Julia Roberts adds to her trophy case

By Lisa Rosen

Oct. 15, 2007 12 AM PT

Special to The Times

Tom Hanks started off the night at the American Cinematheque’s award dinner by welcoming everyone to “Julia Roberts’ bat mitzvah.” He then gave a comical description of what it’s like to be one of the many who have worked with her, having just done so in the upcoming “Charlie Wilson’s War.”

“You might as well be a waffle iron sitting up a tree” when sharing a scene with Roberts, he lamented. “No one is even looking at you.”

Other luminaries who lined up Friday at the Beverly Hilton to honor Roberts, an Oscar and Golden Globe winner for “Erin Brockovich,” included onetime co-stars Bruce Willis, Dermot Mulroney, Sally Field, Natalie Portman and Blair Underwood. They spoke of her talent, humor, intelligence and warmth in introducing movie clips familiar to any crowd of filmgoers: “Mystic Pizza,” “Notting Hill,” “The Pelican Brief,” “Ocean’s Eleven” and more.

The crowd laughed and applauded in recognition of many classic moments, the highlight being that snapping jewelry box in “Pretty Woman” and the delighted, infectious cackle that followed it.

David Letterman and Richard Gere sent recorded tributes, but it was George Clooney’s taped message that brought down the house.

Speaking from a public bathroom, where Clooney said he was hiding from fans, he stopped to look down as another foot tapped his from the adjacent stall. He went to investigate and opened the door on a guilty Brad Pitt, whose words were almost drowned out by the laughter in the hall: “I have a wide stance!”

In a thoughtful tribute, Shirley MacLaine also extolled Roberts’ talent and growth, saying, “I love your search for yourself.” In a hilariously dry riff, Marcia Gay Harden offered the crowd supposed excerpts from her diary during the making of “Mona Lisa Smile.” One early entry read, “JR so skinny and beautiful; hope she’s dumb.”

The auburn-haired Roberts, seated at a center table between husband Danny Moder and director Mike Nichols, laughed and beamed throughout the presentations. She is the 22nd winner of the Cinematheque’s award. Previous winners include her buddies Willis, Clooney and Denzel Washington. The annual ceremony is a benefit for the organization’s film and video programs at its Egyptian and Aero theaters.

An edited version of the festivities will be broadcast Dec. 5 on AMC.

Although the mother of three had taken a little respite from acting in the last couple of years, her activity largely limited to providing voice-overs for “Charlotte’s Web” and “The Ant Bully,” clips from upcoming films showed Roberts back in action. The attendees were treated to extended scenes from “Fireflies in the Garden” and “Charlie Wilson’s War.”

The latter was introduced by its director, Nichols, who also directed Roberts in “Closer.” He said that “directing Julia is somewhere between falling in love, driving a Ferrari, reading a Yeats poem and having a triple-decker ice cream cone.”

Washington presented her with the award, and in his remarks he noted that “she’s someone who says ‘Yes!’ to life.”

As members of the audience rose to their feet, Roberts took the stage in a sexy black gown. The nursing mother then grabbed her bosom and asked the crowd, “Is there a hungry baby in the house? Just come on up!”

She said she was up past her bedtime, adding, “It’s hard to think when my dress is this snug.”

She then thanked the American Cinematheque “for raising tons of money to do -- something” and flashed her famous smile.