By: Shawn  Wang

The Lorax is a popular Dr. Seuss book you have probably heard of. It’s about a twelve-year-old boy named Ted (voiced by Zac Efron) who has a crush on a high school girl named Audrey (voiced by Taylor Swift). They live in a city made of plastic and fake trees. Audrey dreams of one day seeing a real living tree. Ted gets the idea that if he gets a tree for Audrey, she will like him back. So, he asks his grandma for help and sets off on an adventure.

Ted’s hunt leads him to a little hut in the middle of a nowhere. In the hut lived an old man named the Once-ler (voiced by Ed Helms). He rang the doorbell and asked for a seed to plant a tree. The Once-ler insisted on telling Ted a story about how he let his greed for money overtake his respect for nature and how he destroyed the forest for his Thneed business. A Thneed is a versatile object made from the soft trees in the forest that can be used as a hat, shirt, pant and much more. This shows that the consumers are also at fault. If they truly wanted to protect the environment they wouldn’t have bought the Thneed and supported his business.

The version of the movie I watched was released on on March 2, 2012. But the original musical short produced by Depatie-Freleng Enterprises was released on February 14, 1972, and the original book came out even earlier on July 23 1971.

This movie deliveres a message on climate change and how we need to stop it now. Ted proves that if you care and are truly passionate about something, you can make a difference in the world.
At the end of the movie, Ted and Audrey manage to plant the seed and make their city proud.

The Lorax has the ability to entertain, educate, and inspire all at once. Making it one of my favorite movies. This film teaches us to listen to the trees, cherish our planet, and, above all, remember the power we hold to create a better world.

Sources:
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt1482459/fullcredits/cast