Judgment Day - Intelligent Design on Trial

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Starring: Nova
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Type: DVD
Directed By: Nova
Studio: WGBH Boston
Release Date: 2008-02-26
Running Time: 112 minutes
Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial captures the turmoil that tore apart the community of Dover, Pennsylvania in a landmark battle over the teaching of evolution in public schools. In 2004, the Dover school board ordered science teachers to read a statement to high school biology students about an alternative to Darwin s theory of evolution called intelligent design the idea that life is too complex to have evolved naturally and so must have been designed by an intelligent agent. The teachers refused to comply, and both parents and teachers filed a lawsuit in federal court accusing the school board of violating the constitutional separation of church and state.

Now, NOVA explores the arguments by lawyers and expert witnesses in riveting detail and provides an eye-opening crash course on questions such as What is evolution? and Is intelligent design a scientifically valid alternative? Featuring trial reenactments based on court transcripts and interviews with key participants and expert scientists, this gripping program presents the celebrated case of Kitzmiller v. Dover School District.

More than just a story about a trial...
This film provides a clear and concise overview of the incident and the trial, but it is also a revealing look at the Intelligent Design movement. It shows the truth about the origins of the movement in addition to explaining the problems with the "theory" and its claims.

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed?
"Judgment Day" is a fascinating documentary about the Intelligent Design (ID) trials in Dover,Pennsylvania. It's an interesting case of parents championing evolution against the school board. The school board thought they had Mission Accomplished--Pres. Bush was on their side,as well as Senator Rick Santorum. They had the Discovery Institute,a Seattle-based conservative think tank.

"Judgment Day" shows families and friends divided over the issue. Most riveting are the court re-enactments. Michael Behe,a scientist and author of "Darwin's Black Box",comes across as sincere and unprepared. The IDers portray themselves as victims--despite the fact that many of them,including Behe,refused interviews with PBS. At one crucial moment,Behe says his redefinition of science could include astrology. ID,it turns out,is creation science in drag.

"Judgment Day" does bring up some important questions. Why is creation science vs. evolution such a big issue in American culture? Should ID be taught as science,or philosophy? Is evolution really an atheistic evil its opponents portray it as? It's a riveting documentary. Come to your own judgments.

Why is Amazon offering this video with Flock of Dodos?
Every other Nova video is offered with another Nova video, except this one. With this video they are offering Flock of Dodos. Which side are they insulting with this offer?

See reviews above
I have watched this documentary several times, and I have nothing to add to other reviews. It is one of the best NOVA specials I have ever seen, definitely should receive 5 stars. Just wanted to get my rating in, please read the excellent summaries above for details.

As Always, a Well-Done Documentary from Nova
Very entertaining documentary, with a story that was well-laid out by the director. Glad that interviews were conducted with both sides, and the overall presentation tried to be as impartial as can be.

The documentary doesn't present any arguments, but tells the story of what happened at this school, which is facinating enough.

Kudos to the producers for keeping the broader argument in check enough to tell the story impartially.