Horton Hears A Who! (G) Voice talents of Steve Carrell, Jim Carrey
Hollywood has kept trying, with mixed results, to adapt the work of the
beloved Dr Suess to the big screen. The latest adaptation is Fox animation’s beautifully animated Horton Hears a Who.
Horton (Jim Carrey) is a huge loveable pachyderm who because of his gigantic ears hears the tiny cries of the inhabitants of Whoville. The Whos of Whoville are made aware that they are but a tiny speck on the head of a clover in Horton’s universe, something the Mayor (Steve Carell) has trouble communicating with the rest of the Whos.
Horton too, has trouble convincing those around him of Whoville’s existence and draws the ire of the cranky Sour Kangaroo (Carol Burnett) who would prefer her ordered world wasn’t rocked by the fact that she has to have faith in the existence of something she can neither see or here.
But when Horton becomes convinced that he has to save the Whos and place them somewhere that they can live without incident, he begins a journey which draws even more ridicule and embarrassment from those around him.
He tries to convince his friends the Whos are worth saving for he believes “a person is a person no matter how small.”
Suess has many salient messages buried in his mellifluous prose and some spiritual truths can be gleaned in Horton’s blind faith and tolerance despite evidence to the contrary.
The film’s dénouement also has a fairly hefty dose of forgiveness thrown in, making this an excellent discussion resource for both children and adults.
In addition to some excellent interviews with the voice cast, extras on the disc are fantastic in fleshing out some of the universal themes in the film.
dvd review
Horton Hears A Who! 
