Matt Damon Kicks Up Controversy in 'Promised Land'

Matt Damon is facing criticism for his upcoming film Promised Land, which debates the use of fracking in the oil and gas industry.

VIDEO: Matt Damon's Dramatic Promised Land

Fracking is a term used for hydraulic fracturing -- a gas extracting technique where fractures are created in rock formations by injecting water mixed with sand and chemicals at high pressure.

Those opposing the method have expressed concerns about the chemicals used, alleging that if they are harmful they could pollute the groundwater.

Critics of the film accuse the co-writers, Damon and The Office's John Krasinski, of presenting a unilateral position that puts the practice in a negative light without acknowledging the safety measures put in place, but according to Damon, the film doesn't take a stance one way or the other.

"It really asks more questions, you know, than it answers," Damon told FOXNews. "But they're important questions that we all need to be asking right now."

Still, the pro-fracking lobby group, Energy in Depth, has prepared talking points to counter any negative attention that may arise after the film's debut.

Promised Land opens January 4.