Countdown to the Oscars : Savoring the Moment Before the Big Night : Luncheon gives Academy Award nominees a chance to eat, be merry--and get tips on acceptance speeches.

Everyone agreed it was an afternoon to savor.

Rather than the spirit of competition so common in Hollywood, the dominant mood was one of celebration. Everywhere people were clapping one another on the back, shaking hands in congratulations and generally offering good wishes--and all this less than two weeks before the industry’s most intense contest.

The 15th annual Oscar nominees’ luncheon Tuesday, sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, gave contenders a chance to hold on to the joy of being nominated before they succumb to the tense anticipation and frazzled nerves that invariably accompany Oscar night.

“This is the sweetest part,” said James Cromwell, nominated for best supporting actor for his role as the taciturn farmer in “Babe.” “There’s nothing here but to celebrate each other and celebrate the honor of being nominated. It’s a celebration of a community.”

“It’s an ‘I’ve always loved your work’ kind of day,” said actor-director Griffin Dunne, who was nominated for best live action short film for “Duke of Groove.” “Everybody’s in a good mood. I keep finding people here whose work I’ve admired--screenwriters, cameramen. And I get to go up and tell them.”

On hand at the Beverly Hilton Hotel for the pre-Oscars festivities were 100 nominees, a significant increase from last year’s turnout of 42, academy officials said. Oscar contenders posed en masse for a group photo, while others attending the lunch were treated to the rare sight of dozens of Hollywood luminaries all in one place, joking around with one another before the 68th annual Academy Awards on March 25.

Best actress nominee Sharon Stone (“Casino”) playfully swiped at the cheek of best supporting actor contender Kevin Spacey (“The Usual Suspects”). Nominees cheered loudly for one another as each was called to go up to the dais, shake the hand of academy President Arthur Hiller and receive their official nominees’ pale gray sweatshirt. The largest ovations went for best actor nominees Nicolas Cage, Richard Dreyfuss and Cromwell.

Oscar show producers Quincy Jones and David Salzman showed a collection of short videotapes highlighting the do’s and don’ts of Oscar acceptances.

Their personal pet peeves: “the shocked winner” who manages to blurt out only “I can’t believe this” and “the list maker” who thanks not only all the members of the production, but every distant family member, teacher and passerby.

“Please be prepared,” Salzman urged. “Jot down some ideas. Know what you want to say to about 1 billion people. If you’re not a writer you should seriously consider hiring one.”

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But even while they cajoled, the producers knew that in the excitement of the actual event, their advice would probably go unheeded.

“I go back and forth between days where I think I’ll just say thank you and days where I take out this encyclopedia of names,” said Dreyfuss, nominated for best actor for his role as a music teacher with larger ambitions in “Mr. Holland’s Opus.”

The nominees in the higher-profile categories--such as acting and directing--were asked to say a few words to reporters just before sitting down to lunch. Some were surprisingly honest about their desire to win the coveted gold statuette.

“Let’s face it, I’ve been making films for about 20 years,” said Ed Harris, who is nominated for his role as the Mission Control flight director in “Apollo 13.” “It’s an honor just to get nominated, but there are five nominations and one guy gets to bring the thing home. I’d just as soon it be me.”

Others spoke of what being nominated meant for themselves and the industry at large.

“I feel like the most popular girl on the playground,” said Mare Winningham, who was nominated for best supporting actress for her role as a folk singer in “Georgia.”

“This nomination means I can continue to make movies that are perhaps considered eccentric or unusual,” said Cage, nominated for best actor for his role as a suicidal alcoholic in “Leaving Las Vegas.” “This is great for independent films.”

Both Cage and best actress nominee Stone spoke of trying to relax before Oscar night.

“I’m trying to be very Zen about it,” Cage said. “I’m just trying to go with the flow.”

“I’m just trying to stay in the moment,” said Stone, who was nominated for her role as the boozy wife of a Las Vegas mobster in “Casino.” “And for me it’s a moment of gratitude. It’s like a window of peace of mind in a world of insanity.”

Most nominees said they would not be doing anything special to prepare for the big night.

“Well, I’ve got this whole voodoo scenario . . . , “ Harris said. “No, I’ll just be hanging out with my family.”

But some had made plans for winning.

“I have to make sure my kids are in front of a big-screen TV and I have to figure out some code, so I can have a way of signaling them,” Winningham said.

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Still others just yearned to prolong the sweet success of the roles that had brought them nominations.

“The movie was a perfect experience,” said Elisabeth Shue, who was nominated for her role as a prostitute who falls in love with Cage’s alcoholic in “Leaving Las Vegas.”

“Working on ‘Babe’ was five months of bliss,” Cromwell said. “There are a lot of stories left in this little pig. And I’d love to be a part of it. . . . I’ve been slogging away at this for 35 years and have thought about giving it up every other day. But today it’s a joy to be an actor.”