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Merchants of Doubt

  • 2014
  • PG-13
  • 1h 36m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
4K
YOUR RATING
Merchants of Doubt (2014)
A documentary that looks at pundits-for-hire who present themselves as scientific authorities as they speak about topics like toxic chemicals, pharmaceuticals and climate change.
Play trailer1:59
13 Videos
29 Photos
Documentary

A documentary that looks at pundits-for-hire who present themselves as scientific authorities as they speak about topics like toxic chemicals, pharmaceuticals and climate change.A documentary that looks at pundits-for-hire who present themselves as scientific authorities as they speak about topics like toxic chemicals, pharmaceuticals and climate change.A documentary that looks at pundits-for-hire who present themselves as scientific authorities as they speak about topics like toxic chemicals, pharmaceuticals and climate change.

  • Director
    • Robert Kenner
  • Writers
    • Erik M. Conway
    • Robert Kenner
    • Naomi Oreskes
  • Stars
    • Frederick Singer
    • Naomi Oreskes
    • Jamy Ian Swiss
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.6/10
    4K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Robert Kenner
    • Writers
      • Erik M. Conway
      • Robert Kenner
      • Naomi Oreskes
    • Stars
      • Frederick Singer
      • Naomi Oreskes
      • Jamy Ian Swiss
    • 32User reviews
    • 46Critic reviews
    • 70Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 4 nominations total

    Videos13

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:59
    Trailer
    Hate Mail
    Clip 1:04
    Hate Mail
    Hate Mail
    Clip 1:04
    Hate Mail
    Hard Pill To Swallow
    Clip 1:17
    Hard Pill To Swallow
    Regulation
    Clip 0:41
    Regulation
    My Expertise In Deception
    Clip 1:02
    My Expertise In Deception
    Scape Goat
    Clip 1:07
    Scape Goat

    Photos29

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    Top cast19

    Edit
    Frederick Singer
    Frederick Singer
    • Self
    • (as Fred Singer)
    Naomi Oreskes
    Naomi Oreskes
    • Self - Professor of the History of Science
    Jamy Ian Swiss
    • Self - Magician and Magic Historian
    Sam Roe
    • Self - Journalist, Chicago Tribune
    Stanton A. Glantz
    Stanton A. Glantz
    • Self
    • (as Stanton Glantz)
    Patricia Callahan
    • Self - Journalist, Chicago Tribune
    James Hansen
    James Hansen
    • Self - Climate Scientist
    John Passacantando
    • Self - Former Executive Director, Greenpeace USA
    Bill O'Keefe
    • Self - Former Chairman of Global Climate Coalition
    Michael Shermer
    Michael Shermer
    • Self - Founder of The Skeptics Society
    James Taylor
    • Self - Self-Proclaimed Science and Economical Expert, Heartland Institute
    Matthew Crawford
    • Self - Former Executive Director of the George C. Marshall Institute
    Marc Morano
    • Self - Self-Proclaimed Environmental Journalist
    Benjamin Santer
    • Self - Climate Scientist
    • (as Ben Santer)
    Michael E. Mann
    Michael E. Mann
    • Self - Climate Scientist
    • (as Michael Mann)
    Katharine Heyhoe
    • Self - Climate Scientist
    Tim Phillips
    • Self - Chairman, Americans for Prosperity
    Bob Inglis
    Bob Inglis
    • Self - Republican Politician
    • Director
      • Robert Kenner
    • Writers
      • Erik M. Conway
      • Robert Kenner
      • Naomi Oreskes
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews32

    7.64K
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    Featured reviews

    8jessefrickinfurlong

    Merchants of Doubt is a worthwhile, though depressing film.

    Kenner tells us that big oil is using the same tactics – and often the same personnel – as big tobacco: set up any number of supposedly independent thinktanks, get plausible professionals on the (mouthwatering) payroll, and just sow the seeds of doubt. You undermine conviction, filibuster government action, fog public opinion, get brazen blowhards to shout loudly on Fox News. And the people best at this are the ageing, neocon attack dogs, veterans of the tobacco wars, who in the evening of their lives find a thrilling new purpose in climate change doubt-production.
    9Reno-Rangan

    Beware of the wolves in the sheepskins.

    I want to begin with what usually comes in the final paragraph in any review that it is a must see film. No matter who you are, whatever your profession is, you must not skip it for many reasons. The film was based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Naomi Oreskes and directed by the Oscar nominated documentary 'Food, Inc.' filmmaker.

    Recently I read somewhere that 'there are more fake flamingos in the world than real ones'. I thought it was a stat that makes clear there are very less flamingos than we presumed. But the point is it gives a different meaning when the same line used as a reference for this film. It is going to be big stride, yes it is. It all began after the WWII and carried out throughout 50 years during the Cold War, but just recent decades everyone realised its seriousness.

    When someone interferes with our personal thing, stating that he's an official from the respective field, we ask for the identity proof. But what if it is a conspiracy, how we are going to know it. The common people are always falling prey for such tricks because of the corrupted ministers and the powerful giant corporates. Like, we're the sheep herd and they are the wolves in the sheep's skin. This film is not trying to expose them their entire wrong doings, but on a particular topic, and that is the Global Warming.

    The media and press plays a crucial part here, but some of them opted a wrong path. Maybe because of the poor knowledge and investigation, or influenced people around them. So the story opens with the cigarettes, how the tobacco companies fooled people in the 60s, 70s till the 90s. The book this movie adapted was written by an American historian, so it's all about the things that happened in the States. But it is still very much the world's concern too, as America is one of the top countries to export modern science and technology to all the corners, especially the third world countries.

    "We're leaving our children and grandchildren, the legacy of people who failed to lead."

    Today's world's hot topic is, the climate change. Because of human there are plenty of species gone extinct than the natural extinct happened in the presence of human alongside. So, the biggest them all is he's posing a same threat to himself. If that happens, the human will be wiped out. The earth will recycle itself over the thousand years of evolution and the life will be restored, the new kind. Human is the only animal on the earth who do stuff for pleasure and those pleasures comes in many ways. One such thing is the money.

    Science is not one hundred per cent perfect, not yet, but that is the closest estimation that we have today to predict anything advancely. The world is not the same compared to 100 years ago, the religion is no more threat to the science. The evolution in science is taking place at a brisk pace, lots of stuffs were studied, understood, discovered in the last two decades than over two thousand years. Those who are doing their work is constantly interrupted by the new kind of troublemakers. Those people are the hired counterparts to the scientists who claims they are experts, but why they are doing it is a disgusting truth.

    It is a very good message movie. You might probably realise from now on who to believe and why, because that was this documentary's notion that makes people open their eyes to the truth and reality. If you're still in your blindfold, then you're on the wrong side with the wrong people. I want to make you clear on one final thing that this documentary is not trying to prove the Global Warming theory, but it was a debate between the people who tried to stop it and the people who tried to prove it was not a hoax. It is about exposing the dirty works.

    9/10
    8deloudelouvain

    A must see if you are concerned about our planet Earth

    A documentary like Merchants of Doubt should be mandatory in schools. Just so that the kids can open their eyes about the influence of the media on the brainwashed Americans, lobbyists of all kind and maleficent greedy people. I already did not have a great view about certain humans before watching this documentary and at the end it certainly did not improve. The power of those greedy bastards from the petrol, tobacco, and guns lobbies is just sickening to watch. The amount of conservative people that will take anything for granted if it comes out of their mouths is just frightening. Republican rednecks, I just can't stand them. Most of them are so stupid you wonder how it is possible to be that ignorant. Anyways, this documentary is really a must see if you are interested in the future of our planet. I already know the vast majority of rednecks won't change their opinion because they are just not smart enough to see the truth or they are just to stubborn to admit they were wrong. Bottom line, I hate a lot of humans on this planet.
    8jrdnyc

    Why does it even have to come to this?

    Merchants of Doubt

    Of course, there are scientists on both sides that exaggerate, but everyone knows that climate change is real, and that humans are the main cause. Ice core matches up perfectly with the start of the Industrial Revolution-(hint: that's the big one), as well as other volcanic eruptions that date further back in history; which also caused the climate to change. So that's not even a question anymore. Go back to school if you don't believe me. It's never too late. Take some environmental science courses. That way, you can just argue all your bs to the teacher. And when s/he kicks you out of the class for holding everyone back, you'll still be a hero somewhere in Texas.

    Weather is analyzed on a day to day basis. Climate is the study of those patterns over a long period of time. Climate change is probably a better term to use than global warming, only because people can grasp the meaning better. The United States had the hottest summer on record last year. It also had the coldest February, this year, than it has had in the last 80 to 100 years, in most states. Climate change does not mean it's just going to be hot all the time. It means the climate will change more often. We will see severe patterns of weather more frequently.

    I like how this documentary ties in the PR aspect. The only reason climate change became a political issue is because of the effects it has on business.

    Merchants of Doubt
    8maxflat83

    Entertaining and engaging and does a great job of illuminating the issue

    I made the mistake of reading the user reviews before watching and was expecting a mediocre film. Thankfully it was much better than that. I found it to be thoroughly interesting and entertaining while doing a great job of detailing the depth of scumbaggery and deception behind the climate change denialist movement.

    The imagery, interview editing, flow of the narrative, choice of people to interview, camera work were all outstanding. I highly recommend that anyone who is not already committed to denialism watch it. Some might find some parts shocking but overwhelmingly the evidence points to the views expressed in this film being correct.

    Best Emmys Moments

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    Related interests

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    Documentary

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Goofs
      Roughly 59 minutes into the documentary it cuts to an interview with James Taylor of the Heartland Institute. In the background an office worker in a mobility scooter reverses into doorway.
    • Quotes

      James Hansen: What we're up against is people who have a preferred answer, and so then they take the position of a lawyer. They're going to defend their client and they will only present you with the data that favors their client.

    • Connections
      Referenced in Film Junk Podcast: Episode 541: The Night Before (2015)

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    FAQ18

    • How long is Merchants of Doubt?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 12, 2014 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Şüphe Tüccarları
    • Production company
      • Participant
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $308,156
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $20,300
      • Mar 8, 2015
    • Gross worldwide
      • $308,156
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 36m(96 min)
    • Color
      • Color

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