an inconvenient truth

By: Tiana Wallace

While some say, “Ahhh, summer,” others see the unmistakable results of the damage we have done to our atmosphere resulting in global warming. Since it opened in theaters in Los Angeles and New York, An Inconvenient Truth has grossed over $24 million, making the film the fourth highest grossing documentary of all time; Fahrenheit 911 comes in at number one, followed by March of the Penguins and Bowling for Columbine respectively. 

Presented by Participant Productions and directed by Davis Guggenheim, An Inconvenient Truth received a standing ovation at its world premier at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. After acquiring this film at the festival, Paramount Classics decided to donate an unprecedented $1 million to to The Alliance for Climate Protection to help fight global warming.

For those who are not yet in the know about this important film, Al Gore’s defeat in the 2000 election provoked him to start a crusade to inform citizens about our responsibility to reverse the effects of global warming in order to save our planet. What begun as a traveling lecture series turned into a film, as Gore found that it was “the best way to get the word out to as large an audience as possible, and to convince more people to look at the truth of our circumstances.”

Although its star is a politician, the film does not have a political agenda. Gore’s overarching message is that maintaining a livable environment is a human obligation, not a political issue. Guggenheim stated, “Al Gore strips his presentations of politics, laying out the facts for the audience to draw their own conclusions…and by the end has everyone on the edge of their seats, gripped by his haunting message.”

Well, if it’s not a political movie then what is it? The posters proclaim it’s “The most terrifying film you will ever see,” and although it’s no Hitchcock flick, the sobering truth of imminent natural disasters might cause one to lose sleep. Global warming is not a natural occurrence, but rather the result of our activities. Fortunately, An Inconvenient Truth offers hope, solutions, and suggestions.

Jeff Skoll, Chairman and CEO of Participant Productions, has been excited about the response to the film and says it has “inspired people across the country to take individual action and make a difference in their own communities.” So watch, chew, swallow, digest, and then see if you can make some adjustments in your daily routine that can add up to monumental changes.

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