An Inconvenient Truth

[Richard Haines]

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...

We'll be in "Waterworld" ten years from now because the polar ice caps are melting.

Because of global warming and your automobile.

The End is near.

Ignore Michael Crichton's comments about the alleged 'global warming crisis'.

Ingore opposing scientists.

The Heat is On.

Doom and gloom.

That's Entertainment.

I know I shouldn't condemn this propaganda film before seeing it although
I know what's in it. Has anyone else seen this movie and what are their
impressions? I always felt Al Gore was very stiff, dull and condescending? How is Al's performance in this picture? Perhaps the cineplex management should turn off the air conditioners to help Al make his case and let you sweat out his show. On the other hand, you might be freezing due to the global cooling crisis of the seventies.

[Richard C. Patchett]

Greetings
The movie sounds better then The Da Vinci Code:D At least you have more options.

[Richard Haines]

Richard,

Does "An Inconvient Truth" contain codes to be deciphered by the audience? I wonder what Al is really trying to tell us?

[Richard Haines]

I wasn't trashing it. Perhaps it's a masterpiece. I was poking fun of it's
theme. In this case politics and pictures are what this movie is about
and I'm curious to hear others reactions.

[Richard C. Patchett]

Richard,

Does "An Inconvient Truth" contain codes to be deciphered by the audience? I wonder what Al is really trying to tell us?

Sure By most means and that is Walt D

Remember Alice in Wonderland Great theme.
What did the door knob say? Jayson:p

[Richard Haines]

Or, perhaps Al is trying to suggest that if we reconsider him for President, this 'crisis' will disappear over night.

What if this is a new trend? Potential political candidates making theatrical release films rather than campaign commercials. Hillary gives a lecture on socialized medicine for 100 minutes. Why stop at agitprop? They could make narrative features to promote their cause. How about Jeb Bush in a Western where he cleans up a Florida town of voter frauds. The Hollywood/Washington link is becoming more entangled.

But back to the original question. If anyone sees it in the near future,
how do they rate Gore's performance? Oscar caliber?

[Jeff Sumberg]

I've seen the trailer (www.apple.com (http://www.apple.com))

Lets assume for the moment the premiss stated by the film is true. What do we do? What if we are causing harm to the planet? What do we do? Give up everything we know that makes life good? Human nature is such that we won't do that. Humans are selfish. We don't care about anyone but ourself. Be honest with yourself.

I think it's a well chosen title.

But whatever the case, don't be fooled by the fact that it's all about the money and nothing more. The film exists only to make money for it's investors, not to save the planet, whether or not it's premiss is right or wrong.

Cynical? Yea, you bet.

[Richard Haines]

Yea but I bet Al Gore won't admit that inconvenient truth.

[Richard Haines]

Since we're on this subject, I'm trying to recall how many Hollywood types
got into politics as actual candidates or into political positions.


Other than Reagan, the ones I can think of are Fred Thompson, John Gavin,
and Shirley Temple who actually served in political offices.


Orson Welles and Helen Douglas (Melvin's wife) ran as progressive candidates in the forties but lost. Paul Robeson never ran for office but was a spokesman/pundit for the Soviet Union. Warren Beatty considered running for president but changed his mind. Anyone else you can think of?

[David Brooks]

George Raft (gov of California) and now there is Arnold ----.

[Mark Anderson]

I have not seen this film yet, but regardless of your political affiliation, it is a topic we should all be concerned with. Jeff is right that humans are greedy and selfish, but any little bit that anyone who gives a rat's ass can do to affect environmental change is a start.

[Dave Harris]

I too saw the trailer and it's a dynamite trailer. I want to see the movie.

[Russell Harnden]

Since we're on this subject, I'm trying to recall how many Hollywood types got into politics as actual candidates or into political positions.... Anyone else you can think of?
Sonny Bono ... Former Mayor of Palm Springs, CA ... "I got you Babe!"
:D

[Gene Stavis]

George Murphy was the first Conservative to serve in the Senate. There was also a guy (can't remember his name) from "The Love Boat (Fred something). With very few exceptions all the politicians from Hollywood have been Conservatives, although political consultants from Hollywood tend to be Liberals. The only real exception I can think of is Robert Montgomery who coached Ike on tv.

Gene Stavis

[Richard Haines]

Good posts. How could I have forgotten to mention Arnold.

Thus far "An Inconvenient Truth" has received a rave review from Ebert (a liberal) and a pan from Kyle Smith of the New York Post (a conservative) so the critical consensus might be along party lines. I've read up on this subject and believe Michael Crichton's take on it makes the most sense.

[Tom Wills]

I got an email about 3 weeks ago saying there would be a private screening at the historic cinema I helped re-open here in town of An Inconvienent Truth with Al Gore. It is TN his home state (though he hardly lived here during his time in office, and TN has voted Republican generally for some time), so I guess it made sense that he would have a screening here. It was a local democratic party screening, but I was not invited by the democrats. They had some extra seats and offered them to our non-profit that runs the theatre, and thus I got the invite.

I was pleasantly surprised by the film. I am biased, but not towards Al Gore. The director Davis Guggenheim (Elizabeth Shue's hubby) was the best man in my first cousin's wedding. The documentary is well made and the points are not misleading. I think it painted a very helpful picture. Every documentary has a point of view and is propaganda for something, and this one certainly can be used in a presidental run. But, the basic message is one that is important to hear.

Global warming is an issue we have not wanted to look at. Richard's comments echo a lot of our society's difficulty in thinking about the big picture. It seems ridiculous to look at our own actions and think that they could change the world. But a billion of us certainly can. The facts presented in the film are quite sobering. Global warming is a real issue.

In the question and answer session afterwards I wanted to ask him if this problem was important enough to him to give up his political aspirations and work on helping solve global warming full time. I didn't have the guts. Maybe if Richard was sitting next to me I might have.

All in all, the film is worth your time. Gore does a good job in it. I think it can cross party lines and have an effect, but sometimes politics just stand in the way. I hope it is not the case with this issue, it is much too important.

Tom

[Richard Haines]

You're assuming that there is a consensus on global warming.

There isn't. It's junk science by Leftwing activists no matter how eloquently
they disguise their agenda.

Back in the seventies there was hysteria about global cooling from the usual suspects. Now it's global warming.

Non partisan scientists have noted minor climate changes but they're so complex that it's impossible to come up with a decisive conclusion. The computer imaging some use have no foundation in reality since none of the doom and gloom predictions have come to pass. And if
there is a global change that results in a warmer climate, it's absurd to claim that humans (and particularly Americans) are responsible for it. Read up on the subject and you'll see that volcanos cause more ozone layer depletion than fossel fuels.

It should come as no surprise that the remedy for every Leftwing 'crisis'
is socialism. They just disguise
it in various ways. This 'crisis' is actually an old one that Al Gore and Bill Clinton did nothing about while they were in power. If it was that critical
why did they focus on imposing socialized medicine on us rather than banning fossil fuels.

Gore gave a speach during his term in office where he revived Roosevelt's
post war New Deal agenda of not only a minimum wage but a maximum wage
of which the Fed would take 100 % above a certain amount. That didn't fly but there are other ways of implementing 'creeping socialism'. Environmentalism (as opposed to having environmental integrity) is the latest gimmick. I still recall Gore's hubris about tobacco. He did not get out of that industry when a relative died of cancer. He didn't target the tobacco companies until after he got out of the business. If you look at Al Gore's
history, you simply cannot trust anything he says or does.

I will see the movie and whether it's a good or bad propaganda movie is beside the point. I know what the real agenda is and I oppose it.

As a companion piece to this movie I recommend reading Micheal Crichton's
discussion of this issue along with "Government Racket: Washington waste from A to Z" by Martin Gross. Have fun.

[Richard Haines]

I guess my original question was answered in that some think Gore gave a good performance.

[Tom Wills]

I agree it is hard to imagine global warming (we can't see it in our day to day lives), but scientists across the board agree that global warming is a reality. I am not a scientist, and I have not interviewed every scientist out there, but I have not heard any scientists trying very hard to debunk the concept. If the film you point to is such an attempt, I will happily watch it.

If accepting global warming is a liberal leftwing thing to do, then we are not talking about this world or even reality, we are just propaganda artists ourselves. I would like to think it is an issue that can cross social divsions in our society.

Tom

[Richard Haines]

Here's the link...

Official Site of Michael Crichton (www.crichton-official.com)

"Aliens Cause Global Warming" Lecture by the writer.

Check it out. It's very interesting.