Reflections on Horton Hears a Who
2008-06-09

By D. E. Herrod, B.Ed.E, M.Div

Recently we saw the latest version of Horton Hears a Who. It surprised me that The my husband wanted to see the movie. He wanted to see it because, it had a good approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes. Apparently, the rating a movie gets is important when he is selecting a movie to see. However, I have always been a Theodor Geisel aka Dr. Seuss fan and loved the book when I was a child. Educationally, I think Dr. Seuss books are great. The rhyming and language selection makes them great books for beginning readers.

Well, being a fan of the book and Dr. Seuss, I was all set for an enjoyable moving going experience. The theater wasn't crowded so I had room to get comfortable. As a plus there were no screaming kids or talking people and the theater was almost empty. As I was enjoying the movie. I began to realize there are lot good things to be learned from this movie. Wait a minute this is supposed to be a kid's movie, I want to be entertained not learn something. I have decided to share some of the things I gleaned from the movie.

The first one that caught my attention was Kangaroo's reaction to Horton hearing an unseen voice. Her philosophy was if you can't see it, feel it or touch it then; it doesn't exist. This is the same approach many take with God because they cannot see God he must not exist. According to Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Think I will write more on this in another post.

Horton's determination to do the right thing. It would have been much easier for Horton to just bow to Kangaroo's wishes. Of course, that would have prevented much of his trials, of course cut the movie very short. Horton did not let what others thought, peer pressure, hardships or discouragement prevent him from doing the right thing.

The movie also provided a great example of mob psychology. The animals were quick to follow Kangaroo's lead against Horton. When Horton was proved correct the tide of public opinion quickly turned against Kangaroo.

Of course one of the most important lessons learned from Horton is the value of people. "A person is a person no matter how small." Too many times it is easy just to look at the outward appearance of a person and make a quick judgment based on that. All humans were created in the image of God and should be treated with respect and dignity. How many times do we take the time to actually get to know others before making a judgment about who or what we think they are?

A final lesson I learned from Horton is persistence. Horton was determined to complete his mission when faced with obstacles and peer pressure. He kept going even when it would have been easier to quit.

If you get a chance be sure to check out Horton Hears a Who. It is a great movie for children and adults. So if you are looking for an a good family movie or a great date night, Horton Hears a Who is the movie for you.