By: debbie lynn elias
Who in this world has not been touched or impacted in some manner by the works and words of Theodore Geisel aka Dr. Seuss? For many of us, it is the tenor and theme of a Dr. Seuss book read in childhood that helped mold and shape the mores we carry (or should carry) into adulthood. In 1954, Dr. Seuss blessed the literary world with the second work in what would ultimately become a series of prolific classics; the book, Horton Hears a Who!, the story of an imaginative elephant named Horton who, on the 15th of May in the Jungle of Nool, hears a faint cry for help that seems to be coming from a speck of dust floating through the air. Fascinated and concerned, Horton follows the speck through the jungle until it lands on a little clover. So insistent that he heard voices coming from the speck, Horton dares to opine to the jungle skeptics, “If you were way out in space and you looked down at where we live, we would look like a speck.” But unbeknownst to Horton, his theory is more real than even he can imagine. For as Horton bounds through the jungle carrying his precious clover with his oh-so-precious speck, life is being turned topsy turvy in the microscopic land of Whoville, for it is indeed the Whos that inhabit that tiny speck who desperately need Horton’s help.
Thanks to some rather ingenious thinking on the part of Horton and the Mayor of Whoville, the two actually figure out how to communicate and hear each other. On learning that Whoville is on a speck subject to the elements and ultimate disaster if not cared for and protected properly, the Mayor begs Horton for his help. And as well know, this kind-hearted elephant is not one to turn a deaf ear. After all, “a person’s a person no matter how small.” And to allay any fears his newfound friend may have about Horton’s dedication and desire to help, Horton assures the Mayor, “an elephant’s faithful 100 percent!”
Facing ridicule from his jungle friends, conspiracy headed by the Sour Kangaroo and just plain old disbelief, Horton presses forward in his mission to save the Whos, no matter what the cost to him. And Horton knows the only way for him to save the Whos is for the Whos to make themselves heard to the other jungle animals so they can help rather than hinder his quest.
Beloved by generations, in 1970 Horton was initially adapted into a half-hour animated TV special narrated by Hans Conreid and directed by the legendary animator Chuck Jones, a version which most of us have grown up with and held close to our hearts. But as time, technology and talent march forward, so does Horton and thanks to producer Christopher Meledandri, the phenomenal Blue Sky Studios, directors Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino, lead animator Dave Torres and the biggest talents in film and tv today, a new Horton comes to the big screen in all its 3-D animated glory.
Taking the book to new levels, while incorporating the imagery, color, characters, wit and impeccably entertaining story by Dr. Seuss, from the opening frame you know you are in for a treat. This is movie magic in its finest glory! As a tiny drop of water, itself not much bigger than a speck, falls from a leaf, out story is set into motion and state-of-the-art animation takes hold; some so real, even I wasn’t sure if this was live action and animation mixed. Mixing old and new animation techniques, the film pushes the imagination yet stays true to the 1950’s classic illustrations and Seussian colors and shapes, while making everything 3-D with texture and depth. The attention to detail is unparalleled, figuratively and literally. Particularly notable is the creation of the Whos, all of whom, besides wearing lots of fur, have very fine thin fur as skin which you can see wisp in the wind. And how about that “elephant hide” of Horton’s? Rubbery and pliable, just like a child would imagine it to be. As for the Whos and Whoville, the animators are very true to the illustrations in Seuss’s book and incorporate all the levers, cantilevers, catapults and pulleys found in Whoville, plus, if you look very carefully – as if studying a speck – you will even catch a glimpse of Seuss notables like The Cat in the Hat, Red Fish-Blue Fish, Fox in Socks and many many more Seussian icons.
And having mentioned the Who fur, I would remiss not to acknowledge the “Creative Fur Team” and the CGI rendering artists. Fur and other texturizations are all proprietary technology of CGI Studio and it is because of this technology that fur and other elements could be manipulated as if working with actual sets and lighting, rendering surfaces real and “touchable.” Thus, for the clover housing Whoville, there are actually 1,000,000 individual hairs that make up that clover and for “supporting clovers” each was comprised of some 50,000 hairs. The end result is the most resolute, flowing, realistic and eye-popping color and texture to ever hit the animated screen. But besides visual excellence (and let’s face it folks, this is next year’s Academy Award winner for Best Animated Feature and should be a Best Picture contender as well), to complete the picture, voicing and characterization are critical. So how about calling on Jim Carrey, a self-proclaimed Dr. Seuss fanatic, as Horton, Steve Carell as the Mayor of Whoville, the legendary Carol Burnett as the self-proclaimed head of Nool, Kangaroo. The symbiotic relationship between the actors and their animated counter-parts is seamless and mind-boggling and although each actor’s distinct personality commands each character, those personalities only embellish what Dr. Seuss created some 50 years ago. As Kangaroo pushes her son Rudy down, admonishing him to “go to your pouch” Carol Burnett’s face and comedic mannerisms immediately pop into mind, providing further visualization and making the character more real, more human, more lifelike.
I admit, Steve Carell was a casting surprise. Known for his deadpan drop dead funny comedy, as the Mayor he brings an unexpected a loving and heartwarming sensitivity and kind-heartedness to the screen that is so hopeful and welcome. “Saturday Night Live” talent Amy Poehler is a perfect counterpart as Sally, the wife to Carell’s Mayor. Funny as a rubber crutch with some nice tongue-in-cheek dialogue, she grounds the Mayor who at times does get a little Barney Fife-ish. See if you can catch another SNL alum, Larraine Newman, as well as the hysterically haughty, Niecy Nash. But the piec-d-resistance is Jim Carrey as Horton. As you all know, with few exceptions, I have never been a big Jim Carrey fan, but as Horton, he steals my heart. Thankfully, the animators incorporated Carrey’s patented rubber-faced antics into this lumbering little elephant giving Horton a heightened sense of fun and joy; most notable in fact is admission by animator Torres that, “initially Horton had a smaller mouth. But when Jim came on board, the character became VERY expressive.” Or as director Hayward notes, Carrey “puts his entire fact into everything.” And for you young girls out there, don’t miss Jesse McCartney as the Mayor’s only son, Jo-Jo……(and yes, he DOES sing).
Screenwriters Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio stay true to the book’s rhyme scheme and lyrical words, incorporating passages from the book throughout the film. And although they contemporize some of the dialogue and adventure, they never stray from the fantasy, charm and quaintness of Dr. Seuss. After all, a person’s a person no matter how small.
As Dr. Seuss wrote many years after penning Horton, “Oh, the places you’ll go!” As long as we have the legacy of Seuss and the talents, creativity and imagination of teams like those behind Horton, we’ll never run out of places to go. And the first place you need to go is the nearest theater for HORTON HEARS A WHO! You may see it with your eyes, but you’ll hear it with your heart. Horton – Jim Carrey Mayor – Steve Carell Kangaroo – Carol Burnett Directed by Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino. Written by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. Rated G (88 min)
