More reactions are trickling in to Gore’s movie. Arianna Huffington loved it, and loved Gore in it. In fact, she thinks the U.S. political class could learn a few lessons from him:
… we get a seemingly endless lineup of fear-driven candidates who, with each new election cycle, become a little more wrinkle-free, a little more foible-free, a good bit less interesting — and considerably more idea free. They are so programmed to avoid the pitfalls of actually standing for something, we might as well have robots running.
Whether Al Gore ends up running in 2008 or not, he is modeling the way our public figures, and especially our would-be presidents, should be operating — from the heart and true to themselves. Standing for something more important than just winning, and more powerful than the fear of losing.
At The New Republic, the normally snarky Franklin Foer was positively moved:
I think the movie has the potential to become a seminal political document — a cinematic Silent Spring. It will certainly change elite opinion.
That last bit in particular is right on the money. I saw the movie with someone who was convinced that no "normal person" would ever pay to go see it. I’m not so sure about that — I doubt it will do March of the Penguins numbers, but I wouldn’t underestimate word-of-mouth.
But either way, political and opinion elites will certainly go see it, and only those with heroically closed minds will leave untouched.
