An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power (2017)
Cast includes: Al Gore (An Inconvenient Truth), Hillary Ashford-Ng, George W. Bush, John Kerry, Angela Merkel, Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin, Donald J. Trump
Director: Bonni Cohen (The Rape of Europa), Jon Shenk (Lost Boys of Sudan)
Genre: Documentary (98 minutes)
They scorned the “hyperbole” in the 2006 film, An Inconvenient Truth, until Super Storm Sandy flooded New York City in the exact same areas shown in the film. Yet Senator Inhof, a leading denier, asks, “How come you guys never seem to notice when it gets cold?” Al Gore struggles to “think what I can say to you that might make a difference.” Like the first movie, the sequel takes on the challenge of convincing climate deniers that climate change is real. Unlike the first movie, we now have 10 more years of dramatic evidence. Some of the evidence is shown as statistics, but most is shown in pictures and video. On his way to a meeting in Miami, Gore detours through a section of downtown, which is under water with fish swimming in the streets. It’s not a big news event because it happens all the time now. Miami is the country’s most at-risk large city, yet the governor of Florida still pushes back on renewable energy... “Yes, we’re the sunshine state. But we’re also the partly cloudy state.” This “isn’t just an environmental crisis, it’s a government crisis,” says Gore.
When asked if he’d ever think of running for President again, Al Gore says he’s a “recovering politician.” Clearly, it’s working for him… he is now free to “speak truth to power.” Yet despite his Nobel Prize and eye-opening first film, the sea level keeps rising, and 16 of the last 17 years have been the hottest on record. But Gore no longer stands alone. With an army of activists, he believes we’re hitting a hopeful tipping point. After all, Mother Nature has a voice too and has been dramatically protesting. “Don’t let anybody tell you we’re all gonna to go to Mars to live. This is our home,” Gore says, in front of a brand new picture of “the Blue Marble” taken from the Discover Satellite, an indispensable scientific research satellite... mothballed by the Bush administration for 8 years, reauthorized by the Obama administration. The adoption of renewable energy in the last 10 years has been remarkable. Georgetown, TX, a Republican stronghold, is about to become the first American city to be powered by 100% renewable energy. The mayor, a Trump supporter, boasts about the cost saving.
Still, Gore tells us that he vacillates between hope and despair. Trump’s pulling out of the Paris Accord was a real gut punch… especially after Gore personally negotiating the largest solar loan ever, finally bringing India into the agreement. So far, though, we’re still on track. The sequel, which is even more powerful than the first film, shows us how stupid it would be to try and turn back progress. For those who remember how stiff Al Gore could be… the recovering politician is downright passionate… even having to apologize for his non-PC rhetoric. This is the mission of his life… he invites everyone to see this movie and bring a skeptic… even offering free tickets to those under 18. It isn’t about Republican or Democratic values, “it’s common sense.” There are powerful interests who are afraid renewable energy will jeopardize their bottom line. They pressure politicians into saying “no” to climate science and renewable energy… even though ordinary citizens can see what’s right before their eyes. But Al Gore tells us not to lose hope… “After the last ‘no’ comes ‘yes.’”
4 popped kernels
More than melting glaciers, the sequel shows us real life effects of climate change and the real-life progress we’ve been making to restore the balance
Popcorn Profile
Audience: Grown-ups
Gender Style: Neutral
Distribution: Mainstream Limited Release
Tempo: Cruises Comfortably
Visual Style: Unvarnished Realism
Nutshell: Climate change
Language: True to life
Social Significance: Informative & Thought Provoking
