Films like these yearn for a better world – one in which we are all living in self-sustaining houses that lessen our carbon footprint and we drive around in hybrid vehicles fueled by biodiesel. What no one tends to talk about in these films is the prohibitive cost of trying to live in this fashion. It is unfortunately only the rich that can live in the type of houses that eco-architect Michael Reynolds designs. But they don’t dare mention that in this film. We are too busy being wowed by Reynolds’ larger than life personality and his constructions that look like melting Mondrian paintings. Reynolds’ work should be rightly celebrated and appreciated for his earth-consciousness as well as his efforts to address the out of touch world of modern architecture.

In as much as director Oliver Hodge tries to show the other side of the story – with Reynolds and his team taking off to developing countries to help them rebuild following natural disasters – there’s still the missing element that without Reynolds donating the time and materials and expertise for projects like this, it would never happen. And I wanted to appreciate Reynolds’ attempts to fight against the man (in this case the hometown zoning boards that wanted to shut down his Earthship prototypes), I get the feeling that this is an isolated incident and that he might have been able to get away with his efforts in other parts of the U.S.