HEY, BABY, LET'S BE `SWINGERS'.

Byline: Amy Dawes Daily News film Critic

A cool, trendy guys' movie in which nobody's guts get splattered? Imagine that, Quentin Tarantino. Full of fresh faces, retro-Rat Pack style and wry, self-deprecating humor, ``Swingers'' is that rare youth movie that not only connects with the culture but expands it.

Shot on the fly for less than $250,000, mostly in Hollywood and Las Vegas, ``Swingers'' is about a group of mostly idle young would-be actors who keep each others' spirits up with a nightly round of partying and skirt-chasing done to the taste of ice-cold martinis and the tunes of Dino, Bennett and Basie.

Struggling comedian Mike (Jon Favreau, who also scripted) can't get over the memory of a recent girlfriend; so his cute but callow buddy Trent (Vince Vaughn) keeps his mind off it with a round of adventures. One is a road trip to Las Vegas, where Trent's big-spender act fails to impress the pit bosses, but snags them a couple of party girls (``babies,'' in the guys' unique parlance). The others are mostly aimless, harmless treks through Hollywood parties where no one stays long and cocktail bars like the Dresden, the Derby, the Lava Lounge and the Three of Clubs, where the guys maneuver to get girls' ``digits,'' or phone numbers.

More than anything, ``Swingers'' is about getting by with a little help from your friends. In the anonymous and often humiliating world of the L.A. hustle for the elusive show-biz break, these guys seem remarkably dedicated to keeping each other afloat.

Combined with the relaxed, lived-in performances of the cast, who are friends and struggling actors in real life, and the sly and expressive skills of director and cinematographer Doug Liman, that quality of uncool caring gives the movie its beating heart.

A potential star is born in Vaughn, who offsets his matinee idol good looks with a truly original sense of comic style and timing. He has his first significant screen role here, and on the strength of this movie has already vaulted up the ladder to a lead role in Steven Spielberg's ``The Lost World: Jurassic Park 2.''

The movie also boasts a notable lack of romanticized violence, perhaps setting a trend in a positive direction. When a hotheaded boy named Sue (Patrick Van Horn) pulls a gun to settle a parking lot fight, the others are genuinely angry at him; and in a later scene, they've made peace with their antagonists and invited them over to hang out.

Liman, an East Coast transplant and USC film alumnus making his feature directing debut, captures the dead-funny details of L.A. social rituals with an outsider's eye and inserts delectable homages to both Tarantino's ``Reservoir Dogs'' and Martin Scorsese's ``GoodFellas'' while establishing his own notable style on a shoestring budget.

Forged in the '90s grit and fairy-dust independent tradition of making something out of nothing, ``Swingers'' leaves you as buzzed and happy as two umbrella drinks and a wink from a hot new romantic prospect. In the movie's own parlance, that's gotta be money, baby.

THE FACTS

The film: ``Swingers'' (R; language, sex).

The stars: Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Ron Livingston, Patrick Van Horn, Alex Desert, Deena Martin, Heather Graham.

Behind the scenes: Directed and photographed by Doug Liman. Written and co-produced by Jon Favreau. Produced by Victor Simpkins and Nicole Shay LaLoggia. Released by Miramax Films.

Running time: One hour, 37 minutes.

Playing: Laemmle Sunset 5, Los Feliz Theatre, AMC Century 14, UA Westwood.

Our rating: Three stars

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Photo

Photo:The club-hopping characters in ``Swingers'' - Patrick Van Horn, left, Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Ron Livingston and Alex Desert - get by with a little help from their friends.