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Go Further!

2004, Movie, NR, 80 mins

Go Further!: Review

GO FURTHER!
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Veteran documentarian Ron Mann's shaggy, earnest film chronicles a 1300-mile bike ride from Seattle to Los Angeles undertaken by actor-environmental activist Woody Harrelson and a band of like-minded individuals to promote the practice of sustainable organic living and the philosophy of "living with a light footprint." The riders are trailed by a bus that runs on hemp oil and is stocked with solar-powered appliances, and make frequent stops so Harrelson can address college students and chat with others who have similar interests. They include a worm rancher, the owner of a non-wood paper mill, organic farmers and members of the Ruckus Society, who train activists in the art of safe, effective protest. Harrelson's team, dubbed the "Merry Hempsters" in homage to '60s activist Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters, includes a raw-foods chef, a yoga teacher and junk-food junkie Steve Miller. The education of Miller, a production assistant who met Harrelson on the set of TV's Will & Grace and joined the mini-crusade for a lark, gives the film its loose dramatic shape. By the time they roll back into L.A., he's quit smoking, dramatically improved his diet and embraced yoga without losing his goofy cynicism or sense of humor. What could easily have been an insufferable vanity project is actually surprisingly charming, in large part because the laid-back Harrelson is a kinder, gentler breed of proselytizer. Harrelson's one-on-one encounters with people who thoroughly reject his ideas are especially revealing; unlike many true believers, he genuinely listens (or does a good impression of someone listening) and sticks to his message without hectoring or belittling them. By the time the tour is over, it's hard not to admire Harrelson for embracing easily mocked ideals and suggesting by example that it's better to be part of a small, personal solution than do nothing because the problem is so vast and intimidating. leave a comment --Maitland McDonagh
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