An Inconvenient Truth is a new kind of movie. It’s not entertaining, if anything, it’s frightening, there’s no satire or climax and it doesn’t have a happy ending. Well, that’s not true…it could have a happy ending, Al Gore says it’s up to us. You see, the movie doesn’t actually have an ending because it’s a story about the world. And has the world come to an end yet? Obviously not. In fact, you may even leave the theater thinking that Gore’s political career also has not yet reached its end. Al Gore taught me how to recycle! I am from that generation, that were taught in elementary school to “Save the Planet” and recycle everything. We wore recycling sign T-shirts and our nightmares were all about ducks choking on plastic six-pack ties. But somehow recycling turned into a fad just as fast as slap bracelets, and An Inconvenient Truth is bringing back the trend.

It turned out to be a great film. Well, it’s really more of a powerpoint presentation that Gore gives to you. He breaks down three common misconceptions about global warming.

Global Warming Misconceptions

1. Scientists disagree
   – Apparently they don’t. All scientists see global warming as a threat to the humankind.
2. We have to choose earth over economy
   – We don’t. We just have to make some minor adjustments to the way we live. This is also one of the funniest parts _ of the movie. Gore says,  “What if we do choose the economy over the earth?” As if to say, Duh. We can’t do that. Then there’d be no earth and…well…that’s kinda major.”
3. Global Warming is too big of a problem, nothing we can do.
   – It’s not too late. But it’s getting close. Gore also says that Americans tend to go from denial to despair…skipping the part where you actually do something.

The movie does have humorous punctuations – just enough to remind you that you paid to see a movie, not a lecture. But parts of it still feel like you should have your laptop out. Will there be a quiz on this? Well, yes. There will. In 2008. Only Al Gore isn’t calling it a quiz, he’s calling it an election.

You see, Gore does cede to the fact that the only way to change the problem is through political action. And this is a political movie. It’s not a movie about Al Gore’s politics, it’s about pro-environment politics. And Gore’s politics just happen to be pro-environment.

Basically, what you learn from the movie is that to stop global warming…there has to be a movement. The science is shocking—caring about the environment needs to come back in style. And we have to do it together. If you could do it by yourself, Al Gore would have done it already.