Dr. Seuss Goes to the Movies Again with “The Lorax”

01 March 2012

HEADLINE: Dr. Seuss Goes to the Movies Again with “The Lorax”

TEASER: Also we play new music from Estelle and tell about a water saving website created by college students | AMERICAN MOSAIC))

JUNE SIMMS: Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

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I’m June Simms. On our show today we play new music from Estelle…

And we tell about an effort by college students to help people save water…

But first, we go to the movies for a look at “The Lorax.”

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“The Lorax”

JUNE SIMMS: On March second, Hollywood releases a full length movie based on a well-loved children’s book, “The Lorax,” by Dr. Seuss. Movies based on popular children’s books often face a difficult audience. Many people are offended by changes to the stories that touched them in their youth. However, change is unavoidable when a short book is turned into a ninety-minute film.

But “The Lorax” as movie is especially complex. Dr. Seuss’ book is a clear appeal for enacting environmental measures on business. But the business of movies may affect the message of “The Lorax.” Faith Lapidus has more.

(SOUND: “The Lorax”)

FAITH LAPIDUS: A young boy lives in a polluted, treeless world. He wants to know why the environment is this way. A character called The Once-ler tells the boy the story of a once green and beautiful world and the Lorax, a creature who tried to save it. The Once-ler destroyed the world when he cut down all the trees to make a product that nobody really needed. Other victims of the destruction include all the happy creatures that depended on the trees.