For those needing inspiration over the long summer months, look no further! An Inconvenient Truth is not the only green movie option available to stoke your fire. Here are six movies which will encourage you to get off the couch and do something for the environment. (Yes, that last statement was ironic.)
Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006)
Narrated by Martin Sheen this murder mystery themed documentary investigates the disappearance of a 1996 zero emissions vehicle (watch a preview here). Though it begins melodramatically with a funeral presided over by Ed Begley,Jr., the movie picks up serious speed as it considers each suspect (i.e. big oil, the auto industry, etc.). Car tech enthusiasts will love this film. Rumor has it creator Chris Paine has a sequel under way…
A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash (2006)
A 90 min. documentary on the planet’s dwindling oil resources; we’re running out and we don’t have a plan (see a preview here). Energy industry experts discuss our transition from a period of cheap abundant energy to one of hard to get expensive energy and the consequences. It takes an honest look at the problems of oil and its energy alternatives, examining their benefits and drawbacks.
The Corporation (2003)
The Corporation won 26 international awards including the Audience Choice Award at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival (you can watch it here). This film examines the psychology of the modern corporation eventually diagnosing it as a psychopath. What does this movie have to do with the environment? Plenty. Besides pointing out the need to buy local and support small businesses, it prominently features the battle against synthetic hormone rBGH in the dairy industry. Director/Writer/Producer Mark Achbar’s next project Blue Gold: World Water Wars, set for release in 2008, probes the possibility that wars of the future will be fought over available water, not oil.
11th Hour (2007)
A sense of urgency in the title and an action inducing Tagline – “Turn mankind’s darkest hour into its finest.” What more could you want? Leonardo Dicaprio narrates this look at the state of the global environment. It offers visionary and practical solutions for restoring the planet’s ecosystems. It’s akin to watching an extended version of Sundance Channel’s The Green, including commentary by enviro idol, David Suzuki.
Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices (2005)
This documentary (you can watch it here) examines the impact of the retail giant on local communities. The changes a new Wal-Mart brings to a town are not only economic, but also environmental. Watch this and then try to walk into a Wal-Mart with a clean conscience. Director/producer Robert Greenwald also helmed Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism and (oddly enough) 1980’s Xanadu.
Ferngully: The Last Rainforest (1992)
Children need slightly lighter fare than what most documentaries offer. The animated feature Ferngully: The Last Rainforest is a safe, child friendly choice. The inhabitants of Ferngully fight to save their home against logging and polluting force Hexxus. Tim Curry, who voices Hexxus, shows off his musical theatre chops in a Rocky Horror-esque number (don’t worry – it’s completely G rated). The cast also includes Robin Williams who lends his voice to the character Batty Koda so you and your little ones are guaranteed a few laughs.
The End of Suburbia (2004)
The End of Suburbia explores the 'American Way of Life' and its prospects as the planet approaches a critical era, as global demand for fossil fuels begins to outstrip supply. It also inspired a small town in Northern California to adopt as sustainability mission and rethink how their city functions. Directed by Gregory Greene, there is also a sequel, Escape from Suburbia, that came out in 2006.
