Inequality For All

Following the model of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, economist Robert Reich--Secretary of Labor during Clinton's first term--explores the growing income disparity between the wealthiest Americans and everyone else. Inequality For All draws on economic theory to argue that the well-being of the middle class is essential to the health of the overall economy, not to mention the nation's democratic political system (which is being corrupted by big money). As Reich sees it, the deterioration in the material condition of the country's working families is not merely a betrayal of the American Dream but also an existential threat to the nation as a whole. Reich has been preaching this message for years (much of the film consists of excerpts from his class on “Wealth and Poverty” at the University of California in Berkeley), and he is an engaging instructor who avoids jargon while also employing helpful graphs to illustrate historical data. Reich ultimately makes the arcane quite accessible while at the same time disarming those who disagree with him through self-deprecatory references to his diminutive size. The film also personalizes the topic, going beyond abstract argument by looking at two distressed middle-class families, a multi-millionaire with a populist bent, and Occupy Wall Street demonstrators. Make no mistake, this is a liberal jeremiad, but one that is presented with civility, good humor, and impassioned conviction, putting a human face on a serious social issue. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes (8 min.), interviews with author Robert Reich, director Jacob Kornbluth, producers Sebastian Dungan and Jen Chaiken, and editor Kim Roberts (7 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a thought-provoking documentary.] (F. Swietek)