A wet summer interlude - 'I got poked by a lot of umbrellas' says Jake

Well, we can't say that Jake didn't warn us... As the rain cascaded today, with the ferocity of a Niagran water feature, I was given a timely reminder of the lesson of The Day After Tomorrow. Not the lesson that when stuck in an instant Ice Age you'd be better off burning furniture than tax laws, but that on certain days there's nothing you can do about it - the rain will pour, the floods will deluge and hail the size of cricket balls will smash your hybrid. And all I had was a brolly.


With the realisation that the Day After Tomorrow is, in fact, Today, and before the twisters devastate the coffee houses of the northern hemisphere and we are driven south to idyllic beaches, I thought I'd be wise to take a quick look at the significance of this film for our times. The potential imminence of its subject was brought home by NASA's denial that the film existed: '"No one from NASA is to do interviews or otherwise comment on anything having to do with" the film, the message read, according to the Times. "Any news media wanting to discuss science fiction vs. science fact about climate change will need to seek comment from individuals or organizations not associated with NASA."' Al Gore did not have such doubts.


Time to find out what Jake Gyllenhaal thinks: '"Dennis Quaid plays [my] father and ... he has to find me in Manhattan and all this crazy sh-- happens... But more than that, he's trying to warn the government about the environment and what's happening, but they're not listening. And tornadoes hit California, and tidal waves sweep over Manhattan, and that's what happens when the government doesn't listen." To research the role, Gyllenhaal met with scientists to discuss the potential effects of global warming. "I learned that these things could actually happen... I learned that cars and power plants are the biggest things that are destroying the environment. If we could all just drive hybrid cars — I just drove one the other day and it ... looks kind of pimpin' — we could make progress and change a lot in a short amount of time."'


'Having learned so much about the environment in preparing for "The Day After Tomorrow," Gyllenhaal was frustrated to learn that recent polls indicate kids are not concerned with global warming. "I think that we take it for granted," he said. "When I grew up we had Earth Day at my school. I feel that I was pretty aware of what was going on. And we had recycling bins. I know that Manhattan has stopped recycling for a while and I know that they plan on bringing it back, but I think that they're just not aware of it because there are so many things that are being invented right now. Cars having [automatic] air-conditioning when it gets too hot or central heating when it gets too cold. It's continually destroying things that we don't recognize. We're kind of blind to it, but it's not our fault."'


Several lessons here - hybrid cars are 'pimpin' and some cars have air conditioning that doesn't just involve winding down a window, or, as I witnessed last week, driving while holding the driver's door slightly ajar.


At the NYC premiere, fake snow fell on the crowds, which then melted leading to its own set of problems: 'How about this snow, Mr. Quaid? ''This is, uh, something,'' he replies. He looks down at his soaked feet and lifts one foot. ''You can't get a cab in weather like this, either. It's just too bad.'' You said it. Our new sandals are ruined. ''Incoming!'' hollers JAKE GYLLENHAAL, who plays the scientist's son, as he lobs a snowball down the aisle. ''What do you think about being a hunk?'' a reporter from US Weekly asks him. ''The real question is, a hunk of what?'' Mr. Gyllenhaal says, as he reaches forward and gently touches her face. ''You have a little soap on your chin,'' he says.'


Of course there's rain and then there's British rain, as all will remember from the sodden Baftas of 2006: 'And Jake Gyllenhaal said: "The rain adds a personal British flair. I got poked by a lot of umbrellas - an experience I've not had on a carpet before."' People, resist the urge to poke Jake with your brolly!


Includes pictures from IHJ.