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South Sound Gets Chance to View Much-Talked-About Warming Film

Posted on: Saturday, 17 June 2006, 12:00 CDT

By Diane Huber, The Olympian, Olympia, Wash.

Jun. 17--Sobering and powerful were the words some South Sound residents used when they emerged from the theater Friday after viewing "An Inconvenient Truth," Al Gore's documentary on global warming.

The documentary arrived at Martin Village cinemas Friday and also is playing at The Grand Cinema in Tacoma.

"I think some of us have been reading about this for some time, and maybe we just need it put right in front of us," said Mary Sparting of Lacey.

The movie reinforces the need for action not just at the city and state level, she said.

"It's got to come from the federal government."

The documentary consists mainly of a multimedia presentation the former vice president has given in cities throughout the world. Gore presents global warming as fact, and says the scientific community unanimously agrees the earth is heating up and people are responsible.

"Humanity is sitting on a ticking time bomb. If the vast majority of the world's scientists are right, we have just 10 years to avert a major catastrophe that could send our entire planet into a tailspin of epic destruction," says the movie's Web site, www.climatecrisis.net.

Director Davis Guggenheim follows Gore on the road between lectures and recounts the parts of Gore's life that have led him to his mission to spread the word on global warming.

The documentary opened May 24 in four theaters and has expanded to 404 theaters nationwide, according to boxofficemojo.com.

It has been well received by critics and was ninth at the box office its second weekend, earning $1.33 million, though it played in just 77 theaters. However, the $4 million it grossed its first three weeks was far below the $200 million brought in by "X-Men: The Last Stand" in the same amount of time.

Tom Neitzel of Yelm said he doubts the movie will persuade skeptics who call the movie alarmist and its science bogus.

"What's going to be said is that this is pure political grandstanding," said Neitzel, who read about the movie and was waiting for it to come to theaters.

"I didn't notice how striking the temperature increase has been in such a short time," he said of one part of the documentary that struck him.

The movie made him realize how much hard work is ahead to make people understand the issue is real and urgent, he said. He and his wife, Glorya, said they think it should be shown in schools.

Neitzel also decided it's a good time to sign up for Puget Sound Energy's green power option.

"I throw the coupon out every month," he said. "I'll be adding that."

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Olympian, Olympia, Wash.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Olympian, Olympia, Wash.

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