Merchants of Doubt

2014
PG-13
1h 36m

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

YOUR RATING

A documentary that looks at pundits-for-hire who present themselves as scientific authorities as they speak about topics like toxic chemicals, pharmaceuticals and climate change.

Play trailer1:59

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Documentary

A documentary that looks at pundits-for-hire who present themselves as scientific authorities as they speak about topics like toxic chemicals, pharmaceuticals and climate change.A documentary that looks at pundits-for-hire who present themselves as scientific authorities as they speak about topics like toxic chemicals, pharmaceuticals and climate change.A documentary that looks at pundits-for-hire who present themselves as scientific authorities as they speak about topics like toxic chemicals, pharmaceuticals and climate change.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 4 nominations total

Self
(as Fred Singer)

Naomi Oreskes

Self - Professor of the History of Science

Jamy Ian Swiss

Self - Magician and Magic Historian

Sam Roe

Self - Journalist, Chicago Tribune

Stanton A. Glantz

Self
(as Stanton Glantz)

Patricia Callahan

Self - Journalist, Chicago Tribune

James Hansen

Self - Climate Scientist

John Passacantando

Self - Former Executive Director, Greenpeace USA

Bill O'Keefe

Self - Former Chairman of Global Climate Coalition

Michael Shermer

Self - Founder of The Skeptics Society

James Taylor

Self - Self-Proclaimed Science and Economical Expert, Heartland Institute

Matthew Crawford

Self - Former Executive Director of the George C. Marshall Institute

Marc Morano

Self - Self-Proclaimed Environmental Journalist

Benjamin Santer

Self - Climate Scientist
(as Ben Santer)

Michael E. Mann

Self - Climate Scientist
(as Michael Mann)

Katharine Heyhoe

Self - Climate Scientist

Tim Phillips

Self - Chairman, Americans for Prosperity

Bob Inglis

Self - Republican Politician

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Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot, and director Marc Webb take our Ultimate Disney Quiz.

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Goofs
Roughly 59 minutes into the documentary it cuts to an interview with James Taylor of the Heartland Institute. In the background an office worker in a mobility scooter reverses into doorway.

Quotes
James Hansen: What we're up against is people who have a preferred answer, and so then they take the position of a lawyer. They're going to defend their client and they will only present you with the data that favors their client.

User reviews32

Featured review

8/10

Merchants of Doubt is a worthwhile, though depressing film.

Kenner tells us that big oil is using the same tactics – and often the same personnel – as big tobacco: set up any number of supposedly independent thinktanks, get plausible professionals on the (mouthwatering) payroll, and just sow the seeds of doubt. You undermine conviction, filibuster government action, fog public opinion, get brazen blowhards to shout loudly on Fox News. And the people best at this are the ageing, neocon attack dogs, veterans of the tobacco wars, who in the evening of their lives find a thrilling new purpose in climate change doubt-production.