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Home > Archive > Mar 20, 2008

Dr. Seuss’ Message Still Important, Popular
By Ann Staples
After all these years, multiple generations continue to love the works of writer and cartoonist Theodore Seuss Geisel (1904-1991).  Although he won multiple awards and accolades throughout his career, he never won the coveted Caldecott or Newberry.
He wrote and illustrated 44 books targeted to children, but parents and grandparents love them too. Mr. Geisel worked under several different names over the years, but his tag of Dr. Seuss is the most famous and brings a smile to all ages as we recall our own first introduction to his simple and silly ways of telling a story that many times was sneaky enough to send us an important message as well.
Did you know that early on he spent a couple of years doing political cartoons? Or that he and his wife Audrey never had any children? Audrey claims that kids actually frightened her husband and that he preferred to entertain all of ours.
Audrey still resides in their long-time residence in Southern California and is president of all things Seuss. She remains active in philanthropic endeavors and keeping the memory of her late husband alive by allowing his books to propel forward to be a part of growing up now and in the future.
Dr. Seuss is so current that this past weekend the animated and computer generated movie “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!” trumpeted in at a whopping No. 1 at the box office.
Mrs. Geisel not only approved of this popular book from 1954 to be made into a movie, but she is listed as one of the executive producers. Like the books, this film appeals to all ages by starring the voices of current movie and TV stars and brings back one major TV icon that will also have you recall many happy memories and laughs.
Extraordinary actor Jim Carrey becomes a Seuss character once again (“Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Fun With Dick and Jane”) with the big, but kindhearted elephant named Horton.
Matching comedic talents with Carrey, but in a very quiet and understated way, the great Steve Carell (TV’s “Office,” “Dan in Real Life”) is the mayor of Whoville. The icon is the fabulous Carol Burnett (“The Carol Burnett Show”) as the control freak kangaroo that tries to sabotage Horton.
Real-life husband and wife Amy Poehler (TV’s “Saturday Night Live”) and Will Arnett (“Semi-Pro”) add voices to the mayor’s wife and the mean vulture. Crude and rude funny guys (they are pure and clean in this movie) Seth Rogan and Jonah Hill (both in “Knocked Up”), Isla Fisher (“Definitely, Maybe”), Dan Fogler (Broadway’s “Spelling Bee”) and teen singing star Jesse McCartney (no relation to Paul) add their voices to the great cast.
The narrator of the wonderful tale is the familiar, but hard to identify voice of CBS newsman Charles Osgood. My side note this time around is that many of the cast members are old friends from working on past projects together, but the funny coincidence is (or is it?) that Carrey and Carell have a heavenly friend in common with Carrey starring in “Bruce Almighty” in ’03 and Carell in the sequel in “Evan Almighty” in ’07.
Both of those movies have the common theme with “Horton Hears A Who” in that nobody wants to listen to the person that is telling the crazy truth and trying to do the right thing.
Following the basic storyline of the beloved book, but obviously taking it further with lots of details, a large elephant named Horton is such a nice and sensitive guy that he pays attention to the little things in life. Carrey went with the interpretation of Horton in not going his usual way of being bold and overreacting to being quiet and thoughtful. It proves to be a wonderful choice.
As the big guy romps and plays around with his friends his gigantic floppy ears pick up on a wee little sound as a speck flutters through the air. Could that sound possibly be a voice calling out for help? Horton hilariously follows the floating speck all over the place to find out if his intuition is correct.
Sure enough, there is not only a voice, but also an entire microscopic city named Whoville located on the miniature piece of dust. The bitty mayor is busy running the town, arguing with the rose colored outlook of the city council, and managing a family of 96 daughters and 1 son, Jo-Jo, who feels totally misunderstood.
The mayor has a loving wife, but even she wonders if he is off his rocker with predictions of disaster for Whoville. Horton and the mayor bond as they try to save the important town and both survive public ridicule in their respective worlds. Nobody believes them and just about everyone thinks they are crazy when they claim that they hear a voice and have a friend of completely different size in a distant world.
For the large elephant his champion is his best friend Morton who is the opposite in size. For the mayor it turns out that he and his son are not that far apart after all.
There are layers of good messages to be discussed with your movie-going family and friends. There is a nod to the past with a quick shot of the old book illustrations, and a wink at our tech and fashion lifestyles with cell phones and Jo-Jo’s “emo” look.
Overall we learn once again that we must respect others, not to be afraid to take a look from a different point of view, and Dr. Seuss said it best with “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” How true.
This G-rated hit deserves a huge “A” in my book. I saw it with two of my granddaughters, Kate (12) and Beth (6), and they loved it too!
Until next time … Save me a seat!
Ann Staples is a St. George resident who has reviewed movies for KCSG, KONY 99.9 FM, and KDXU 890 AM. She is the former host of local lifestyle and entertainment TV shows "KCSG Today" and "So Utah." Ann is married to dentist Larry Staples and has three children, four step-children, and 11 grandchildren.

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