LA.COMFIDENTIAL > CELEBS.

The buzz at the premiere of "In the Valley of Elah" wasn't just about the biblical title, the film's provocative reflections on Iraq or the sophisticated black Dior ensemble that Charlize Theron wore on the red carpet. Even the absence of stars Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon didn't trigger much chitchat. Everyone was intrigued by Frances Fisher's appearance as a topless waitress.

"I wanted Tommy Lee's character to feel truly uncomfortable, and I knew this scene would do it," said writer-director Paul Haggis. "Frances is a friend, and I offered her the part without an audition."

"Paul didn't even know what I had up top," exclaimed Fisher, 55, as Clint Eastwood, the father of her daughter Francesca, walked into the ArcLight for the revealing screening. "The role required some spiritual, mental and emotional preparation, but physically it's all me. That's the way they look, and what you see is all I've got."

The stylish performance impressed the younger Theron.

"I love to see an older woman so thoroughly comfortable in her skin," said Theron. "May I age that gracefully and continue making topless performances until the end of my career."

>JOEL STRATTE-McCLURE/SPYWITNESS

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Photo:

Frances Fisher, left, director Paul Haggis, Jake McLaughlin and Charlize Theron

MATT SAYLES>ASSOCIATED PRESS