Watch Divide in Concord

Divide in Concord is a 2014 environmental documentary film that examines the conflict between activist Jean Hill and her hometown of Concord, Massachusetts, over her quest to ban single-serving plastic water bottles. The documentary depicts Hill as a determined and passionate retiree who decides to take up the cause of banning plastic water bottles in her town. She is motivated by her concern for the impact of plastic waste on the environment and her belief that individual action can make a difference in driving social change.

The film shows how Hill's efforts to ban single-serving plastic water bottles in Concord ignited a contentious debate in the town, dividing residents over whether or not governmental interference in consumer choice was a valid approach to environmental conservation. Hill's opponents argue that the decision whether or not to use plastic water bottles should be left to individuals, whereas Hill contends that collective action is necessary to address a systemic problem.

Through the lens of the Concord water bottle ban debate, the film illustrates the larger problem of waste disposal and the impact of consumer culture on the environment. The film points out how plastic waste is a growing environmental problem and that water bottles are a significant contributor to the issue.

The film documents the challenges Hill faced, as well as the backlash from her opponents in Concord. Along the way, it introduces various stakeholders, including local government officials, business owners, and environmental activists, who participated in the debate over how best to address the problem of plastic waste.

Divide in Concord also touches on the history of environmental activism in the United States and the difficulty of making progress on collective action issues in a democracy. On the one hand, the film shows that Hill's determination and perseverance enabled her to mobilize her community around a worthy cause. On the other hand, it demonstrates the difficulty of achieving consensus on contentious issues that often involve a clash of values.

The film's narratives are driven primarily by the film's three main characters: Jean Hill, Jill Appel, and Peggy Brace. These three women, although from different sides of the debate, all played an important role in shaping the course of the plastic water bottle ban debate in Concord. For instance, Jill Appel is a fellow activist who works closely with Hill to promote the ban. Her role in the film is to showcase the power of grassroots activism in promoting positive change. Meanwhile, Peggy Brace is a Concord resident who opposes the ban on the basis of individual choice.

Divide in Concord strikes a compelling balance between providing a microcosmic view of how social change occurs at the local level while also showing the larger societal issues that the ban on single-serving plastic water bottles posed for Concord. The film continually returns to the central conflict between Hill and her opponents, juxtaposing their arguments with commentary from environmental activists, journalists, and sociologists to underscore the importance of collective action to address systemic problems.

Overall, Divide in Concord makes an important contribution to our understanding of collective action problems and the challenge of achieving consensus on environmental issues. The film is sure to be of interest to environmental activists, policymakers, and anyone interested in learning more about the role of individual action in promoting social change.

Divide in Concord is a 2014 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 22 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.0.