The Lorax (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Lorax |
|
---|---|
![]() Theatrical release poster
|
|
Directed by | Chris Renaud |
Produced by |
|
Screenplay by | Cinco Paul Ken Daurio |
Starring | |
Music by | John Powell |
Editing by |
|
Studio |
|
Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date(s) | March 2, 2012 |
Running time | 86 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $70 million |
Money made | $348.8 million |
The Lorax (also known as Dr. Seuss' The Lorax) is a fun 2012 computer-animated musical fantasy film. It was made by Illumination Entertainment. The movie is based on the famous Dr. Seuss children's book called The Lorax. It came out on March 2, 2012, which was Dr. Seuss's 108th birthday!
This film is the second time the book was made into a movie. The first was a TV special in 1972. This movie adds more to the story of the Lorax and Ted, who was just a boy in the book. Famous actors like Danny DeVito (as the Lorax), Ed Helms (as the Once-ler), and Zac Efron (as Ted) lend their voices. New characters like Audrey (voiced by Taylor Swift) and the bad guy Aloysius O'Hare (voiced by Rob Riggle) were also added. The movie earned a lot of money, making $348.8 million around the world!
Contents
Plot Summary
The story starts with a 12-year-old boy named Ted Wiggins. He lives in a city called Thneedville. This city is surrounded by a big wall. Inside Thneedville, everything is fake, even the plants and trees!
Ted has a crush on a girl named Audrey. He wants to impress her by finding a "real tree." His grandma, Norma, tells him about the legend of the Once-ler. The Once-ler knows what happened to all the trees.
Ted leaves Thneedville to find the Once-ler. He discovers that the world outside is empty and polluted. He finally finds the Once-ler, who agrees to tell him the story of the trees over several visits.
On his next trip, Ted meets Aloysius O'Hare. O'Hare is the greedy mayor of Thneedville. His company sells bottled oxygen to the city because the air is so bad. O'Hare tells Ted that real trees are bad for his business. Trees make oxygen for free! He tries to stop Ted from leaving town, but Ted keeps visiting the Once-ler.
The Once-ler's Story
The Once-ler tells Ted about his past. He was a young inventor who came to a beautiful forest. This forest was full of animals and special Truffula trees. He cut down a tree and met the Lorax. The Lorax is a magical creature who "speaks for the trees."
The Lorax tried to make the Once-ler leave. But then he convinced him not to hurt any more trees. The Once-ler used the Truffula tree to create a "Thneed." A Thneed is a piece of cloth that can be used for many things. It became very popular!
But the Once-ler's greedy family convinced him to cut down more trees. They wanted to make lots of Thneeds and get rich. This led to many trees being cut down and the air getting very dirty.
After cutting down the very last Truffula tree, the Once-ler lost everything. His family left him, and he became a lonely person. He felt very sad and guilty for destroying the forest. The Lorax sent all the animals away to find a new home. Then, the Lorax disappeared into the sky. He left only one word on a pile of rocks: "Unless."
Saving the Trees
The Once-ler gives Ted the very last Truffula seed. He hopes Ted can plant it and help the forest grow back. He also hopes Ted can make other people care about trees.
Ted goes back home to plant the seed. But O'Hare's cameras see him. O'Hare tries to stop Ted. Ted, Audrey, and his family are chased to the center of town. O'Hare tries to turn the people against Ted. He tells them that trees are dangerous and dirty.
But Ted uses a big machine to break down part of the city wall. This shows everyone the destroyed land outside. The people are inspired by Ted. They turn against O'Hare. O'Hare's helpers put a jetpack on him, and he flies away from Thneedville forever.
The Truffula seed is finally planted! As time passes, the land starts to heal. New trees grow, animals return, and the Once-ler, now old, meets the Lorax again.
The movie ends with a famous quote from Dr. Seuss: "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."
Voice Cast
- Danny DeVito as The Lorax, a furry orange creature with a yellow mustache who protects the forest.
- Ed Helms as The Once-ler, a young inventor who becomes a lonely old man.
- Zac Efron as Ted Wiggins, a 12-year-old boy who wants to find a real tree. He is named after Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel).
- Taylor Swift as Audrey, Ted's friend. She is named after Dr. Seuss's wife, Audrey Geisel.
- Betty White as Grammy Norma, Ted's funny grandmother.
- Rob Riggle as Aloysius O'Hare, the greedy mayor of Thneedville. He sells bottled air.
- Jenny Slate as Mrs. Wiggins, Ted's mom.
- Nasim Pedrad as Isabella, the Once-ler's mother.
- Stephen Tobolowsky as Uncle Ubb, the Once-ler's uncle.
- Elmarie Wendel as Aunt Grizelda, the Once-ler's aunt.
- Danny Cooksey as Brett and Chet, the Once-ler's twin brothers.
- Chris Renaud as different forest animals.
Music in The Lorax
Dr. Seuss' The Lorax: Original Songs from the Motion Picture | |
---|---|
Soundtrack album by
John Powell and Cinco Paul
|
|
Released | February 28, 2012 |
Genre | Soundtrack, pop |
Length | 34:00 |
Label | Interscope, Back Lot Music |
The music for The Lorax movie includes songs and a film score. The songs were written by John Powell and Cinco Paul. The film score, which is the background music, was composed by John Powell. The soundtrack album was released in February 2012. It features songs like "Let It Grow" and "How Bad Can I Be?".
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: The Lorax (película) para niños