Last night, I went kicking and screaming to The Day After Tomorrow. I told my husband I was up for going to an action-adventure movie but one that was inspirational not melodramatic, depressing, or over the top unrealistic.

Having married a man who, had he not become an entrepreneur, would have been a professional football player, or an astronaut or a meteorologist, I consented to the weatherman side of his soul. Since we have been burning the midnight oil preparing for the launch of our Summer edition of guides, I relented. After all, an escapist film was probably just what my brain needed.

So stepping into the theater, I had low expectations. Maybe that's why I enjoyed Tomorrow so much. However, I wouldn't bother writing this piece, if I hadn't found it worth encouraging you to see this film.

The Day After Tomorrow was scary, shocking, touching, heart-wrenching, funny, and humbling.

It is also the best commercial for The Weather Channel ever made.

Written and directed by German filmmaker Roland Emmerich, whose other films include The Patriot starring Mel Gibson, Independence Day starring Bill Pullman, Will Smith & Jeff Goldblum and Stargate starring Kurt Russell, the film portrays a dramatic climate change that takes place over just seven days.

The movie stars: Dennis Quaid (Professor Jack Hall), Ian Holm & Adrian Lester (Terry Rapson / previously Bilbo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings & Rapson's "To England" Cohort, Jake Gyllenhaal -- pronounced Jill-en-hall (Sam Hall), Sela Ward (Dr. Lucy Hall), Emmy Rossum (Sam's love-interest, Laura Chapman), Jay O. Sanders and Dash Mihok (Frank Harris & Jason Evans, Jack's Gutsy Colleagues), Tamlyn Tomita (Jack's NASA Colleague, Janet Tokada), Austin Nichols and Arjay Smith (Sam's Colleagues J.D. & Brian Parks), Glenn Plummer (The Homeless Man), Kenneth Welsh (The Vice President) and Perry King (The President). Although not listed in the credits, Tomorrow also stars Humor, Passion, Sacrifice, Inspiration, Humility, and Dennis Quaid's smile.

Two hours later, we had certainly escaped our current surroundings. We had stepped into a world where an abrupt drop in the water temperature the North Atlantic Ocean current lead to a dramatic cooling effect in the Northern Hemisphere, ultimately encasing Manhattan in a block of ice. Upon exiting the theater, we half expected to encounter snow and a wall of ice.

If you're into special effects, George Lucas' Industrial Light & Magic should win a prize. Make sure, if you go see this film, to stay until the last credit has rolled. It won't be as rewarding as Shrek 2, but you will walk away with an appreciation for the number of special effects people required to make this film.

If you want to laugh, keep your eye on the homeless guy whose survival tactics add flavor. In the midst of the tragedy the movie portrays, there is a large dose of ironic humor. One example is that of U.S. citizens fleeing the icy north and immigrating to Mexico, where they encounter border controls attempting to keep them out. It's no wonder E! Online has the film categorized as a comedy.

While the movie sensationalizes global climate change, it remains a serious issue that even The Pentagon has factored into its long-term planning. If you want to be inspired to learn more about global warming and its potential catastrophic effects, perhaps you should read any one of the books below. This movie will trigger an interest in the subject you may never have had before.

"Tomorrow" is worth seeing today, on the big screen, even if just for its pure entertainment value. In the process, you might leave the theater thinking about the world a little differently.

Release date: May 28th, 2004

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Running Time: 124 minutes

Distributor: 20th Century Fox

Movie's Official Site: TheDayAfterTomorrow.com

~Jennifer

P.S. One word of advice: You may want to read Whitley Strieber's book The Day After Tomorrow based on Strieber and Art Bell's original The Coming Global Superstorm, prior to viewing the film. However, the latter is only available via Amazon in large print hardcover format.