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Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Film / Film Reviews / Earth-Day / News Earth Day viewing: An Inconvenient Truth
Posted By Matt Brunson on Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 10:24 AM
By Matt Brunson
Cinematically, what better way to celebrate Earth Day than by reprinting CL’s original review of the Oscar-winning documentary (and surprise box office hit) An Inconvenient Truth? I guess by popping the film itself into the DVD player.
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
***1/2
DIRECTED BY Davis Guggenheim
STARS Al Gore
There's a point in the documentary An Inconvenient Truth when Al Gore, who now gingerly introduces himself by saying, "I used to be the next president of the United States," soberly insists that global warming is not a political issue but a moral one. He's absolutely right, of course, but you wouldn't know it from listening to folks whose ancestors doubtless were the ones insisting that the earth was flat.
Republican Senator James Inhofe declared that global warming is "the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people." (Really? Over those WMDs?) Exxon apologist Sterling Burnett slyly compared Gore to Joseph Goebbels on (but of course) FOX News. And controversial meteorologist Bill Gray, in a Washington Post interview, also stated that global warming is "one of the greatest hoaxes ever perpetrated on the American people" (OK, who's the plagiarist, Inhofe or Gray?) and went on to opine that "Gore believes in global warming almost as much as Hitler believed there was something wrong with the Jews."
Goebbels? Hitler? I suppose if we shave Gore's head, we'll find a little "666" birthmark, right?
Regardless of all the cacophonous naysaying (by those who haven't seen the movie, natch), An Inconvenient Truth is an absorbing documentary that gently pushes a message that all Americans of sound mind and good conscience can embrace: Let's work together to make the world a better place.
It's a tall order, not the least because of the fat-cat corporations that have been fighting its message at every turn (including a whopping 40 conservative think tanks, all of which receive financial donations from — now here's a shock! — Exxon). But the beauty of Davis Guggenheim's picture is that it inspires audience members to actually believe they can be a part of something important. Gore's platform isn't that we need to walk 50 miles to work, live in grass huts and resort to shadow puppets for our entertainment. Instead, he suggests that even if all of us can contribute in small ways — yes, even turning off the lights after exiting a room — it can have positive effects. And, as he notes, all the resources are already available for combating global warming; the only thing that's missing is "political will."
I know what you're thinking: 100 minutes of listening to Mr. Roboto discuss science? Yet An Inconvenient Truth is surprising in the fleet-footed qualities of both its presentation and its host. Personal anecdotes, charts, slide shows and even cartoons are employed to allow the information to be easily absorbed by almost anyone. As for Gore, he's far more personable and animated than he ever was on the campaign trail — what remains unchanged is his blazing intelligence, a far cry from the monosyllabic chimp presently sitting in the White House. I'm no Gore groupie — heck, I didn't even vote for him in the 2000 election [needless to say, I didn't vote for Bush, either] — but as has been the case with Jimmy Carter, getting ousted from office might end up being the best way for him to serve his country.
Where Gore's measured arguments resonate most is when he addresses the popular right-wing fear-mongering tactic that pits the economy versus the environment. But just like the needless battle of evolution versus religion, it's not an either/or situation — it is possible for both to coexist and, indeed, draw strength from each other.
But please, do your own research; don't take my word for any of it. Don't take Al Gore's word. And for God's sake, most definitely don't take Exxon's word.
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