The camera only captured the face of Kate Winslett for a second, but when it crumpled under the emotion she felt as a fellow actor honored Al Gore, it left an enduring impression.
Kate Winslett
The event was the 79th annual Academy Awards. Al Gore and Leonardo DiCaprio--Winslett's sweetheart in "Titanic"--stood on the stage, having just announced that the yearly ceremony had, for the first time ever, "gone green."
Gore explained that "environmentally intelligent practices have been integrated fully into every aspect of the planning and production" of the awards ceremony.
Nearly reverting to the overly technical and awkward, Gore concluded by speaking plainly and encouraging everyone to curb their carbon imprint. DiCaprio invited viewers to visit Oscar.com. Then DiCaprio appeared to leave script.
"And now though, although our time is almost up," DiCaprio said, "I just want to say I'm very proud to be standing next to such an inspirational leader in the fight against global warming. You are a true champion for the cause Mr. Gore."
Before DiCaprio had finished the last sentence the audience's approval began to ricochet around the Kodak Theatre.
The camera cut from DiCaprio to Winslett, centered in a bunch of glassy, plastic, smiling Hollywood darlings.
Winslett's face, in striking contrast, was completely clouded, and though her meeting hands just barely fashioned themselves to her will, her face could not beat back the emotional storm battering her eyes. Her mouth broke momentarily, parting around a painful breath before stubbornly damming back the tears that threatened to follow.
You can see it here, but the picture is fuzzy.
Winslett has always exhibited a depth of character that outranks the typical Hollywood starlet, both on-screen and off.
Of all the Hollywood faces the camera could have captured at that moment, Winslett's was perhaps the only one that could convey the sentiments and emotions about the moment and threat of global warming felt by the young Dot Com generation.
As politicians from Sen. Chuck "Hybrid Ticket" Hagel, Republican of Nebraska, to Sen. Hillary Clinton, Democrat of New York, hustle to capitalize on green sentiments simply by fashioning catchy talking points, we watch our future, and our children's future, get burned up by the generation that was supposed to be paternal to ours.
Winslett 2008?
Dean Danger Powers is an international man of mystery.
