The genre of “environmentalist films” encompasses not only movies concerning the environment, such as those that touch on global warming, but those that focus on the many social manifestations of eco-mindedness, like cultural attitudes toward food consumption.
So, when it came time to assemble a list of my most loved environmentalist films, I included as many interpretations of the genre as possible.
1. The Lorax (1972) While it might be interesting to hear Danny DeVito voice the Lorax in the 2011 iteration, I still say there’s nothing like the classic animated TV version. When the little guy is lifted by the seat of his pants and disappears through the last remaining break in the smog that has consumed his once thriving valley, we see in devastating detail the impact of mindless consumerism and greed.
2. Flow: For Love of Water (2008) Filled with wonderful interviews by activist Vandana Shiva and many more stewards and stewardesses of the earth, Flow splashes the viewer with a face full of hard realities on the coming water crisis and current water wars in developing countries. Fortunately, it also supplies us with practical solutions that the whole planet could benefit from.
3. WALL-E (2008) Yes, it’s Disney, and it is all up in yo’ face with its pro-Earth messages. But no one can deny that the film is charming, inventive and heartwarming. The animation shown as the ending credits roll on the screen, each one depicting humanity’s return to a greener, more balanced relationship with the planet, is especially moving.
4. Food, Inc. (2008) While it might induce bouts of nausea as audiences learn about the environmental and agricultural effects of corporate farming practices, director Robert Kenner exposes some of the brutal truths behind mass production and the commodification of food. “You’ll shudder, shake and just possibly lose your genetically modified lunch,” said The New York Times in a 2009 review. I couldn’t agree more.
5. Soylent Green (1973) “Soylent Green is people!” screams Charlton Heston in his classic role as Robert Thorn, a New York police detective living in a dilapidated, overcrowded future civilization where food has been reduced to recycled human remains. This movie takes the phrase “dog-eat-dog society” to a new level and secured itself a place in cult cinema history.
6. Happy Feet (2006) When director George Miller was asked about the environmental angle of the film, he reportedly said, “You can’t tell a story about Antarctica and the penguins without giving that dimension.” The fact that the film addresses overfishing and global warming, all the while helping the audience to jaunty songs and adorable fluffy penguins, is all the more reason to see it.
7. Super Size Me (2004) This film sets its sights on our massively unhealthy diets, corporate holds on federal food policies and how unappetizing a McDonald’s burger patty really is. It is further down on this list because, though it educates its audiences on the importance of local, fresh, organic food, it doesn’t directly address environmental concerns. If you happen to be squeamish, you might want to look away when director and self-appointed guinea pig Morgan Spurlock vomits after scarfing down a supersized McMeal.
8. The Vanishing of the Bees (2009) This documentary blames the ubiquitous use of pesticides for the sudden disappearance of honeybee hives across the world, leading to the phenomenon known as “colony collapse disorder.” Rotten Tomatoes, a rating web, site gave the film low marks for corny commentary and a subpar budget, but there is something to be gained in the movie’s tackling of a such a distressing and largely unstudied subject.
9. Hoot (2006) Based on Carl Hiaasen’s well-received young adult novel, the film tells the story of three boys who risk everything to protect a group of endangered owls. This is a wonderful example of small-town heroism and community action, albeit a fictional one. Fans of the book will enjoy a film that actually tries to live up to its literary counterpart.
10. FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992) Truth be told, Tim Curry as an evil, brown, gelatinous pollutant goo named Hexxus that threatens to destroy a rainforest full of fairies is the most entertaining part of this film. But entertaining it is, it’s well worth revisiting as an adult.