The Unforeseen

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The Unforeseen

2008,

1h 34m,

Documentary

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Watchlist

90%

42 Reviews

Tomatometer

69%

500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

42 Reviews

69%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Real estate developer Tom Bradley has a dream: to build a subdivision. But the realization of that dream in Austin, Texas, has results far beyond his own imagining. Bradley's enormous development becomes a rallying call for environmentalists, who fear it will taint the aquifer Barton Springs. Opposition to the project, in turn, is used by conservatives to muster support for the dismantling of environmental protections and, ultimately, the election of George W. Bush as governor.

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Critics Consensus

A calm documentary that doesn't resort to shrill polemics, The Unforeseen also benefits from great interview subjects and jaw-dropping cinematography.

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John Hartl

Seattle Times

Sep 22, 2020

A gorgeous, thoughtful film that is remarkably evenhanded in its treatment of the subject.

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J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

Sep 22, 2020

One can see the hand of coproducer Terrence Malick in this gorgeous, lyrical documentary about ecological destruction in Austin, Texas.

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Josh Rosenblatt

Austin Chronicle

Oct 18, 2008

3/5

The result is an expansive and ambivalent testament to human ingenuity, human intransigence, and nature's endangered yet enduring power to move.

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Ken Hanke

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Sep 22, 2020

4/5

Very thought-provoking and worth seeing.

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Steve Erickson

Gay City News

Mar 5, 2018

While [director Laura] Dunn's style is closer to Terrence Malick than Paul Thomas Anderson, Bradley becomes a figure as tragic and memorable as the fictional Daniel Plainview in "There Will Be Blood."

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Dorothy Woodend

The Tyee (British Columbia)

Aug 22, 2017

It's a beautiful film. . .Go and see it.

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Laura Dunn

Director

Robert Redford

Self

Willie Nelson

Actor

Ann Richards

Actor

Laura Dunn

Producer

Terrence Malick

Executive Producer

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Synopsis

Real estate developer Tom Bradley has a dream: to build a subdivision. But the realization of that dream in Austin, Texas, has results far beyond his own imagining. Bradley's enormous development becomes a rallying call for environmentalists, who fear it will taint the aquifer Barton Springs. Opposition to the project, in turn, is used by conservatives to muster support for the dismantling of environmental protections and, ultimately, the election of George W. Bush as governor.

Director: Laura Dunn
Producer: Laura Dunn
Production Co: Two Birds
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 29, 2008, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 29, 2016
Runtime: 1h 34m

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