An Inconvenient Truth

Al Gore’s book Earth in the Balance was a relatively early, mostly ignored, and extremely prescient look at global warming and the fate of our planet. Thirteen years after its publication, we’re still waiting to see the kind of widespread social and political awareness that could bring about change and slow the planet’s demise. So is Gore; since his defeat in the 2000 election, he has ramped up his efforts to pull people’s heads out of the sand, and this documentary could do what his book couldn’t—it’s surprisingly engrossing. It catches him at work, trying to convince those in power to make a difference before it’s too late. We applaud these efforts, but can’t help but get exercised at Gore himself. Where was all that passion during his campaign? Winning the election surely would have been a more effective way to help avert environmental disasters yet to come—which are presented here intelligently, rather than sensationally. 612-825-6006; www.landmarktheatres.com