Colin Beavan was a fairly ordinary man with a family and an apartment in New York City. That was until he started an experiment called the "No Impact Project," through which he changed into something more than a family man with a mild obsession for environmentalism. What started as a blog and turned into a book is now a feature-length documentary about the trials and tribulations of living almost completely green for a year.
Beavan, along with skeptical wife Michelle and adorable daughter Isabella, started the process for the book and made sure to follow what he set out for in his mind. Beavan began by trying to eliminate all trash waste, save for composting.
That meant that anything that came in a frivolous package was a no-go, including the Starbucks iced lattes that Michelle can't seem to live without. Throughout the film she is the buzz-kill of the experiment, but Beavan nonetheless seems determined to do what he wants to make the whole scenario a success.
The rule concerning excess packaging becomes problematic when Beavan has to buy food, since most of the time it comes in cardboard boxes and other extraneous packaging. His solution? A local farmers market where he is able to meet the farmers who grow his food, take advantage of multi-use packaging methods and promote his rule of not buying food outside of a 250-mile radius of his apartment (to cut down on fuel emissions for transporting the food).
For a while, Beavan seems to be doing some good and doesn't cause too much of a stir. However, his next rule of no paper products (including toilet paper) brings out the media and the haters. Readers flock to his blog to comment on his decisions thus far, and Beavan gets calls from producers in many countries for interviews. Little Isabella is forced to wear natural diapers (she doesn't really seem to mind), and the massive television and TiVo is removed in order to reduce consumption.
Although the feat that Beavan and his family accomplish is rather impressive, the film itself is nothing too spectacular. Scenes of "reality" dialogue are long and played-out, even though they might contribute to the feel and drama of the story. Additionally, the differing attitudes toward the project as a whole often make the atmosphere uncomfortable. Colin can be seen as too easy-going, and Michelle is often naggy and annoying to listen to. When discussion of another baby between the two is put into play, the documentary suddenly turns into a dramatic reality TV series.
Still, while this tension is a major sticking point of the film, the scenes of joy and happiness between the two and their daughter tie things together nicely. Moments like washing clothes in the bathtub with their feet and planting seeds in the garden are turned into adventures for the young girl, and the rest of the family lives through her. Without little Isabella, Colin and Michelle's journey could have taken a very different turn.
The documentary surely doesn't have the same pull or pizazz that a Morgan Spurlock ("Super Size Me," 2004) or Michael Moore ("Bowling for Columbine," 2002) film brings to the table, but it has its own charm — one that will impress and possibly inspire viewers to get involved. If not for the drama or the cute little girl curious about how seeds become plants, stick around for the commentary on capitalist culture from a hippie friend of Beavan who lends him a spot in a public garden. And if that isn't enticing enough, there are plenty of tips that average people could use to improve their part of the world and help encourage others to do the same.
Ultimately, there is much to take away from the film, but simply listening to Colin Beavan's words can often be the source of the most meaning. If there is ever any doubt of the power of community as a whole, just remember that "without community, nobody feels accountable for anyone else."
