In a recent study conducted by researchers from Maine’s Colby College and Good Energy, it was found that Hollywood blockbusters may be falling short when it comes to addressing the current climate crisis. This research, which surveyed 250 movies released between the years 2013 and 2022, discovered that a mere 10% of these films passed their “climate reality check”. This test was designed to determine whether a film features a storyline where climate change exists and is acknowledged by a character.
Interestingly, climate change was mentioned in at least two scenes in less than 4% of the studied films. This study, which underwent a rigorous process of peer review and is currently seeking publication in scientific journals, posits that the underrepresentation of climate change in films does not align with an audience that desires their reality, including climate change, to be mirrored on the silver screen.
The researchers introduced their “climate reality check” as a tool that could be used by audience members, writers, and filmmakers to assess the representation of climate change in movies. Certain films were omitted from the study, such as those not set on Earth or set before 2006 or after 2100. The study also found that streaming services were more likely to incorporate climate change in their films compared to major film studios.
Alison Bechdel, known for the Bechdel-Wallace test for gender representation in films, has praised the climate test as “long overdue”. She believes that this new tool is a necessary step in ensuring that climate change is adequately represented in film narratives.
In a surprising revelation, the study found that even movies not explicitly about climate change, such as “Marriage Story” and “Glass Onion”, were able to incorporate it into their narratives in significant ways. This suggests that there is a broader scope for climate awareness in films than initially perceived. It presents an opportunity for filmmakers to infuse climate change dialogue and references into their storylines, thereby fostering increased awareness and understanding of this pressing global issue among their audiences.
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