The Importance of Children's Movies in Presenting Societal Issues
The Lorax and other movies such as Inside Out are historically and socially significant in raising awareness about sensitive topics. It is important to consider other childrenâs movies when talking about the significance of The Lorax.
A majority of childrenâs films talk about prevalent societal issues, such as in Inside Out. Since Inside Out came to theatres in 2015, viewers have become aware of their minds and the nature of their emotions.
Greater Good Magazine published an article around the time of the movieâs release highlighting the film and said that important âmessages are smartly embedded within Inside Outâs inventive storytelling and mind-blowing animation; they enrich the film without weighing it down (Zakrzewski, Marsh).â
The childrenâs film takes place in Rileyâs 11-year-old mind with five distinct emotions including Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust, portrayed as different unique characters.
Riley is devastated when her family moves to California, and her emotions struggle to stay consistent (Docter, Inside Out).
Inside Out taps into deep themes surrounding depression and shows how happiness cannot be forced and that our society needs to normalize sadness.
The article continues by saying, âItâs a shining example of the power of media to shift viewersâ understanding of the human experienceâa shift that, in this case, we hope will help viewers foster deeper and more compassionate connections to themselves and those around them (Zakrzewski, Marsh).â
As in many other films, these movies work to creatively introduce children to sensitive topics in a light-hearted way and raise awareness about society as a whole.
At the heart of childrenâs movies is an important message, as seen in both The Lorax and Inside Out, that teaches children more about themselves, others, and the world around them.Â
Who's your favorite Inside Out character?
Joy
Disgust
Sadness
Anger
Fear
Bing Bong
Voting ended onMar 28, 2023