I Am Greta Parent Guide

“The climate is the defining issue of our time. What we do now, future generations cannot change. We’re about to reach a tipping point where we can’t go back. No one is doing anything. So I must do what I can.”

So says Greta Thunberg, the internationally acclaimed Swedish climate activist. The teenager has proven to be a polarizing figure, with environmentalists seeing her as a prophetic voice and skeptics deriding her as either a mentally ill doomsayer or a fragile child manipulated by her parents. The story as told in I Am Greta is considerably more complicated.

Greta’s environmental journey begins at school with a climate change documentary that plunges her into a spiral of depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. The movie opens with a recovering Greta’s first foray into public advocacy – encouraging students to go on strike for the sake of the climate. When questioned about the cost to her schooling, Greta’s response is simple and bleak: “Why would I need an education if there is no future?”

As Greta’s school strike gains momentum, she is asked to speak at the UN Climate Change Conference in Poland, followed by further global appearances Through it all, Greta retains the sense of despairing determination that fueled her initial involvement in the movement.

Greta herself remains a perplexing figure. She is clearly committed to her cause, making sacrifices both small and large for the sake of the environment. The cost of that commitment is very apparent when she travels to New York on a tiny sailboat that renders her sick and miserable. That self-sacrificing dedication is visible throughout the entire film. Greta has Asperger’s syndrome and craves silence and stable routines – all of which she gives up in pursuit of her mission.

The real disappointment is that I Am Greta doesn’t do its complex subject justice. The documentary feels like a travelogue interspersed with quotes from the youthful activist. The movie would benefit from an exploration of the issue that animates her, providing context for her words and her passion. A deeper discussion of her Asperger’s syndrome would also offer a more illuminating picture of how Greta deals with an issue that causes her such existential terror. Sadly, the film is often painfully dull and feels far longer than its 97 minute runtime. The only thing that kept me from playing games on my phone during the show is that most of the dialogue is in Swedish and you can’t play games and read subtitles at the same time.

Although Greta’s global activism has garnered lots of attention, only time will tell if it has been successful. She has raised the issue of climate change and rebuked political leaders for failing to act. But the big question for moviegoers isn’t what politicians are willing to do but what each viewer is willing to do. What do we believe in and how much are we willing to work and sacrifice for those beliefs?