what he and his family learned that they could do without and do without as a way of enriching their lives is both provocative and enviable
No Impact Man (2009)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:37
Fresh:33
Rotten:4
Average Rating:7.1/10
Consensus: Half enviro-saving doc, half publicity stunt, No Impact Man is inspiring and fun to both casual activists and hardcore recyclers.
Theatrical Release:Sep 11, 2009 Limited
Synopsis:
Oscilloscope Laboratories announced today that it has acquired domestic distribution rights to Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein’s documentary, NO IMPACT MAN, a look at the personal fallout resulting...
Oscilloscope Laboratories announced today that it has acquired domestic distribution rights to Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein’s documentary, NO IMPACT MAN, a look at the personal fallout resulting from one man’s decision to eliminate his family’s impact on the environment in downtown Manhattan. NO IMPACT MAN had its world premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and will screen at the SILVERDOCS film festival and the Los Angeles Film Festival this month. Oscilloscope will open the film in theaters on September 4th, 2009, with a DVD and digital release to follow.
Colin Beavan, author, and newly self-proclaimed environmentalist, decides to leave behind a life of liberal complacency for a vow to make zero environmental impact for one year. No more automated transportation, no more electricity, no more non-local food, no more material consumption…no problem. That is, until his espresso-guzzling, Prada-worshipping wife Michelle, and their young toddler, enter the fray. No Impact Man is an insightful and funny look at how one family deals with turning their lives upside down in the name of the planet. Gabbert and Schein’s film provides a front row seat into the familial strains and strengthened bonds that result from this radical lifestyle change.
Adam Yauch, head of Oscilloscope Laboratories said, “This film really got me. It's the first time I've seen an environmentally concerned film with a strong comedic element. I still think about it every time I go to the supermarket.”
The NO IMPACT MAN book, No Impact Man: The Adventures of a Guilty Liberal Who Attempts to Save the Planet, and the Discoveries He Makes About Himself and Our Way of Life in the Process will be published by Farrar, Straus, Giroux and is out in stores September 1st, 2009. A narrative feature film adaptation is currently in the works. --© Official Site
Starring: Colin Beavan, Michelle Conlin
Starring: Colin Beavan, Michelle Conlin
Director: Laura Gabbert, Justin Schein
Director: Laura Gabbert, Justin Schein
Producer: Laura Gabbert, Eden Wurmfeld
Composer: Bobby Johnston
Studio: Oscilloscope Pictures
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Reviews for No Impact Man
No Impact Man is certain to raise questions among viewers – questions about the Beavans, questions about ourselves, questions about degrees of sustainability. And asking questions is what it’s all about, isn’t it?
This curiosity piece should stimulate interesting conversations about the lessons learned from the viewing experience.
Fortunately for the sake of documentary, Beavan is no humorless eco-scold, and he makes it clear that he's engaged in a lifestyle experiment, not recommending this extreme course for everyone.
If this sounds like a stunt, it is. But it's tough to get a book contract these days.
An interesting socio-analytical documentary that preaches valuable messages regarding global conservation. My problem is I wanted to shoot the film's pompous messenger.
There's some food for thought to be gleaned from the film. It suggests a few small changes in our everyday lives that could make a big difference.
No Impact Man is a very confused documentary that somehow puts its confusion to good use.
The real heat comes from Beavan's reluctant wife, Michelle Conlin, a self-proclaimed shopaholic and Starbucks poster girl.
This poignant, provocative documentary reduces the green movement to human scale -- and magnifies the size of mountain it's trying to climb.
The film ended and I went downstairs to see seven bags of trash in my kitchen. It was at that point, I felt I needed to change my living habits.
A strange yet riveting portrait of a marriage enduring a year spent making as little environmental impact as possible.
Like reality TV, there are moments of drama that have an aura of awkward self-consciousness about them and incidents that feel, if not staged, at the very least orchestrated, amped up. But you have to hand it to Beavan and Conlin.
We're a long way from algae-based biofuel, and until that day, maybe watching less crappy television and spending more times with your kids isn't such a bad idea.
You won’t want to give up two-ply, but you might rethink buying salad in one of those unwieldy plastic boxes during your next trip to the grocery store.
It may not be the greatest of cinematic exercises, and it often feels contrived, but this documentary somehow is enlightening, ridiculous, foreboding and funny at the same time.
It all seems like a stunt, especially since Beaven has also written a just-published book about his experiences, but he and Conlin are an engaging pair who don't let zealotry get in the way of humor.
You may find Colin Beavan unbearably smug, but at the heart of his mission lies an inconvenient truth: Our consumable, disposable, unsustainable culture is destroying the planet, and there's no way to change that without making sacrifices.
Latest News for No Impact Man
September 10, 2009:
Critics Consensus: 9 Looks Great, But The Plot's Weak
This week at the movies, we've got post-apocalyptic conflict (9, with voice work by Elijah Wood and Jennifer Connelly); Antarctic intrigue (Whiteout, starring Kate Beckinsale... More...
July 19, 2009:
Trailer & Poster review ![]()
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