The city is showing "Horton Hears a Who" for free in a park tonight.

[Critters2]

Part of our local festival (you know, every midwestern town has a festival sometime between Memorial Day and Labor Day--ours is this weekend). I'm thinking of going, but wonder if I'll be the only one there without kids, and if there'll be so many kids I won't hear the movie anyway.

Should I go?

[southpaw]

1. If you are talking about the new version

It's entertaining enough.

I found it to have pretty noticeable anti-atheist and anti-choice overtones... but I could be reading too much into it.

[Critters2]

2. Really? The book didn't have any of that, as I recall.

Of course, as a theist, I might not notice the anti-atheist overtones (but I might). But the anti-choice stuff could really irritate. Now I'm curious!

[southpaw]

3. "A person's a person, no matter how small"

There was just something about how that sentiment was delivered that gave me a creepy feeling.

The anti-atheist stuff us fairly clear... they characterize Kangaroo as a Madeline O'Hare type figure and set her up as the villian for not believing in things she can't see, hear, feel, taste or touch. Well, and she's also quite hateful. As if all atheists are angry, bitter people...

Still and all, it was pretty enjoyable... and Steve Carrell's voice work is great... as is Carol Burnette's, who does the voice of Kangaroo.

[npk]

4. They are showing that movie in Atlanta tonight

Up in Kennesaw. I would go but I have no rugrats.

[TheMightyFavog]

6. IIRC, Dr. Seuss himself hated it when the pro-life people co-opets the messeage from that book.

IIRC, Dr. Seuss was a pretty liberal guy.

[Critters2]

5. It has anti-scapegoating overtones. The Girardian imagery was amazingly clear.

The victimizing violence had me squirming!

So, it wasn't anti-atheist or whatever. The fact is that all groups engage in these practices. A film which teaches children to empathize with the scapegoat and stand up to the mob is always a good thing, imo.