It may be only 5 months into 2006 but I doubt a more important film will open this year than An Inconvenient Truth. Al Gore narrates this fascinating look at global warming from a series of powerpoint presentations he has made around the world. The film is chock full of facts and numbers as well as some incredible photographs that beautifully explain the thesis of the film. It is so well paced and alot of information is given but done in a way that never overwhelms you because the film cuts away from the presentation to let you absorb what you have seen.
The presentation is interspersed with scenes of Gore traveling to various countries as well as his home in Tennessee to show how the information is personal to us as well as to him. There are so many alarming facts but the film is also positive in that he believes we can change the outcome if we act quickly and positively. He reiterates that solving global warming can create jobs and pave the way for future growth on the planet. He gives time to animals and insects as well as humans to show how the warming affects everything. Director Davis Guggenheim has done a masterful job in opening up the film beyond the classroom and pacing the film perfectly.
This is the Al Gore we longed to see in 2000, relaxed, confident and warm. He is immersed in this topic and the news footage shows how he has been for 30 years now. I’m still trying to decide if he didn’t bring this up enough or if the media and the public weren’t listening when he did, probably a bit of both.
Just as Republicans like to say September 11th changed everything (their code phrase for doing anything they please in the name of “national security”) Hurricane Katrina is the national disaster that changed everything for Democrats. It showed the terrible job the Bush Administration did in responding to that tragic event and reminded the nation that global warming is not a theory, it is a scientific reality. We now expect major storms again this summer after a horrible tornado season and this will only keep the subject front and center in the national arena.
If you want to find out when the film opens in your town CLICK HERE.
