TINSELTOWN SPYWITNESS.

Byline: Elizabeth Snead and Jenny Peters

JUST CHILLING: The women of ``Meet the Fockers'' must have put their heads together before Thursday night's premiere at Universal CityWalk, because they matched, all wearing hues of silvery gray and lavender. Barbra Streisand led the pack, sweeping down the red carpet from back to front (go figure) in furry jacket and a short Donna Karan cocktail dress, with hubby James Brolin on her arm. Her only comment? ``The world needs a few laughs right now.''

Co-star Teri Polo needed more than a laugh, she needed a coat - her tiny lavender Bega dress left way too much uncovered, including the bones in her rib cage. She looked downright cold, even though the evening was much warmer than recent nights have been. Ben Stiller kept his silver-clad wife, Christine Taylor, warm, too, for her satin Prada slip-dress bared vast tracts of bare skin.

Writer Jim Herzfeld revealed the dark secret of ``Meet the Fockers,'' crediting Jim Carrey with making up the family name of Stiller's hapless character back when Carrey was supposed to play that role in ``Meet the Parents.''

Also doing a lot of scurrying down the red carpet were director Jay Roach and wife Susanna Hoffs, stars Blythe Danner, Tim Blake Nelson and Dustin Hoffman (Robert De Niro was a no-show) and ``Focker'' fans Sheryl Crow, Lance Armstrong, Beau Bridges, Jerry Stiller, Anne Meara and Virginia Madsen, who looked fabulous in her version of silver satin, a pretty camisole paired with jeans. She's basking in the glow of the awards season as her already-released comedy ``Sideways'' keeps wowing critic's groups and getting her nominations (Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Awards so far).

``It's been incredible so far,'' she grinned, definitely getting the last laugh over ``Meet the Fockers'' when it comes to awards season.

THE WALK TO 'PHOENIX': The fleeting nature of fame was obvious on Wednesday night at the ``Flight of the Phoenix'' premiere in Westwood, as singer Eric Benet, the ex-Mr. Halle Berry, didn't even rate a walk on the red carpet. No one even noticed his arrival; how soon they forget once you've lost your famous wife.

But everyone noticed Dennis Quaid, the film's slightly scruffy star (combing his hair would have helped), as he made the mobbed scene at the Mann Bruin.

``I just feel really grateful to still be here doing this thing,'' Quaid said. ``I don't feel an entitlement to the position that I'm in, in life. I'm really grateful, and I feel blessed that I'm still able to do it.''

Quaid's co-stars, some already famous, like Giovanni Ribisi, and others hoping to be, like Sticky Fingaz and Scott Michael Campbell, happily scored their red carpet moments of fame, along with director John Moore and friends Owen Wilson, Clifton Collins Jr., Courtney Peldon and Miko Brando (son of that ultra-famous Brando, Marlon).

And there was one well-known guy who actually tried to avoid the spotlight, but to no avail. As Arsenio Hall attempted to slip straight into the theater, there was a feeding frenzy of photographers who turned their backs on the well-known faces standing on the red walkway in order to get a shot of the former late-night TV host. Just goes to show that once you're famous in your own right, you can run but you can't hide.

WE SAW U

Jessica Simpson with a blond female friend at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood.

Sela Ward wearing workout clothes and a headband walking through the bar at Raffles L'Ermitage on Burton Way in Beverly Hills.

Rose McGowan chatting up Ben Stiller; his wife, Christine Taylor; and Bridget Moynahan at the Grand Classics screening event at the Playboy Mansion on Charring Cross Road in Los Angeles.

Michelle Pfeiffer inspecting apples at Whole Foods on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica.

CAPTION(S):

5 photos

Photo:

(1) STREISAND: Is that real fur?

(2) POLO: Spine-tingling.

(3) STILLER and TAYLOR: Nice dress, but what's HE wearing?

(4) MADSEN: Give that woman an award, or two.

(5) QUAID: That grin and $1 will get you a plastic comb.

Steve Granitz/WireImage.com