I want to like movies made out of Dr. Suess books, but I always feel like they’re missing some elusive magic. I understand that a rhyming book that takes 5 minutes maximum to read needs additional material to work in a movie. Why can’t it feel like something classic, delightful, and endearing like it’s muse, though?
I want to watch a tribute to the genius of Dr. Suess, wonderfully complex, but simple enough for a child to comprehend. Animated movies have too much of the common denominator these days and not enough small-child wonder. You don’t need to modernize Dr. Suess or Winnie the Pooh. The source material is gold.
We surprised our kids with a trip to The Lorax movie Saturday after they endured some furniture stores with us. The movie was okay and the kids enjoyed themselves, but I bet they won’t remember much about it in a few days. As I watched, I couldn’t help feeling that the movie was too self aware. My kids don’t see Dr. Suess’s creations as wacky and disconnected from the “real world,” but part of a separate world that they can immerse themselves in.
Also, while listening to “How Bad Can it Be,” I thought of the 70 plus products that now have Lorax tie ins and it left a bad taste in my mouth. It’s great that the studios wanted to send a message about conservation, but it’s sort of hard to hear over all of the Lorax endorsements. If I wanted to teach my kids this message, I’d be better off simply reading them the book or seeking out a Scholastic video version.
I know the hope of these movies is to reach a broad age range and to entertain mom and dad as well. After all, if we remember getting a good laugh, we’re more likely to buy those toys and happy meals, right?
Watching my 3 and 5 year-old watch movies, however, it’s apparent to me that Hollywood is clueless about the story lines that really grab their attention or the characters that draw them back time and time again. They own multiple box office hits, but they like the brightly decorated movie themed shoes and pjs more than the film.
Here are a few things they don’t need to make a film memorable:
That Elusive Movie Magic
* Characters with bad indigestion, gas, or excessive burping.
* Characters that reference adult themes that constantly go over their heads.
* A dead mother or the world ending to create drama.
* Good versus evil dramatized to the extremes.
* Worn out stereotypes and heavy-handed irony.
* Language or behavior that I have to explain to them after the film ends and encourage them not to emulate.
Here are a few things they do need to make a film memorable:
* Characters they can relate to. Kids like them with simple questions and problems they face every day.
* Examples of characters using their imagination and getting caught up in worlds they create.
* Drama that they can relate to – A scary teacher, a lost bike, a broken toy, getting lost, feeling afraid.
* Characters that broaden their perspective, defy stereotypes, and encourage them to respect others and the world around them.
* Dialogue and acting that doesn’t depend on the lowest common denominator for a good laugh.
* Great source material that honors the innocence, imaginations, and interests of children. Don’t try to fix what’s not broken. I could watch the animated classic Winnie the Pooh stories repeatedly – there’s no need to modernize them, add an evil villan, or put in a fart joke.
What do my kids return to time and again? Real stories that involve real questions kids face, with characters that use ingenuity and imagination. Some of their favorite videos are just moderately animated books from Scholastic and Shelley Duvall Bedtime Stories. Lucky for me, I’d rather watch these or a good PBS show with them any day.
(I have tried to leave a comment for 3 days – and keep getting interrupted – Arghh)
We had a family outing to see the Lorax a couple of weeks ago. My son was excited because they had been reading it in school and he plays the Lorax game/app on his touch.
I am not going to lie, he loved it. When they chopped the last tree down, he cried. When the seed started to grow, he glowed. It was very sweet. My 3yo wasn’t remotely interested.
However, I agree with you. I think movies today are not engaging our children or really encouraging imagination.
I am very hopeful about the Disney movie Brave.
I think you should send your post to Disney 🙂