When I was a kid, I lived in a nice suburban subdivision in Oldham County. My family's house was at the back of the subdivision, and behind the house was a woods. My best friend lived across the street from me, and we spent a lot of days exploring these woods, designating names to our favorite parts, and visiting these regularly. We were young boys, and we were very fortunate to have such a fantastic resource literally in our backyard. But all this was prime real estate, and rich people need homes, too, and, property by property, all these trees were cut down, the creeks were filled, the hills were flattened, and houses were built. Now this once-beautiful chunk of my home extends with houses and development, and my old house is now in the middle of the subdivision rather than at the back, and all I have are some really nice memories, and sorrow for my young brother who can't experience this and sits inside playing video games all day.
The point: tonight, Monday, Iroquois Amphitheater presents a free screening of The Lorax, based on the book by Dr. Seuss. Ted is a 12-year-old boy living in a metal-and-plastic sanitary neighborhood. He develops a crush on Audrey, an environmentalist, and decides to find a real tree with which to impress her. In his search, he encounters the Lorax, who tells him of the way things once were and the importance of actual plant life. The film drew a lot of criticism from Conservative groups for daring to suggest that actually natural settings are preferable to falsehood and greedy monopolizing corporations.
The film will screen tonight at 8:30. The Iroquois Amphitheater is located at 1080 Amphitheater Road. Complete details can be found at the venue's official website.
Image: Internet Movie Database