Let me give this some context before you begin reading. In one of my college classes called, Race, Activism and Climate Justice, we were asked to write Climate Fiction movie synopses. We had to make up movies similar to Mad Max, The Day After Tomorrow or Waterworld. Everyone wrote boring, typical, overdramatic thrillers, so I wrote this. There are a number of homages in here, anything that seems like it may be copying was very conscious and meant to honor rather than steal. Enjoy!
A Grizzly Environment – Movie Synopsis
Andrew Harrington
The year is 2170. Earth has been nearly destroyed by human’s changes to the climate. Vast deserts have engulfed the majority of the world and are juxtaposed only by small slivers of nearly perfect environments that span for only a few miles each. The population has diminished to a mere one billion, and poverty runs rampant while the rich only become richer. Places that were formerly vast rainforests have become the last vestiges of hope and homes to the richest of the rich. Water is scarce, power is scare, and animal life has been all but wiped out. The rich are pampered and live life well. They have created androids to do their bidding, which are coming much to close to sentience for the comfort of those enslaving them. These androids have been the key to keeping the few environmental oases alive. They cultivate the land and have taken the place of the absent wildlife. On the other end, the poor wallow in filth and have no way of climbing to the top to join those amid the microscopic rainforests.
One scientist, named Gregory O’Stethoscope, has a plan to bring down the ultra rich. He has been working on the mass cloning of wildlife for his entire life, and has just cracked the code. Ecstatic by the new achievements in science, he finds himself locked into a quandary that will be written about in the history books. Should he use his new science for aiding the rich, or harming them? His wife, Gloria O’Stethoscope, his muse and partner in science, believes that they should take the high ground, help the rich in order to expand a safe environment for the poor. While she disagrees with the rich, she wants to stay on their good side while helping out those in need. Gregory, on the other hand, has a different plan up his sleeve.
In Neo San Francisco, which has been moved to Muir Woods and is one of the last surviving areas of environmental diversity, a plan is underway. Unmarked trucks roll into the city slowly as people watch intently, they know something sinister is afoot. Out of the trucks, quickly and ferociously, cloned bears begin to funnel out, immediately dealing massive amounts of damage. Four trucks, each containing twenty-five bears, adding to a total of one hundred bears are let loose on this tiny city. God help them all. Gregory O’Stethoscope watches from a safe distance as the bears terrorize the city and send its inhabitance into a frenzy. This is a day the city, no, the world, will never forget.
The president of the United States, John America Jr., has decided to jump on the news to plead to this terrorist. America Jr. gets on to the news, shaking, sweating and on the brink of fainting, addresses his country. He says, “People of America, we are in the middle of a terrorist… no scratch that, bearorist attack in Neo San Francisco. We are unclear of the total number of bears ravaging the city but it must be close to a hundred. While this act is deplorable and horrific… you gotta give the guy some credit. Figuring out the logistics behind getting one hundred bears into the city is pretty dang impressive. With that being said, the current state we are in is unbearable.”
Back in the O’Stethoscope household, Gregory and Gloria are in the middle of a heated debate. Gloria is furious that Gregory went forward with such a devastating, and downright childish plan in order to poorly send a message to the world’s richest. She yells at him, asking what message he was trying to get across, because it seems like people aren’t really going to get it. Gregory goes into a monologue explaining how bears symbolize a great force when brought together, those below the poverty line, and when unleashed on the rich, can take down the status quo. He also states that the very thing the rich are getting rid of, is coming right back to kick their asses. She responds by telling him how stupid that is and that he should’ve probably just mobilized the poor instead, I mean, people would’ve definitely been on board. Gregory, being the stubborn rapscallion that he’s always been, tells his wife that he can’t give up on his plan now. He understands where she is coming from, even admitting that she should’ve been the one planning all of this, but god dammit, he needs to finish what he started. I mean, she’s just way more rational than he is. He then runs away to his “secret lair,” or his closet, and dons his new attire.
Back in the city, people are being ripped to shreds by these bears. The death toll is up to probably twenty. That may sound low, and it is, the city has a really good evacuation plan. But you should know that the property damage is in the millions of dollars. All of a sudden, over the largest city square, appears a man dressed as a super villain. His costume is yellow, with a red cape, and on his forehead… a stethoscope. With the click of a button Gregory hacks into all of the city’s electronics, including the androids. He delivers a message to the people.
“People of Neo San Francisco! It is time for a change to the structure of our world. The people in charge are pretty terrible and we need to take back what is ours, the gosh danged world!” People trapped in poverty on the edge of the city watch their illuminated screens with bewilderment. “It is time to revolt against those in power. Join me as we take down our oppressors and make our world inhabitable again!” Those stuck in the desert see his message and decide to join his call to action, even though they are completely lost on the whole bear thing, they think it’s pretty funny, but it just doesn’t make sense to them like it does to Gregory.
In the following week, Gregory and the people who are ready to fight for their rights prepare to storm the White House. Gregory gives a speech to his fighters. “People, we are on the dawn of a new era. We have seen the brink of extinction and we are turning back from it. No more will we allow this elite class to dictate our lives. Join me brothers and sisters as we take back this land. I warn you though, not all of you will make it, in fact, most of you are going to die… in really bad ways, it’ll be gruesome. But think of the children! We can send them in first! As frontline to slow down the oppressors, then we can storm in after.” Someone goes up to him and explains how this is a bad idea. “Right, send the kids home, then. Most of you won’t live… especially without that frontline… dammit, are we sure we can’t use the kids?” They assure him. “Okay, fine. Let us begin this epic battle.” He turns around then shouts his battle cry, “For Narnia!” He seems to be confused on what movie he is in.
The people rush in for the fight of the generation! Both sides begin to lose people left and right as the poor slowly begins to make their way further and further into the white house. Their numbers are superior making it a sure loss for the elite. Gregory then calls in his hail Mary plan. Out of nowhere, hundreds of wolverines bust into the fight killing indiscriminately. Both sides are losing numbers fast. Then, again, panthers. Then, lions, tigers, fuck! More bears!
Gregory makes his way to the oval office, he’s covered in blood and a giant smile has crept across his face, he just loves violence apparently. Gregory then kills the president and the elite realize they have lost. The poor win the day and the government concedes to the uprising.
The people begin to rebuild their society, however, they decide not to elect Gregory as their new leader, even though without him they would never have made it this far. The people decided that his planning skills are just too terrible, I mean, did you see how many of his own men he killed with those animals? It was up to like a hundred thousand or so. Just too many casualties. They elect none other than Gloria O’Stethoscope, and the day is saved… for now. The last shot of the film shows the president, who is dead, being zipped into a body bag. As the zipper passes his face, his mechanical eye blinks. He was an android the whole fucking time! Impossible, they had so little focus in the movie it seems so weird to add them into the movie now! We’re not really are even sure what that implies, the powers of the androids weren’t even spoken about! None of that matters though, he is an android, and he’ll be back!
Lanky Randman 