescent energy, "but it didn't turn out that way."

Instead, R-rated pic chronicles a girl's spiral into sex and drugs under the influence of a new female friend.

Nevertheless, Fox Searchlight production prexy Peter Rice maintains there's a big audience for the pic: "It's not the sort of audience that saw "SWAT" this weekend, but it doesn't have to be. It was made for less than $2 million."

"Obviously, it doesn't have to succeed on the level of Hilary Duff," said producer Michael London, who called the pic "such a powerful antidote to the sanitized images of teens out there."

Also on hand: Fox Searchlight's Steve Gilula, pic's Holly Hunter, "Whale Rider" thesp Cliff Curtis, Bill Paxton and Rosanna Arquette.