There is a mass delusion that is not only pervasive in the mainstream media, but here on Daily Kos as well, where people - including Al Gore's likely supporters - ought to know better. This mass delusion is that somehow, despite no precedent, despite it being a violation of Oscar rules, despite it being against the Director's Guild's collective bargaining agreements, Al Gore would somehow walk up onto the Oscar stage, receive the Oscar for "An Inconvenient Truth", and announce his candidacy for presidency. I want to dispell this misnomer once and for all. Al Gore will NOT receive an Oscar, which is to say, it will be Davis Guggenheim's award, if and when "An Inconvenient Truth" wins the coveted Best Documentary Feature award. Who's he? He's the director of the film.
Furthermore, even if Davis Guggenheim wins the award, Al Gore will NOT walk up there with him. Why? Because if there is another statue to give, it will go to only ONE of the producers, either Laurie David, Lawrence Bender and Scott Z. Burns, and most likely Laurie David, as she was most engaged in the production of the film by all accounts. Al Gore was not the director or producer of the film. He was the subject of a film. And for those of you who think somehow an exception would be made, take a look at the rules under Oscar Documentary Submissions.
http://www.oscars.org/...
- It is intended that the documentary award statuette be presented on behalf of the entire film to the individual(s) most involved in the key creative aspects of the filmmaking process and most responsible for the film’s excellence. To this end, receipt of a statuette shall be limited to two persons, one of whom must be the credited director who exercised directorial control, and the other of whom must have a producer or director credit. If a producer is named, that person must have performed a major portion of the producer functions in the following five areas: acquisition and development; pre-production; production; post-production; marketing and distribution (see “Documentary Producer Definition,” obtainable from the Academy). Production companies or persons with the screen credit of executive producer, co-producer, associate producer, produced in association with, or any credit other than that of director or producer, shall not be eligible to receive a statuette on behalf of the film. In the case of a dispute, the Documentary Branch Executive Committee, appointed each year, shall determine and resolve all questions.
Again, Al Gore walking up to the stage, and getting the Oscar, would be akin to The Band walking up and receiving Martin Scorese's statue for "The Last Waltz", Robert McNamara accepting Errol Morris' best doc award for "The Fog Of War", or Clay Aiken accepting the Emmy for "An American Idol". It's not going to happen, and WE don't want it to happen, and here's why. For those of you who REALLY want Al Gore to enter the race, I don't think that there could POSSIBLY be a worse venue to enter the fray - and it only takes about five minutes of listening to any right wing blowhard before the word "Hollyweird" appears. They would instantly blow this up into another "Al Gore Invented The Internet" moment, which we all know didn't happen. This moment would be "Al Gore picks up Oscar that ISN'T EVEN HIS" aka "He's SOOO dishonest". No campaign manager in their right mind would LET Al announce on stage, let alone even go up there on the stage and get his picture taken with an award that ISN'T HIS. He may hold it later on, at an after party, but not while the TV cameras are live. In fact, my money would be on him not even being present at the ceremony.
This is why Al Gore won't win an Oscar, because it's not his to win, and he fully and completely understands that, and probably find the speculation amusing, despite it's complete and utter lack of moorings in reality. "An Inconvenient Truth" likely will win, and should, if only for the impossible feat of making a Powerpoint* presentation entertaining viewing. Take THAT Pixar. I just want the reality based folks here at Daily Kos to understand exactly WHY Al won't be standing up at that moment and walking to the stage, if he's there at all. It's because he'll be busy applauding those who crafted the story and helped him get this important message out there. Then, if the situation calls for it, after the theatrical re-release that inevitably follows an Oscar win, MAYBE he'll throw his hat into the ring. If and/or when he does that, it will only be because he feels compelled separately and completely to the needs of the day, a decision that will not in any way be tied to the fate of, or the publicity for, this movie.
*actually he used Keynote.