By Carl DiOrio

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Boomer pics are booming.

Paramount's older-skewing psychological thriller "Changing Lanes" sped past Sony's "Panic Room" to open at No. 1 with an estimated $17.6 million in weekend box office.

"Panic Room" had led the weekend box office derby over the two previous frames. But "Lanes," starring Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Affleck, was fueled by keen interest from male and female moviegoers aged 25 and older -- much the same demo supporting "Room."

"The marketing we did targeted that group," Paramount distribution president Wayne Lewellen said. "We were also helped by positive reviews, because an older audience will respond more to good reviews."

Sony's "The Sweetest Thing," a femme buddy picture laced with raunchy humor, bowed at No. 3 with an estimated $10 million. As an R-rated release, even "Sweetest Thing" skewed to older teens.

"The adult audience drove the top three releases this weekend," observed David Davis, a senior VP and box office analyst with Houlihan, Lokey, Howard & Zukin in Los Angeles. "Adults are definitely going back to the movies."

But that didn't help Lions Gate's "Frailty." The psychological thriller, directed by star Bill Paxton, opened at No. 8 with a disappointing $4.2 million.

"We were hoping for a slightly larger opening weekend," Lions Gate distribution boss Tom Ortenberg acknowledged.

The picture played best with younger males, Ortenberg said. He added that late-breaking positive reviews could bolster future frames.

Artisan's college comedy "National Lampoon's Van Wilder" also grossed an estimated $4.2 million to tie for the No. 8 spot in its second weekend. Disney's "Big Trouble" tumbled two spots to No. 11 in its second weekend with $1.6 million.

Industrywide, the weekend's $95 million in total grosses marked a 6% uptick from the same frame in 2001, according to data from box office tracker ACNielsen EDI.

Year-to-date, 2002 is almost 15% ahead of the same portion of last year with a total $2.34 billion in box office.

Lions Gate bowed the Kirsten Dunst starrer "The Cat's Meow" with 11 Gotham and L.A. playdates and grossed $110,000, or a cuddly $10,000 per engagement. The Peter Bogdanovich-helmed drama expands to top 10-markets April 26 and nationwide May 3.

"Exit interviews were through the roof," Ortenberg enthused. The yarn about an incident involving William Randolph Hearst played mostly to patrons 35 and older.

Fine Line bowed the quirky laffer "Human Nature" with 224 engagements and grossed just $300,000, or a flawed $1,340 per playdate. There were no immediate plans to expand "Nature," penned by "Being John Malkovich" scribe Charles Kaufman.

"A picture like this takes time to find it's footing," Fine Line distribution president Steve Rothenberg said. "We're hoping for word-of-mouth to take hold."

Sony opened its suspenser "My New Best Friend" in 100 locations and grossed $26,000. Helmed by Zoe Clarke-Williams, "New Best Friend" was a pickup by Sony's TriStar division targeted primarily for home video.

Thinkfilm's "Time Out" debuted in nine Gotham and L.A. theaters with $33,121, or $3,680 per venue. "Time" unspools in three additional markets Friday.

Elsewhere in the specialty niche, IFC Films expanded Spanish-language "Y Tu Mama Tambien" into 14 more locations for a total 194 and grossed $970,798, or $5,004 per site. The youthful laffer adds 50-60 playdates next weekend.

And United Artists widened its re-release of Martin Scorsese's concert film "The Last Waltz" into L.A. and Gotham after a week in San Francisco to gross $34,000 from six theaters, or $5,725 per venue. "Waltz" dances into a dozen more markets Friday.

Next weekend's wide openers include Universal actioner "The Scorpion King." The "Mummy" spin-off is considered an important high-profile release for the studio, even though the all-important summer box office season doesn't officially start until Memorial Day.

That's because distributors have been placing tentpoles ever earlier in yearly release schedules. So, box office watchers will be watching for early signs of seasonal strength for broadly targeted event pictures.

Also Friday, Warner Bros./Castle Rock bows "Murder by Numbers," a Barbet Schroeder-helmed suspenser toplined by Sandra Bullock and Ben Chaplin.

Reuters/Variety

The top movies in North America -- April 12-14

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Following are the final data for the top 10 movies at the North American box office during the April 12-14 weekend, according to studio figures released Monday by Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.

Film Three-day Cumulative

Title Gross Gross

1. Changing Lanes .......... $17,128,062

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $17,128,062

2. Panic Room .......... $10,618,796

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $73,422,333

3. The Sweetest Thing .......... $9,430,667

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $9,430,667

4. Ice Age .......... $8,577,478

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $151,625,634

5. The Rookie .......... $8,076,763

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $45,282,993

6. High Crimes .......... $7,485,414

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $25,020,697

7. Clockstoppers .......... $4,652,393

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $28,044,474

8. Blade II .......... $4,315,697

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $73,873,818

9. Frailty .......... $4,208,655

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $4,208,655

10. National Lampoon's Van Wilder .......... $4,110,802

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $13,700,813

Reuters/Variety

John L.: