HOLLYWOOD -- No wonder Helen Mirren said she felt like a queen or a fairy princess or some other storybook character.

She had an Oscar, a vodka gimlet, a divine designer gown and beloved husband Taylor Hackford and other relatives waiting for her. Her ensemble shimmered in the light of the pressroom as she said, "I'm wearing a dress by Christian Lacroix, and it was made for me and built for me, and I have to say it's the most comfortable thing I've ever worn. It's as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside, and I really do feel like a queen or a fairy princess or a fairy godmother."

Or maybe Mirren, named Best Actress at the 79th Academy Awards, had a fairy godmother on her side. In a year's time she played Queen Elizabeth I, had two weeks off, tackled Elizabeth II and then returned to "Prime Suspect."

Mirren wasn't expecting a congratulatory call from the royals. "I think it's wonderful that I live in a country that allows us to make a film like this," the British actress said. "I think it's very gracious and very noble of her. And I do believe she is a noble person in the best possible sense of the word," and it has nothing to do with class but everything with spirit.

The Oscars will be remembered for: Martin Scorsese's belated admission to the club; Eddie Murphy's fateful decision to make "Norbit" (and perhaps tilt the race to Alan Arkin); the ascendance of Jennifer Hudson and overdue recognition of actor Forest Whitaker; the ability of a former vice president to be reborn as a red carpet regular; and a chorus of foreign voices, sometimes literally, as backstage interviews were conducted in Spanish, Italian, French and German.

Some highlights from the ones in English:

Building a better mousetrap: One of the more bizarre questions was put to Graham King, producer of "The Departed," which took the top prize. He was asked if he had seen a TV report about rats in a Taco Bell and taken it as a sign that his movie -- which features a theme about being a rat and a cheeky shot of an actual rodent -- would win. Uh, no, he had not.

No one was thinking about winning awards during production, particularly during a scene in which Jack Nicholson steps out of a bar with blood-drenched hands. "I turned around to somebody on the set, and I said, 'Can you imagine me showing this to the Golden Globes?' They're going to lynch me. And we just didn't even think about awards on this."

Waiting was wonderful: Scorsese said he was glad he had to wait for Oscar's blessing. "Maybe it would have changed the kind of movies I made or something. I couldn't trust myself. I don't know if I was strong enough if I'd gotten it before, quite honestly. And I'm glad that it went this way, and when I saw that smile on his face, Steven's [Spielberg] face, I said. 'Oh, something's up.' But I'm glad it's taken this long, it's been worth it."

He's not ruling out a prequel or sequel to "The Departed," although he's not sure he would direct.

Sensational speechifying: Whitaker may have been a bit tongue-tied or overwhelmed at other awards shows, but he came through in the clutch and delivered an eloquent, moving acceptance. He wrote it the night before and hoped it wouldn't be too self-indulgent or boring. "Or presumptuous, because you really don't know."

He also didn't know if he should stick with acting. "It was, like, 10 or 12 years into my career before I felt like maybe I can do it."

Sunshine and sweetness: The sweetness Grandpa shows Olive in "Little Miss Sunshine" turns out to be a reflection of how Alan Arkin feels about his young co-star, Abigail Breslin. He called working with her a sheer delight.

"She is a lovely, delightful, charming child ... It was like working with a woman of 40 years' experience. We were locked in the van for hours, and it was 95 degrees out, no air conditioning," and she busied herself with music, writing and conversation.

Arkin skirted a question about the "Norbit" billboards and said he didn't have a clue why the Academy gave him the award, although, "Everyone thinks I'm going to keel over in a year or two."

On music, men and grandma: Jennifer Hudson's abbreviated bolero jacket gave reporters pause on the red carpet (just what was that design and material?), but she was glowing back stage after performing. She plans to release an album in the fall, denied tension with Beyonce on the set, and hasn't had "the talk" about what fame can do to a relationship with her long-time boyfriend.

"We haven't really talked about it because he's not really -- he's not in Hollywood, you know, he's a regular guy, and I think I'm a regular girl. At least I was. So it balances out, you know. So we really don't talk about it or think of it that way."

When Hudson watched Murphy lose, she began to wonder if she was the shoo-in everyone said. "I mean, you can never be too sure, you never know. Could have gone either way."

Asked for some advice for beleaguered Britney Spears, she sounded like the woman who says she still goes home to Chicago and, like her talented grandmother before her, sings in the church choir: "All I can do is pray for her, that's the best I can do. I don't know what's going on, and it ain't my business."

Sweeping the carpet: Vintage glam came in the false eyelashes of "Dreamgirls" stars Hudson and Anika Noni Rose (who showed off her Stuart Weitzman shoes, worth $500,000), the gorgeous gowns of Penelope Cruz and Anne Hathaway, and the jewels worn by Rachel Weisz ... While their parents were at the Kodak Theatre, the children of "Little Miss Sunshine" directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris were continuing the family tradition of hosting an Oscar party ... Spike Lee didn't need to worry about finding a look-alike outfit anywhere in the Kodak, given his combo of white jacket, navy shirt, polka-dot cravat and a beret.