LOS ANGELES: A screen adaptation of An Inconvenient Truth, the documentary created by former U.S. vice president Al Gore to highlight the dangers of global warming, won two Academy awards Sunday for documentary feature and best song.
The Oscars technically did not actually go to Gore as the documentary feature award was presented to director Davis Guggenheim and producers Lawrence Bender, Laurie David, Lesley Chilcott and Scott Z Burns. The best song award was given to rock star Melissa Etheridge for the I Need to Wake Up title of the documentary. She had composed the song and performed for the movie.
However, the announcement marked a personal win for Gore, as he appeared on the stage at the Academy award show to tell, "My fellow Americans, people all over the world, we need to solve the climate crisis."
He went on to add, "It's not a political issue, it's a moral issue. We have everything we need to get started with the possible exception of the will to act. That's a renewable resource. Let's renew it."
The documentary has been credited with creating a keen awareness among the Americans about the perils of global warming and the need to contain greenhouse emissions.
After the presentation, director Guggenheim handed the statuette to Gore and told the audience the movie was made "because we were moved to act by this man".
Etheridge said, "I have to thank Al Gore for inspiring us, inspiring me, showing that caring about the earth is not Democratic or Republican, it is not red or blue, we are all green."
The film has got more than $45 million at the box office worldwide and has been sold in one million DVDs. As its U.S. ticket sales reached $24 million, it is the third-highest-grossing documentary ever in the country after Fahrenheit 9/11 and March of the Penguins.
Besides everything, Gore's admirers see the Oscar win for the documentary as a major personal triumph for him as he kept his cool after the 2000 presidential election where he got the popular votes but George W. Bush was elected after a court decision. He was asked at the function whether the popularity he gained would make him reconsider his decision not to run for the presidentship. He said categorically, "I do not have plans to become a candidate for office again." Instead, he said he is dedicating all his efforts to pressuring governments to act on climate-crisis issues.
