OSCAR, MEET `TITANIC'; 14 NODS PROVE FILM'S NO DISASTER.

Byline: Glenn Whipp Daily News Film Writer

Everyone is telling ``Titanic'' producer Jon Landau to start writing his acceptance speech. Landau, though, would rather err on the side of caution for now.

``There are many lessons to be learned from the Titanic tragedy,'' Landau said in a phone call from Geneva, Switzerland, ``and one of those was presumption.''

Still, 14 nominations, including best picture, actress and director, have left Landau and the film's writer-director, James Cameron, feeling pretty good about the way things turned out for their little $200 million love story.

``The people who voiced concerns six months ago had never seen a foot of film, had never been to the set and had never talked to us about what we wanted to do,'' Landau said.

So is Oscar the best sort of absolution?

``Vindication is something that neither Jim nor I feel,'' Landau said. ``It's satisfaction in that we set a goal for ourselves not to get lost in the technology and scale, and make a movie that had its foundation in heart and emotion. And I think that's what people are responding to.''

Oscar sure responded. The 14 nominations tie a record for the most in the history of the Academy Awards, linking ``Titanic'' with 1950's ``All About Eve.'' That film won six Oscars, including best picture.

The full-scale domination from ``Titanic'' came as no surprise. The film is a certified phenomenon, a commercial and artistic success. A measure of its favor from the academy came from the nominations of actresses Kate Winslet and Gloria Stuart for playing the same character in the same year, a first in Oscar history.

``I've been waiting for this for a long time,'' said the 87-year-old Stuart, the oldest nominee in Oscar history.

Added Winslet, ``It will be nice to see my mum and dad behaving like two little kids again on Oscar night.''

Of course, ``Titanic'' wasn't the only movie gaining a full head of steam from the academy nominations. Fellow best picture nominees ``Good Will Hunting'' and ``L.A. Confidential'' each received nine nominations. The category was rounded out with ``As Good as It Gets'' and, in a mild surprise, the popular British comedy ``The Full Monty.''

Joining the British-born Winslet in the best actress category are three other Brits: Helena Bonham Carter for ``The Wings of the Dove,'' Julie Christie for ``Afterglow'' and Judi Dench for ``Mrs. Brown.'' Helen Hunt was the only American to crack the category, nominated for her turn as the plucky waitress who falls for Jack Nicholson in ``As Good as It Gets.''

Dench received the news while having lunch in a BBC canteen.

``For once, I am at a loss for words,'' Dench said. She added that she celebrated by cracking open a bottle of water.

For her part, Bonham Carter had no problem expressing her thoughts. They seemed to gush forth in torrents.

``I'm bewildered, benumbed, but deep-down thrilled,'' she said of her first Oscar nomination. ``I'm honored to be considered in the same acting ballpark as my fellow nominees, and generally very grateful to all those who voted for me. If they let me know who they are, I'll do the same for them one day.''

For best actor, Nicholson received his 11th nomination, giving him the most ever for a male performer. He'll be up against two other Oscar perennials: Dustin Hoffman (his seventh nomination, for ``Wag the Dog'') and Robert Duvall (his fifth, for ``The Apostle''), as well as first-time nominees Matt Damon (``Good Will Hunting'') and Peter Fonda (``Ulee's Gold'').

``The best part of it is, of course, after I get over the feeling of being nominated, I get to go back to work,'' Fonda said from Toronto during a break from making ``The Passion of Ayn Rand.''

``I'm on the call sheet, so I get a hot meal and everything,'' Fonda added, laughing.

Others will just have to content themselves with their nominations. In the supporting categories, Robert Forster (``Jackie Brown''), Anthony Hopkins (``Amistad''), Greg Kinnear (``As Good as It Gets), Burt Reynolds (``Boogie Nights'') and Robin Williams (``Good Will Hunting'') were named for supporting actor.

In the supporting actress category, Kim Basinger (``L.A. Confidential''), Joan Cusack (``In & Out''), Minnie Driver (``Good Will Hunting'') and Julianne Moore (``Boogie Nights'') joined ``Titanic's'' Stuart.

With all the acting nominations from ``Good Will Hunting,'' it came as a bit of a surprise that the film's director, James L. Brooks, was left off the ballot. Atom Egoyan took his place (also receiving a writing nod), joining Peter Cattaneo (``The Full Monty''), Gus Van Sant (``Good Will Hunting''), Curtis Hanson (``L.A. Confidential'') and Cameron. All the directors are first-time nominees.

Brooks did receive a screenplay adaptation nod, so he shouldn't feel totally left out. Those who might feel snubbed include ``Amistad'' director Steven Spielberg, ``Wag the Dog'' director Barry Levinson and the entire cast and crew from ``The Ice Storm.'' Pam Grier's highly touted turn in Quentin Tarantino's ``Jackie Brown'' was also ignored.

Even ``Titanic'' didn't escape unscathed. Some thought Leonardo DiCaprio might join the fray for best actor. And although Cameron received a screenplay nomination from the Writers Guild, he didn't get one from the academy for his original screenplay. (``Good Will Hunting's'' golden boys Damon and Ben Affleck did.)

But this is a day for champagne, not sour grapes. The former was the beverage of choice for Cameron, guiding force behind ``Titanic,'' when he heard the news on a flight from Moscow to New York.

``While we were whooping it up, the captain came back to congratulate me and he said, `Slide open your window,' '' Cameron told The Associated Press from New York. ``I did, and I looked down, and we were just approaching the coast of Greenland, and there was a huge ice floe below us with icebergs, big icebergs scattered in the ice floe, and I'd never seen an iceberg before.

``It was such a strange confluence of a moment.''

Perfect serendipity for a near-perfect Oscar day.

WHERE TO WATCH

The awards ceremony will be telecast live March 23 (6 p.m. to its conclusion) on ABC (Channel 7).

HOW MUCH THEY MADE

Here are the North American box-office figures so far for the five best picture nominees:

``Titanic,'' 14 nominations, $337 million.

``L.A. Confidential,'' nine nominations, $42 million.

``Good Will Hunting,'' nine nominations, $68 million.

``As Good as It Gets,'' seven nominations, $92 million.

``The Full Monty,'' four nominations, $38 million.

CAPTION(S):

5 Photos, 2 boxes

PHOTO (1)``The Full Monty''

(2)``As Good as It Gets''

(3)``Good Will Hunting''

(4)``L.A. Confidential'' nine (5)``Titanic''

Box: (1) How much they made (see text)

(2) Best actor

(3) Best actress

(4) Best director

(5) Where to watch (see text)