Dr. Seuss' The Lorax (2012)
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A young boy ventures beyond the walls of his artificial city to find a real tree and learn the truth about the land's past.
The story
Twelve-year-old Theodore "Ted" Wiggins lives in Thneedville, a walled city where all vegetation is artificial. When his love interest, Audrey, expresses a desire to see a real tree, Ted decides to find one for her. Guided by his grandmother's stories of a man known as the "Once-ler" who knows the secret of the trees, Ted ventures outside the city walls. He discovers a desolate wasteland and finds the Once-ler, who agrees to tell him the story of the trees over several visits, leading Ted to confront the consequences of the past and the reality of the world beyond his home.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Ted travels outside Thneedville and finds the Once-ler, who recounts how he once owned a lush forest of Truffula trees. He was stopped by the Lorax, the guardian of the forest, after he began cutting them down. The Once-ler's greed, fueled by unscrupulous relatives, eventually led to total deforestation and the Lorax's disappearance. Despite the mayor's attempts to stop him, Ted continues to visit the Once-ler. The Once-ler gives Ted the last Truffula seed and urges him to plant it and convince the people of Thneedville to care for the environment. Ted returns to the city and, despite being hunted by the mayor's security, manages to break through the city wall to show the people the wasteland. The citizens turn against the mayor, and the seed is planted. Over time, the land recovers, wildlife returns, and the Lorax finally reappears to reunite with the Once-ler.
- First release year
- 2012
- Runtime (minutes)
- 86
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Chris Renaud
- Writers
- Cinco Paul · screenplay; Ken Daurio · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Danny DeVito · the Lorax; Ed Helms · the Once-ler; Zac Efron · Theodore "Ted" Wiggins; Taylor Swift · Audrey; Betty White · Grammy Norma Wiggins; Rob Riggle · Aloysius O'Hare; Jenny Slate · Mrs. Wiggins; Nasim Pedrad · Isabella
- Genres
- animated; musical; fantasy; comedy
- Themes
- environmentalism; consequences of greed; preservation
- Tone and mood
- whimsical; cautionary
- Setting
- Thneedville and the surrounding wasteland.
- Premise and plot tags
- fantasy; adventure; environmental
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1971 children's book by Dr. Seuss
- Franchise connections
- Dr. Seuss
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics but was a commercial success.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 46 · scale: 100 · review count: 30; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Choice Voice: Movie · Teen Choice Awards · win
- Production trivia
- The animation was produced in France by Illumination Mac Guff.; The film was the first to be released in 3D.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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