An Inconvenient Truth speaks loud and clear for Participant

After a few hanging chads lost him the presidency and set the world in a different direction, what did Al Gore do next? He made a movie, of course. An Inconvenient Truth, a documentary looking at the effects of climate change around the world, opens this weekend in the US, and hopes to wake up an American public who are frequently told that Global Warming is a myth. 

In a rare show of industry support, distributor Paramount Classics, has promised 5% of ticket sales (with a min guarantee) to an Alliance for Climate Protection, while producer Participant Productions have already pledged 100% of their profits on the release to the Alliance. In another unusual move, the film's website contains a counter encouraging people pledge to see the film in its opening weekend - and as of Friday over 120,000 had signed up.

Participant, founded by billionaire former eBay CEO Jeff Skoll, was behind acclaimed socially engaged films, Syriana and Good Night and Good Luck - as well as the Richard Linklater adaptation of Fast Food Nation, which premiered in Cannes last week. 

"I hope that 'AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH' will be an action movie in the truest sense of the phrase--that the film will motivate people to take action to address the climate crisis,” said former Vice President Al Gore - who is followed in the film with his Global Warming Roadshow. “In addition, the more tickets that are sold, the more funds will be raised giving the Alliance the opportunity to educate and galvanize millions more around this issue and inspire them to be a part of the solution."

For a film that in the words of one reviewer 'will make you feel really guilty' An Inconvenient Truth has nevertheless picked up a host of good reviews:

“surprisingly engaging…intellectually exhilarating,…could hardly be more urgent. “An Inconvenient Truth” is a necessary film” - A.O. Scott, The New York Times

“…illuminating, fascinating and sometimes frightening.” - Claudia Puig, USA Today (* * * 1/2 out of 4 stars)

“highly persuasive” - Kevin Crust, The Los Angeles Times

For those in New York and LA, the film is playing at:

AMC Loews Lincoln Square 12 in New York
Landmark Sunshine Cinema in New York
The Arclight Cinemas in Los Angeles
Laemmle’s Monica 4-Plex in Santa Monica

Before going wide next weekend. From the An Inconvenient Truth's website:

Humanity is sitting on a ticking time bomb. If the vast majority of the world's scientists are right, we have just ten years to avert a major catastrophe that could send our entire planet into a tail-spin of epic destruction involving extreme weather, floods, droughts, epidemics and killer heat waves beyond anything we have ever experienced.

If that sounds like a recipe for serious gloom and doom -- think again. From director Davis Guggenheim comes the Sundance Film Festival hit, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, which offers a passionate and inspirational look at one man's fervent crusade to halt global warming's deadly progress in its tracks by exposing the myths and misconceptions that surround it. That man is former Vice President Al Gore, who, in the wake of defeat in the 2000 election, re-set the course of his life to focus on a last-ditch, all-out effort to help save the planet from irrevocable change. In this eye-opening and poignant portrait of Gore and his "traveling global warming show," Gore also proves himself to be one of the most misunderstood characters in modern American public life. Here he is seen as never before in the media - funny, engaging, open and downright on fire about getting the surprisingly stirring truth about what he calls our "planetary emergency" out to ordinary citizens before it's too late.

With 2005, the worst storm season ever experienced in America just behind us, it seems we may be reaching a tipping point - and Gore pulls no punches in explaining the dire situation. Interspersed with the bracing facts and future predictions is the story of Gore's personal journey: from an idealistic college student who first saw a massive environmental crisis looming; to a young Senator facing a harrowing family tragedy that altered his perspective, to the man who almost became President but instead returned to the most important cause of his life - convinced that there is still time to make a difference.

With wit, smarts and hope, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH ultimately brings home Gore's persuasive argument that we can no longer afford to view global warming as a political issue - rather, it is the biggest moral challenges facing our global civilization.