Bathed in the Oscar afterglow: Cuba Gooding Jr. and Courtney Love at the Governor's Ball in Los Angeles Monday night. Photo: Associated Press

Winners packed the bash hosted by Miramax Films at the self-consciously hip Mondrian hotel on the Sunset Strip. It was by all accounts the party to attend, considering that "The English Patient" had dominated the awards, claiming nine of the 12 honors for which it had been nominated. Throw in Billy Bob Thornton's win for "Sling Blade," and the Mondrian was a lovefest of gushing congratulations.

The party at Morton's, hosted once again by Vanity Fair, also was wall-to-wall celebrities; many of them, however, were Oscar losers.

Best Actor also-ran Woody Harrelson sulked in a corner with Hollywood Reporter editor Alex Ben Block. But "The English Patient's" Ralph Fiennes, who also lost the Best Actor award (to "Shine's" Geoffrey Rush), was dignified and gracious.

"I thought Geoffrey Rush's performance was inspirational," Fiennes said. "And I loved my part; I'm not ashamed of my performance."

Nathan Lane stepped up with effusive consolation: "I so admire your work," he oozed. "I just want to tell you how great I think you are. You always do it so wonderfully, so internally. It's the most difficult thing."

String-tied Billy Bob Thornton and wife Pietra take in Steven Seagal's kimono jacket at the Mondrian party. Photo: Eugene Garcia, The Washington Post

Over at the Mondrian, "English Patient" actress Kristin Scott Thomas, who lost the Best Actress competition to "Fargo's" Frances McDormand, was having a more difficult time plastering on a sweet smile. Perhaps it was the sight of all those golden statuettes being hauled into the party.

She spent most of the evening engaged in a tete-a-tete in a corner booth. When she briefly left the safety of her cubicle, a stylist complimented her Christian Lacroix black evening dress: "I'm a professional and you really, really look great." Even as Scott Thomas mustered a "Thank you, thank you," she maintained the most pained expression on her face, as if someone were pounding her on the head with a gavel.

Tom Cruise took losing well. Shoehorned into a booth at the back of Morton's beside wife Nicole Kidman, the now-tieless actor had no hard feelings.

"It's just nice getting nominated, and I'm really happy for Cuba," he said, referring to "Jerry Maguire" co-star Cuba Gooding Jr., who'd won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Still, what's left except that little gold statue? Um, more movies.

"I never feel like I'm there with a role," Cruise said. "You know, if I felt that was it, I would probably stop."

Cruise and Kidman were on a break from the London shoot of Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut," a psychological drama about two couples who switch partners. Working with the legendary director is, Cruise said, "tough. Very tough. But I don't walk through any of this." Not even "Mission: Impossible"? He cocked his head: "If you work at something, you can't ever walk through anything."

While the Morton's party was a vast free-for-all with stars casually mingling, the Mondrian affair had a more pretentious tone. As celebrities poured into the hotel, they dashed into a glass-walled dining room or up a flight of stairs to an outdoor bar that overlooked the pool.

Burly security men guarded the entrances to both locations. It was a curious throwback to the old disco days when velvet ropes became the symbolic divider between beautiful people and hoi polloi. (The Mondrian is owned by Ian Schrager, who once ran Studio 54.) This time, however, instead of simply telling folks that no, you're not famous enough to come in, the guards used the lame trick of blaming the no-entry policy on the fire marshal. "We can't let anyone in or the fire marshal will close down the party," said one human roadblock.

Oscar host Billy Crystal talks to Chicago Bull Dennis Rodman. Photo: Eugene Garcia, The Washington Post

Then behold: Here comes Billy Crystal and -- presto -- the guards have managed to find just a smidgen of room for the grumpy-looking comedian and his entourage. After his valiant performance at this year's Oscars, might Crystal host the marathon of bad production numbers and tributes next year? "Lemme enjoy tonight first," he said as he disappeared into the inner chamber.

It seemed that only instantly recognizable faces were allowed inside. Stuart Craig showed up with his Oscar for art direction in "The English Patient" but couldn't get anywhere near the VIP room. "Is that where the bar is?" Craig asked.

"Hold [the Oscar] up," his guest said. "See what happens."

"Oh, I can't do that," Craig said, embarrassed.

"Well, then, I guess you won't get a drink, will you?"

Inside the Mondrian VIP room, actress Ashley Judd, wearing a bead-encrusted sheath by Valentino, was gushing to Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinstein. Earlier, he had been a one-man receiving line, accepting handshakes and backslaps. About the multiple honors bestowed on "The English Patient," Judd said: "To say hyperbole is to sum it up." Weinstein didn't seem to know what that was supposed to mean.

Larry King was flitting about looking hungry for an interview. Bill Maher was chatting up his guest at the bar. And Billy Bob Thornton -- dressed in a tuxedo by Hugo Boss, a string tie and $800 stingray-skin cowboy boots from Billy Martin's on Sunset -- was being trailed by an entourage basking in the glow of his Oscar for Best Screenplay Adaptation.

When Mick Jagger burst into the Mondrian party, he bestowed a big, unsteady hug on entertainment entrepreneur Russell Simmons, who couldn't stop talking about a film musical that had been written by model Veronica Webb. "It's Veronica's first attempt and the shooting script is hers," Simmons gushed as Webb sat on his lap.

As the evening wore on, the late hour brought out the fashion nightmares. Steven Seagal, who believes himself to be an actor, lumbered into the Sunset soiree decked out in a royal blue kimono jacket with red chinoiserie trim. "Cut the ponytail. Cut the ponytail," one guest pleaded under her breath.

Minnie Driver's cleavage was exploding from a Herve Leger bandage gown. And everyone was buzzing about the guy who showed up in a sequined Western-style jacket that had the added insult of fringe and a big metal medallion.

Dennis Rodman and Jean-Claude Van Damme also launched assaults on the evening's standard of good taste. Rodman was partying at Morton's in an iridescent blue suit and Mad Hatter chapeau, while Van Damme wore a retina-searing pink blazer.

The talk of the night was movies, of course. Said Jennifer Tilly, dressed head-to-toe in Missoni zigzag knits: "We knew `The English Patient' was going to sweep, and Juliette [Binoche] was wonderful."

Meanwhile, author Dominick Dunne, a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, couldn't figure out how Binoche had won for Best Supporting Actress. "I voted for Lauren Bacall," he said. "And it's amazing, because everyone I know did, too."

Model-actress meets paparazzi as Briton Amanda de Cadenet arrives at Vanity Fair party at Morton's. Photo: Eugene Garcia, The Washington Post

As much as the planners tried to keep security tight and the bashes filled only with A-listers, they failed. Seven friends managed to crash the Mondrian party by posing as hotel guests, rushing past a checkpoint and sneaking in through the fire exit.

When one of them, Marti Rider, the 26-year-old research manager at Columbia TriStar, spotted Christine Lahti, she raced over to the actress. "I never, never do this to stars," Rider began, gently touching Lahti's arm. "I positively, absolutely love all your work. I'm sorry I took your time and interrupted your evening."

When Lahti asked Rider her name, the fan said simply, "I'm nobody, but you'll know me someday."

She rejoined her friends, almost shrieking over her good luck.

"You know who I thought was really great?" said another crasher. "Jennifer Tilly. I saw her on the Independent Spirit Awards," for films made outside the studio system, "and she was the funniest person on it."

Who are you? "I want my name to be Simone Bradley," she declared. "I told some people that I was an accountant and that some movie was way over budget."

Is "Bradley" enjoying these last minutes of Oscar hoopla?

"They should have better hors d'oeuvres. I mean, fried mozzarella! It should be fat-free. This is California," she said.

"There's a real mozzarella problem here."