Earth-friendly gang goes the distance
If you were tooling down the Pacific Coast in your gas-guzzling SUV between Seattle and Santa Barbara in the Spring of 2001 and passed half a dozen or so cyclists followed by a brightly painted bus, you had likely encountered activist-actor Woody Harrelson’s Sustained Organic Living (SOL) tour. If you didn’t feel guilty at the time, you just might after seeing Canadian filmmaker Ron Mann’s amusing and informative documentary “Go Further,” which tracks the eclectic group as well as spotlights some important earth-friendly lifestyle alternatives.
Harrelson, accompanied by a group including a yoga instructor, a hemp activist, an environmentalist lawyer and a production assistant the actor met on the set of “Will & Grace,” made the 1,500-mile trek, stopping at college campuses and off-the-beaten-path spots along the way in order to promote the myriad benefits of adopting an environmentally safe existence. Dubbing themselves the Merry Hempsters in homage to author Ken Kesey’s 1964 Merry Pranksters tour (celebrated in Tom Wolfe’s book “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test”), the group rode their bikes 30 to 70 miles a day (depending on the hills), ate organic raw food meals prepared by chef Renee Loux Underkoffler and slept aboard the hemp-fueled bus using solar energy for their electrical needs.
Mann, whose 1999 documentary “Grass” (narrated by Harrelson) explained how marijuana became a favorite 20th century scapegoat for politicians, manages to keep what might have been a pedantic, pretentious lecture light and fast-paced. The tour segments are framed with performances by sympatico musicians such as Bob Weir of the Dead, Natalie Merchant, the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Anthony Kiedis, Michael Franti of Spearhead and Dave Matthews, who serve as an organic Greek chorus.
The choice to include Steve Clark -- the “Will & Grace” PA -- a self-described “junk food addict” and smoker, on the tour, is calculated and inspired. Clark’s education in the good-for-you, good-for-the-Earth life gives the film a through-line that prevents it from simply being an educational travelogue and also provides an unforced way of explaining exotic foods such as spirulina -- a microalgae that is 60% all-vegetable protein, rich in beta carotene, iron, vitamin B-12 and the rare essential fatty acid, GLA -- to the audience. The hyper-enthusiastic Clark also presents a contrast to the Zen mellow of Harrelson and the others.
Not surprisingly, the Merry Hempsters, bearing an upside-down U.S. flag in protest of the 2000 presidential election and the corporatization of America, coupled with Harrelson’s well-known reputation for civil disobedience on behalf of Earth issues, met some resistance in rural areas and logging towns. Ever polite and respectful, Harrelson explained his views and the tour, though in one spot the locals said, “Tell Woody Allen to get out of our neighborhood.”
Harrelson is an inspiring speaker, and he demonstrated passion and knowledge when addressing assemblies at the various college campuses, including the University of Washington, Stanford and UC Santa Barbara. He had a rapport with the students due to his celebrity, but also earned their respect because he walked the walk (or rode the bike, in this case) as well as talking the talk.
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‘Go Further’
MPAA rating: Unrated
Times guidelines: Some pot smoking, language and brief nudity
A Sphinx Productions presentation, in association with Boneyard Entertainment, Cameraplanet and CHUM Television, released by Abramorama Entertainment. Producer-director Ron Mann. Executive producers Cameraplanet, Robi Blumenstein, Daniel J. Victor. Screenplay by Solomon Vesta. Director of photography Robert Fresco. Editor Robert Kennedy. Music Guido Luciani. Art director Lynne Dalgleish. Running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes.
Exclusively at the Landmark Nuart, 11272 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A. (310) 281-8223.
