"An Inconvenient

Truth"

Directed by: Davis Guggenheim

Starring: Al Gore

MPAA rating: PG (could easily be rated "G")

Running time: 101 minutes

Best suited for: tree-hugging, Prius-driving Democrats

Least suited for: gas-guzzling, strip-mining Republicans

Acorn's Rating Guide:

Rule No. 1 for a documentary filmmaker: Tell the truth.

If we're unsure of the honesty, the effort becomes simply another wash of static in our ears. We remain unmoved and unswayed, caught in the stasis of indecision.

So is "An Inconvenient Truth" an ecological premonition on the eve of destruction or political barnstorming by a man who wants another shot at the White House? Al Gore's tale of impending global disaster might have been better had it not included fragments of his political ambition, personal tragedies and his occasional jabs at the current administration. To be fair, Gore claims the trials and tribulations of his past have shaped his current philosophy-and perhaps they have. But for me they also clouded Rule No. 1. I left the theater not quite certain of Mr. Gore's intentions. Hence I'm unsure of the film's persuasive power as an ecological tool.

I happen to believe that global warming is a legitimate threat. And there are certainly more than a few people in New Orleans who would agree. (Another hurricane season is upon us. Two or three cumulative years of devastation and no one may have residual doubt. A few hours of such documented destruction might be far more persuasive than Al Gore in front of a blackboard.) But I suspect "An Inconvenient Truth" won't be the talisman that sparks a fire in the collective consciousness of us generally passive Americans. It's not that the film is unworthy, but one should completely trust the messenger. Your reaction to the film will likely directly coincide with your reaction to Al Gore.

In my opinion (and it is the opinion of a raging cynic, mind you), "An Inconvenient Truth" could have been far better had Mr. Gore concentrated more on science and less on portraying the fate of the earth as One Man's Crusade. But for 100 minutes, the ex-next president of the United States speaks of America's dubious greed and morality-and occasionally his tone of borderline arrogance seems a tad too much like political rhetoric.

Conversely, that corner of my brain that hasn't been eroded by suspicion and skepticism believes perhaps we should all see this film. Its message, if even a partial truth, is important. Even if it isn't our SUVs that are causing a global change, simply Mother Nature clearing her throat, shouldn't we be prepared? Shouldn't we adapt for the future? Frankly, the thought of our government dictating morality scares me far more than a government spending billions to ensure our grandkids' survival. Can gays marry under 200 feet of glacial ice? Perhaps that should be the driving question in Washington these days.

To that extent, Mr. Gore's film has got me thinking. Score one point for Al.

"An Inconvenient Truth" is more or less the cinematic equivalent of a passionate, well-spoken college professor pacing in front of a nifty slide-show presentation, telling his students to "look out, tomorrow may be a bit chilly." He intercuts a generally interesting oratory with scenes of global carnage, often displaying graphic charts depicting mankind's gradual bell curve into dangerous territory. Scary stuff. But who's checked his data? He takes time to show us several photos of once snow-capped mountains, now all but barren rock. His explanation is that global warming is already upon us. That confounded cynic inside me wonders if I can take a snapshot of the Grand Tetons in January, plush with snow, and a similar shot in July, and reach the same conclusion.

To me, such uncertainty undermines the film's true value. Al Gore the ardent ecologist hasn't fully consumed Al Gore the politician. A pity, because I wonder if Gore is harming his own cause. Had he infused the film with leading scientists, academics and ecologists to substantiate his claims, I might be a little more concerned today, a little more shaken. (Heck, the fictional "Syriana" unnerved me more than "An Inconvenient Truth.") As it is, I'm still ready to drive my Jeep to work this morning-but at least I'll be glancing at those darkening storm clouds.