The movie FrackNation premiered Monday night.  The film is a case of the good guys hitting a home run that changes the entire game.  It reclaims the debate by telling the truth about Josh Fox, his movie Gasland and hydraulic fracturing.  It excels in weaving together the science and the story in high-quality cinema, giving voice to ordinary citizens impacted by the campaign against natural gas being spearheaded by wealthy NIMBY’s.

Some of the stars of FrackNation made the trip to the Chelsea Theater in New York City last night to see the premier of the film, and no one was disappointed.   Roughly 200 patrons, all but a handful of whom were natural gas supporters, enthusiastically applauded the release of a movie telling their story, while dispensing with the major lies Josh Fox told in Gasland.

Ironically, Fox may have poisoned the well of public opinion for a brief time, as he turned the truth on its head and accused the natural gas industry of his own sins. FrackNation, in a fair play turnabout based on the facts, exposes his work for what it is and, in the end, leaves the Fox running like a rabbit.  It’s getting some good reviews already, especially as compared to Promised Land.

Here is what some of the individuals featured in the movie had to say about it:

Bill Graby, Sullivan County Farmer & Coalition Leader

FrackNation was very professionally done and proves you can do natural gas development in farm country and have it stay as beautiful as ever.  Landowners have, unfortunately, become disposable game pieces for the natural gas opposition and Frack Nation speaks up for then unabashedly.  Thank God!

Betty Sutliff, Retired Schoolteacher, Landowner & Coalition Leader

I thought the film got to the heart of natural gas opposition, which is the absolutist philosophy of natural gas opponents.  They will be satisfied with no level of safety or environmental protection, because their real goal is ending fossil fuel use.

That is the fox in the sheep’s clothing that FrackNation unveiled.  Also, it demonstrated there are powerful foreign interests who don’t want us to be energy independent in the U.S. and some environmental groups have become their pawns.  How hypocritical they are.

Note picture of Betty to right with Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney of Frack Nation at the party following the premiere.

Bob Rutledge, Wayne County Builder, Farmer & Coalition Leader

It was a pleasure to be a part of FrackNation and to see a real film about real people and their concerns.  It’s wonderful to have a journalist who is willing to seek out the truth and present it.   It was also nice to see Carol Collier have to face some tough questioning and answer for her tacit cooperation with natural gas opponents, which contributed to the inexcusable delays punishing us.

And, here is what some others said:

Vic Furman, Chenango County Landowner

The movie fractured the foundation of the natural gas opposition.  Anyone who formed their opinions of natural gas based on Gasland should watch FrackNation and open their minds.

Marie Sonner, Wayne County Landowner

FrackNation provided scientific proof that natural gas can be developed economically to satisfy our energy needs with full environmental protection.

John Sutliff, Wayne County Landowner

My favorite part of FrackNation was seeing Carol Collier finally be cornered, but probably the most important part was the collection of scientists and other experts who were able to dismiss so many of the false issues surrounding fracturing.

Curt Coccodrilli, Wayne, Lackawanna & Chemung County Landowner

The best thing I took away from FrackNation was that it exposed how the biased media distorts the story, and uses half-truths and fiction to push an extreme environmental agenda. The film does an outstanding job exposing this on a multitude of levels. The people most effected by this have been the ones least heard by the media – until this film came along.  This film was a refreshing bit of journalism in a sea of media distortion.

Inge Grafe-Kieklak, Sullivan County Landowner

I hope FrackNation makes some headway elsewhere in the country.  I’d actually like it to be mandatory viewing by any politician responsible for energy policy in America.  I also hope, through this movie, people will take another look at supposed “green energy” and realize it’s really a trip back to the Middle Ages in many respects.

Edward Allees, Sullivan County Landowner

The experience of Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia raises a real question about New York and why it insists on leading us backward.  This isn’t gravitas – it’s chaos.  FrackNation helped illuminate that problem.

What did I think?  Well, I thought FrackNation was nothing less than a masterful weaving of the scientific facts with the personal narratives of those most impacted by Gasland and the wealthy NIMBY campaign against natural gas.  It is a cynical campaign financed by the Heinz, Park and Rockefeller families, without regard to what it means for working families, farmers and other rural landowners.

FrackNation was a home run for the good guys, some of whom are depicted in the picture to the left, enjoying some discussion prior to the premier.  The film exposes the hollowness and, especially the arrogance, of Josh Fox and his allies in their desire to impose their will on ordinary people simply trying to earn a living from their land.

Indeed, my favorite part of the movie was the shift from scenes of my neighbors, people with whom I went to high school, telling what the land means to them and how much natural gas would do for their lives and ability to keep that land, immediately followed by the smirking Fox bragging incessantly about what he had done to these people.  My reaction when I saw that was to simply say “finally, someone in the media gets it.”

There was much more, of course.  Who can forget Craig Sautner, full of himself, getting carried away talking about “weapons grade” uranium, or Phelim McAleer’s observation in the Q&A that followed the premiere, on the fact no one from the media challenged him on that statement?  There was also, Julie, of course, and her not so subtle threats involving guns and the NRDC.

FrackNation, in a word, was superb.  It was incredibly professional and a rich reward for the patience of landowners as the DRBC and New York State have recklessly played with their futures.  Check it out.  The movie will be shown on January 22, 2013 at 9 p.m. EST on AXS.tv.  You can also learn more here, here and here.

Here’s an explanation of the movie from the filmmakers:

This begins to tell you what to expect from Frack Nation:

You don’t want to miss any of this.