Planting a Seed - “The Lorax” by Grant Hiskes
Picture from NPR
It had been a long time since I had last visited Thneedville or any of Dr. Seuss’ other worlds, but I finally got back there this weekend watching The Lorax. The Lorax is not the most complex film that has been analyzed on this site, and that’s probably a good thing. After all, the movie is clearly catered toward an elementary-aged audience. However, I would be remiss to say the story of The Lorax does not emphasize an important message applicable to the world we live in today.
From the film’s opening sequence, we are introduced to a critical component of this film not utilized by Dr. Seuss in the 1971 telling of the story - music. Truthfully, one of my greatest flaws in covering music is paying attention to the music. I guess my eyes are a little stronger than my ears. However, The Lorax makes the music hard to miss by making parts of the animated movie feel resemblant of a musical. The first song gives us a tour of Thneedville. All of its citizens’ singing and dance moves seem almost robotic, playing into the narrative that the people of Thneedville are unconsciously deceived into this cycle that their lives are great and nothing needs to be changed. There is a kid in Thneedville who now glows after swimming in the water, an allusion to harsh environmental impacts. And our main character Ted (Zac Efron), and probably a homage to Theodor “Ted” Giesel, the actual name of Dr. Seuss, has a mother who can’t fathom why anyone would have an actual tree when they already have an artificial one. Aloysius O’Hare (Rob Riggle) even admits to taking advantage of the people of Thneedville when he admits to preying on their “short attention spans”. O’Hare has made an empire in Thneedville by selling fresh air for-profit and giving the people an illusion their world is a lot better than it actually is.
The storytellers cultivate a sympathetic attitude among the audience towards the environment throughout the rest of the movie. The audience falls in love with the cuteness of the bears and goldfish who call the land of the trees visited by The Onceler (Ed Helms) home. Immediately, we fall in love with the animals, The Lorax, and we even sympathize with The Onceler because he is out to prove his family, who does not believe in him, wrong and that he can be successful. The most impactful factor of the dynamic between The Onceler and the animals is the promise The Onceler makes to them to not cut down any more trees. The audience values the trust between the two sides, and we feel even more upset when The Onceler breaks the promise, cuts down more and more trees, and moves his unsupportive family out there who are all of a sudden supportive of “Oncie” now that he is making money.
The film’s music also plays a critical role in this part of the movie. The film takes a turn from an innocent Onceler to a villainized version of him that now dresses in a pompous manner with no regard for the nature around him singing.
“How ba-a-a-ad can I be? I'm just doin' what comes naturally How ba-a-a-ad can I be? I'm just following my destiny. How ba-a-a-ad can I be? I'm just doin' what comes naturally. How ba-a-a-ad can I be? How bad can I possibly be? Well, there's a principal of nature (principal of nature) that almost every creature knows called survival of the fittest (survival of the fittest).
And check it this is how it goes, the animal that is has got to scratch and bite and claw and bite and punch. And the animal that doesn't (well the animal that doesn't) winds up someone else's lu-lu-lu-lu-unch! (I'm just saying'). [Chorus]
Well, there's a principal of business (principal of business) and everybody knows his sound. He says the people with the money (people with the money) makes the money-lovin' world go 'round! So I bigger in my company, I bigger in my factory, I bigger in my corporate size! Everybody out there takes care of yours and me? I'll take care of mine, mine, mine, mine, mine! (Shake that bottom line!) Let me hear you say 'smogulous smoke' (smogulous smoke) Schloppity schlop (schloppity schlop) Complain all you want, it's never ever, ever, ever gonna stop Come on how bad can I possibly be? How ba-a-a-ad can I be? I'm just building the economy? How ba-a-a-ad can I be? Just look at me pettin' this puppy! How ba-a-a-ad can I be? A portion of proceeds goes to charity! How ba-a-a-ad can I be? How bad can I possibly be? Let's see! All the customers are flying! All the money's multiplying! And the PR people are lying! And the lawyers are denying! Who cares if a few trees are dying? This is oh so gratifying! How bad? How bad can this possibly be?”
As the song plays, we see The Onceler mistreat the goldfish, bears, and The Lorax which make us very upset, not to mention disgusted with the idea of big corporations, which the song is clearly referring to. This scene really evokes emotion within the audience that makes us want to act on it, or at least for Ted to act on it in Thneedville. And that takes us to the climax and resolution of this film.
In the movie, we see Ted come back every day to talk with The Onceler in the land he now lives in barren of trees for the story of the trees. When The Onceler gives Ted the last seed, we see the word “Unless” carved into a rock outside of The Onceler’s shack. Before this point in the movie, the world seems doomed without trees and fresh air UNLESS something changes. And I think the storytellers make a great point by giving Ted just one seed. Ted doesn’t introduce sweeping legislation into Thneedville congress to grow trees or receive funding from a big bank to introduce a large scale tree development project. And I think that’s for a few reasons. First of all its unrealistic, but it also seems too big for the audience the film is trying to inspire to resonate with. A kid watching The Lorax may not be able to lobby congress or start a large tree venture, but he does not have to. All they have to do is “plant a seed”, and the storytellers are planting this metaphorical seed in the audience. Nothing can change in the world UNLESS people come together and plant seeds of change in society.
Is this a quirky kids movie? Yes. But does it do a great job in crafting a story and targeting a message that will inspire the next generations to break out of complacency and fight for positive change in the world? Absolutely, and that’s all the movie seeks to do, “plant a seed” in the younger generations to question the institutions that exist, make changes, and very importantly, not to get discouraged when it seems like progress is not being made. After all, the film’s closing song is “Let it Grow”, which closes the movie with a recurring chorus and refrain as follows.
“Let it grow. Let it grow. You can't reap what you don't sow. Plant a seed inside the earth, just one way to know it's worth. Let's celebrate the world's rebirth. We say let it grow. Let it grow. Let it grow like it did so long ago. Maybe it's just one tiny seed, but it's all we really need. It's time to change the life we lead. Time to let it grow. Let it grow. Let it grow. Let the love inside ya show. Plant a seed inside the earth. Just one way to know it's worth. Let's celebrate the world's rebirth.”
Of course, the “Let it Grow” is very catchy. Sure, to stay on the mind of those who watch it (me included) for days after and leave the residue of the film’s impact on their minds.
And to close with a quote from Dr. Seuss that signals the end of the film,
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
