Horton Hears a Who! (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Horton Hears a Who! |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Jimmy Hayward Steve Martino |
| Produced by | Bob Gordon Bruce Anderson |
| Screenplay by | Cinco Paul Ken Daurio |
| Narrated by | Charles Osgood |
| Starring | |
| Music by | John Powell |
| Editing by | Tim Nordquist |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | March 14, 2008 |
| Running time | 86 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $85 million |
| Money made | $298.6 million |
Horton Hears a Who! is a fun computer-animated adventure comedy film from 2008. It's based on the classic 1954 book by Dr. Seuss. The movie was made by Blue Sky Studios and released by 20th Century Fox.
It was directed by Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino. Famous actors like Jim Carrey and Steve Carell lent their voices to the main characters, Horton the Elephant and Mayor Ned McDodd. The film also features the voices of Carol Burnett, Will Arnett, Seth Rogen, Isla Fisher, and Amy Poehler. John Powell created the music for the movie.
Horton Hears a Who! was released in theaters on March 14, 2008. It made over $297 million worldwide, which was a big success compared to its $85 million budget. This movie was the third film based on a Dr. Seuss book, but it was the first one to be fully animated. It was also the second Dr. Seuss movie to star Jim Carrey, after How the Grinch Stole Christmas in 2000.
Contents
Story of Horton Hears a Who!
Horton Discovers Whoville
In the lively Jungle of Nool, Horton the Elephant works as a kind and unusual nature teacher. One day, he hears a tiny yelp coming from a small speck of dust. Horton believes that a whole society of tiny creatures lives on this speck. He carefully chases it and places it on top of a soft flower.
Horton soon learns that the speck holds a city called Whoville. Its people are called the Whos, and they are led by Mayor Ned McDodd. The Mayor's family includes his wife Sally, 96 daughters (all named with the letter H!), and one teenage son named JoJo. JoJo is the oldest child and is expected to be the next mayor, but he doesn't want the job. He is so scared of letting his father down that he doesn't even speak.
Trouble in Whoville and the Jungle
As Horton carries the speck, strange things start happening in Whoville. The Whos feel like they are having earthquakes and sudden changes in the weather. Mayor McDodd tries to warn his city, but the Town Council, led by the bossy Chairman, doesn't believe him.
After Horton talks to the Mayor, he learns that Whoville will be destroyed if the speck isn't moved to a safer place. Horton decides to put the speck on top of Mt. Nool, which is the safest spot in the jungle. His best friend, Morton the mouse, helps him.
The Sour Kangaroo's Disbelief
The leader of the jungle, the Sour Kangaroo, doesn't believe that the Whos exist. She demands that Horton give up the speck because she feels he is challenging her authority. But Horton refuses to give up on his tiny friends.
The Wickersham Brothers, a group of mischievous monkeys, also cause trouble for Horton. Eventually, the Kangaroo hires a mean vulture named Vlad Vladikoff to get rid of the speck by force.
Saving Whoville from Danger
Vlad tries several times and finally manages to steal the flower from Horton. He drops it into a huge field filled with millions of identical pink flowers. This causes a terrible tremor in Whoville. Horton searches tirelessly, picking almost three million flowers. Finally, he finds the correct flower, which is the three millionth one! This also helps the Whos realize that Horton is real.
The Sour Kangaroo finds out Horton still has the speck. She gathers all the jungle animals, telling them that Horton is a bad influence. She makes them afraid that their own children will become wild and disobedient. The animals corner Horton, and the Kangaroo gives him one last chance to say the Whos aren't real. Horton refuses. Even after a heartfelt speech, the Kangaroo orders the animals to tie him up and cage him. She plans to destroy the speck and Whoville in a pot of hot beezlenut oil.
The Whos Make Their Voices Heard
The Mayor asks all the Whos to make as much noise as possible by shouting "We are here!" and playing instruments. JoJo, the Mayor's son, uses his invention called the "Symphonophone" to create a huge musical sound. This shows that JoJo's true passion is music. But even with all their noise, the sound doesn't quite reach the surface of the speck.
Just as the Kangaroo snatches the flower from the captured Horton and prepares to drop it into the oil, JoJo grabs the horn used to project Horton's voice. He runs to the highest tower and screams "YOPP!" This sound breaks through the barrier just seconds before the speck hits the oil.
Peace in the Jungle and Whoville
Rudy, the Kangaroo's son, grabs the flower and says he can hear the Whos! Other animals in Nool also start to hear them. Even though his mother objects, Rudy returns the flower to Horton, who is now free. The animals realize the truth about the Whos and turn away from the Kangaroo for trying to trick them.
Horton is praised for his honesty. He forgives the Kangaroo, who is now sad and sorry. She even becomes his friend and makes a small umbrella for Whoville. The movie ends with the Whos and the animals of Nool singing "Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO Speedwagon. The narrator reveals that the Jungle of Nool (and even Earth) is just one speck, like Whoville, floating in the vastness of space.
Meet the Voice Cast
Many talented actors gave their voices to the characters in Horton Hears a Who!:
- Jim Carrey as Horton the Elephant: A kind, thoughtful, and outgoing elephant who teaches in the Jungle of Nool. He has amazing hearing.
- Steve Carell as Mayor Ned McDodd: The mayor of Whoville, who has 96 daughters and one son, JoJo.
- Carol Burnett as the Sour Kangaroo: The bossy leader of the jungle who doesn't believe in the Whos.
- Will Arnett as Vlad Vladikoff: A scary vulture with a Russian accent, hired by the Sour Kangaroo to get rid of the speck.
- Seth Rogen as Morton: A friendly mouse who is Horton's best friend.
- Selena Gomez as Helga McDodd: One of Mayor McDodd's many daughters.
- Dan Fogler as The Chairman: A councilman in Whoville who doesn't trust Mayor McDodd's warnings. He also voices Yummo Wickersham, a large ape.
- Isla Fisher as Dr. Mary Lou LaRue: A professor at Who U.
- Jonah Hill as Tommy: A tiger who is one of Horton's students.
- Amy Poehler as Sally O'Malley-McDodd: Mayor McDodd's wife and mother to his large family.
- Jesse McCartney as JoJo McDodd: Mayor McDodd's quiet son, who loves music.
- Josh Flitter as Rudy Kangaroo: The Sour Kangaroo's son, who eventually helps Horton.
How the Movie Was Made
Bringing Dr. Seuss to Life
After the 2003 live-action movie The Cat in the Hat wasn't very popular, Dr. Seuss's wife, Audrey Geisel, decided that no more live-action films based on his books would be made.
In 2005, Blue Sky Studios, known for movies like Robots, approached Audrey Geisel. They wanted to make an animated movie of Horton Hears a Who!. The art director, Steve Martino, and story consultant, Jimmy Hayward, showed Geisel their ideas for Horton's design and some animation tests. She was impressed and agreed to let them make the movie.
Designing the Characters
The directors, Hayward and Martino, were given full access to Dr. Seuss's old sketches and notes. They studied his original drawings and even how he worked with famous animator Chuck Jones on the Grinch TV special.
To make the characters move realistically, the animators at Blue Sky Studios recorded themselves acting out the script. This helped them see how body language could be used in the film. For Horton, they wanted him to be different from the mammoths they animated in the Ice Age movies. Sometimes, Horton would walk on two legs, looking like "a fat man in an elephant suit." His mouth was made bigger than in the book to allow for more expressions, especially like those of Jim Carrey's voice acting.
Movie Music and Songs
The original music for Horton Hears a Who! was created by John Powell. The movie's soundtrack album was released on March 25, 2008.
At the very end of the film, the voice cast sings the popular song "Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO Speedwagon.
Other songs featured in the movie include:
- "Quickie" by Thomas Foyer
- "Swingville Sashay" by Muff & Rezz
- "Agua Melao" by Gilberto Candido
- "The Blue Danube" by Johann Strauß
Movie Success and Awards
Box Office Performance
Horton Hears a Who! earned a total of $297 million around the world. About $155 million came from the United States and Canada, and $143 million from other countries. The movie's budget was $85 million, so it was very successful!
In its first weekend, the film made $45 million, making it the number one movie at the box office. It stayed at number one for its second weekend, earning another $25 million.
Awards and Nominations
The film received several awards and nominations:
- Annie Awards: Nominated for Best Animated Effects, Best Character Animation, Best Character Design, Best Music, and Best Writing.
- ASCAP Award: Won the Top Box Office Films award for John Powell's music.
- Golden Trailer Award: Nominated for Best Animation/Family TV Spot.
- IFMCA Award: Nominated for Best Original Score for an Animated Feature Film.
- Golden Reel Award: Nominated for Best Sound Editing.
- OFCS Award: Nominated for Best Animated Feature.
- Satellite Award: Nominated for Best Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media, and Best Original Score.
- Young Artist Award: Nominated for Best Performance in a Voice-Over Role - Young Actress (for Selena Gomez, Shelby Adamowsky, and Joey King).
Watching the Movie at Home
Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! was released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 9, 2008. You could buy a single-disc version, a special 2-disc edition, or a gift set that came with a Horton plush toy!
Later, a Blu-ray combo pack was released on October 11, 2011, which included a DVD and a digital copy. This home release also featured a short film called Surviving Sid, which is part of the Ice Age series.
The movie made over $77 million from DVD and Blu-ray sales in the United States.
Images for kids
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Jim Carrey and his family at the world premiere of film in Westwood, Los Angeles.
See also
In Spanish: Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! para niños
