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Hollywood Elsewhere managed five or six minutes of face time with An Incovenient Truth star and 2000 Presidential election victor Al Gore yesterday evening at the Paramount Vantage launch party. Maybe a minute of opening pleasantries and praise (love the film, seen it three times, definitely the most important film of the year bar none), and then a compliment about the writing and delivery of Gore's opening narration. Gore's recollection of standing on the bank of a slow-moving river (presumably somewhere near his home in Tennessee) turns into a serene and unforced riff on the primally soothing power of nature. "It wasn't written...it was extemporaneous," he said. "But it was Davis Guggenheim [the film's director] who pulled it out of me. We were in a studio and I was talking about my feelings about nature and all, and he said, 'But why? What are you really saying?' And I'd say it again with a little more of a personal tone, and he'd say again, 'But where is this coming from...you know, deep down?' And I was saying to myself with some frustration, 'Well...hey,' but I tried it again and he kept at me, and the final result is what's in the film." I mentioned that an actress-waitress I invited to see An Inconvenient Truth a few weeks back and that she'd said nope, no thanks, don't wanna see it. I tried to talk her into it but she was adamant, convinced that Truth would be too talky or depressing or whatever. (Which it absolutely isn't.) "What did she finally think of the film?" Gore asked. "She wouldn't see it...I couldn't get her to come," I replied. He shook his head, a tick of diappointment. "And it's people like her that somehow have to be reached," I said. The air inside the party was on the warmish side, and I noticed that the former Vice President was pink-faced and sweating slightly as we spoke. He later made his way to the large opening that overlooked the beach and the bay. I could see a flicker of relief come over him as he caught a deep breath and took it all in.