Last night the Producer's Guild had their annual awards. it's extra-onanistic onanism, our awards (for the usual best stuff--TV shows [Grey's Anatomy won, and good for Shonda Rimes], non-scripted [60 minutes got that one], best Longform TV [for which my Fantasia Burrino movie wasn't even nominated!!! and we gave it to Elizabeth I!!!! Frickin' Brits] best movie [not sure, i left to get ahead of the valet line, but probably babel] and so on) but it's a hell of event.
we had bonnie raitt, stevie wonder, and paul simon all perform, and melissa etheridge there as well presenting. and what was she presenting? well, amongst other things, the Stanley Kramer award, given to the best message movie. and that was, of course, An Incovenient Truth. And surprise surprise, who was there to discuss the movie but Al Gore. more in hades:
you have to understand that in this room was every single power player in Hollywood, at least on the producer side, and a lot of agents and a few executives (we producers are a weird hybrid but ultimately are creatives by the standards of hollywood). And when Al was announced, the room was electric. he got the days one standing ovation. his speech was fantastic, funny and smart. it was empassioned but self-deprecating, charming and well thought out. it was a triumph
now, represented in that room alone was enough cash to run a SERIOUS campaign (hell, Jeffrey Skol alone could bankroll a campaign with his e-bay cash and his genuinely liberal politics. that link leads to the company site which is very much modeled on kos, FYI.) And the Gore 2008 feeling was palpable. IF Gore wants it, he has Hollywood in his back pocket. that mean money, creative talent, celebrity talent, storytelling talent, you name it. and with his now excellent speaking style and presentation, and his OWNERSHIP of the single most important issue there is, and the most multi-faceted...
- A: Global Warming itself
- B: Energy Independence
- C: Terrorism and the Middle East
- D: New Technology
- E: Science and Rationality over Superstition
Al Gore, 2008. Seriously. sorry overlord Kos, i know we irritate as per your latest meta-diary, but there it is. Hollywood is in the motherf*ckin' house.