Flock of Dodos

The debate between proponents of Darwinian evolution and adherents of what's come to be called “intelligent design”—usually the stuff of harsh polemic—is here treated with remarkable balance and comic deftness by filmmaker Randy Olson, who takes the state school board's attempt to mandate the teaching of intelligent design in his native Kansas as an occasion to investigate the controversy. Olson makes no bones about where he stands—he's a former evolutionary biologist himself—but he approaches the opposition not only with tact but with genuine respect (and often finds opponents to be more personable than members on his own side of the ideological fence). And when Olson reports on setbacks to the intelligent design movement resulting from a court case in Dover, PA, as well as local elections in Kansas, he does so without animus or glee. Probably Olson's most important point is that the success of the intelligent design movement can be largely traced to its adherents' communication skills, honed with the help of PR firms largely funded by activist Christian groups, which stands in marked contrast to scientists who seem incapable of expressing themselves to the public in a similarly direct manner. Unlike many other films on this subject, Flock of Dodos is good-humored and engaging rather than simply strident, resulting in a surprisingly enjoyable documentary that should help promote not only discussion but also civility. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)