The old adage that "you can't fight City Hall" has required modification in recent years, to include corporations as something one isn't supposed to fight.

But the short documentary "Fighting Goliath," narrated and backed by Robert Redford and screening for free tonight in three Utah cities, shows an instance of determined local activists fighting a big corporation and (for now, at least) winning.

The documentary shows what happened when the energy giant TXU proposed building 11 coal-fired power plants in central and eastern Texas, with a regulatory process fast-tracked by Gov. Rick Perry. Ranchers, small-town residents and big-city mayors banded together to fight the plan, citing the environmental and health dangers the plants posed.

The movie is supported by The Redford Center at Sundance Preserve, founded in 2007 and "devoted to a distinct brand of problem solving that brings artists to the table to collaborate with diverse groups of policy makers."

Redford told the Associated Press he was inspired by the coalition of divergent interests coming together on this issue. "To me, that was a sign of changing times," he said.

The movie is screening tonight at 7 p.m. at three Utah locations: The Tower Theatre, 876 E. 900 South, Salt Lake City; the Quality Inn in Richfield; and Grace Episcopal Church in St. George. The screenings are free to the public.

Labels: environment, politics, Robert Redford