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Hot Ideas for a Cool Planet
Wall-E + Cool Globes Exhibit in Exposition Park
Wall-E, the 2009 Oscar-winner for Best Animated Feature, deserves its golden statue. We cued it up for Earth Day, and were sucked into the orbit of what we can only define as a new genre; part silent-film, part romantic drama, and part ecological apocalypse all wrapped-up in beautiful Pixar animation. When we first meet Wall-E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter- Earth class), a rusty, trash-compacting robot, he spends his solitary days creating skyscraper bricks out of the trash left behind by the humans. One day, a space ship lands, and a sleek droid named Eve (short for Extra-terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) buzzes around Earth, looking for signs of plant life. Lonely Wall-E falls for Eve, and finds a seedling to woo her with, rare and beautiful. Eve's programmed to take any plant life home, and Wall-E chases after her, where they are both delivered to Axiom, the mother ship where humans are living, obese, video-crazed, and utterly complacent. By this time, our kids were thrilled to go along with the rest of the ride, as Wall-E, Eve and a fiesty Captain work together to bring humans back to Earth, ready to clean up their act and their planet.
Since our kids were inspired by the film to take better care of their planet, getting them to head downtown to visit a new traveling art show called Cool Globes was a breeze. Each of the 50 globes on display in LA's Exposition Park was created by an artist and carries its own message about global warming. Our young Greenies had fun guessing the story each globe had to tell: from adjusting the thermostat and harnessing wind power, to planting trees and buying local, there was plenty to talk about; that is, when the kids slowed down enough to talk. Of course, this being outside space, they also had plenty of fun darting in and out between the magnificent globes, learning about how to save our precious planet while their feet were moving -- literally learning on the run! Cool Globes opens this week for Earth Day and stays in town through July; we plan to take advantage of its great Exposition Park location by checking out one of the wonderful museums just steps away. It will be hard to choose between letting our kids try their hands at crime investigation through California Science Center's popular exhibit CSI: The Experience before it closes on April 26, or to visit the dazzling butterfly garden at the Natural History Museum's just-opened Pavilion of Wings. Cool ideas, cool exhibits, cool kids!
Our Buttery Bits of Wisdom about Wall-E:
- Why It's Worth It: Wall-E film feels like a classic, given it's universal messages about love and ecology and it's impeccable animation. The first half-hour, which doesn't have dialogue, is lyrical and moving. Once Wall-E and Eve get to Axiom, the dreadful planet where humans have retreated after destroying Earth, the clanging ugliness of that alternative world makes us yearn for a restored Earth. The film is probably good for any one over 5; it's too subtle for tweens and teens but most adults appreciate the animation and message of this film.
- Red Flags: This film is smart, and woos with subtlety. Kids expecting adorable animated animals may take longer than usual to tune into Wall-E and Eve, as there is not much that is funny about the sobering state of Planet Earth. With a little patience, though, kids will fall in love with Wall-E and Eve, root for them to win, and come home to Earth. No profanity, violence, or mature content (though Wall-E does find a bra while scavenging, which he promptly uses as sunglasses!).
- Green Films: Wall-E is one among many great films out there that bring home the message about the fragility of our planet and how it is our duty to protect Planet Earth for the next generation. In past adventures, we have reviewed Arctic Tale, Ice Age, Ice Age: The Meltdown, and Fly Away Home. Tweens and up will appreciate Al Gore's Oscar-winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. Also debuting on Earth Day is Disneynature's, Earth, which we have not yet had the opportunity to review; although rated G, does contain some material about animals dying that could upset younger kids. Click here for the trailer.
Our Tips for Talking to Kids about Wall-E:
- Symbol Savvy: In Wall-E, the tireless robot rescues interesting items of trash before he compacts. He brings his treasure home, where his collection includes a Rubiks Cube, a Hello Dolly video, and a light bulb and Christmas lights. Ask your kids what objects they have that would represent what life is like in 2009. We took the next step, and asked our kids to choose 10 items that would represent them -- our son's collection included a golf ball, soccer cleat, a song from his favorite band, and sweet child that he is, a family photo!
- Personification Savvy: Ask your kids what makes Wall-E so lovable, and how the animators were able to convey his emotions. Wall-E barely speaks, but his binocular eyes, and human-like gestures, go a long way. Ask kids to compare Wall-E to other characters -- our kids chose silent star Charlie Chaplin, as well as Nemo and some of the Disney Dwarfs.
- Silent Film Savvy: This film tells little with language, and more with gestures and intonation. Show your kids old Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin films, the original silent stars, and have them compare!
Cool Globes Exhibit in Exposition Park's Rose Garden
Opens Earth Day and runs through July 23, 2009
Exposition Park runs between the Natural History Museum and the California Science Center
Admission: Free
Time Recommendation: an hour
Age Recommendation: Everyone, including stroller babes
Our Buttery Bits of Wisdom about Cool Globes:
- What Worked For Us: Before we visited, we got our kids excited by previewing the globes in the on-line gallery and we spent some time perusing the site to learn more about what we would see at www.coolglobes.com. These globes are natual kid-magnets, and they will do a lot less whining if they see how truly cool they are before hopping in the car. As a perk for parents, the site has a fantastic curriculum guide that parents can access for free. Cool Globes partnered with LAUSD to develop environmental education to keep LA kids the coolest ones on the planet!
- Free Tours: Docents are on hand to give your family in-depth detail about each globe. On Tuesdays (beginning in June) and Saturdays (beginning this weekend), from 11 am - 2 pm, join in to get the inside scoop. Call the California Science Center to sign up ahead of time, or just show up to join a tour.
- Earth Day Celebration: The Cool Globes exhibit kicks off on Earth Day, with plenty of fun activities for young ones. Come join in the fun! It's all free.
- Inside Scoop by the LA Times and LA Parent: Click here for a fantastic article about Cool Globes. We highly recommend reading this great piece before visiting -- it's a great preview into some of the highlights you will see first-hand. Click here for a link to our article on Cool Globes for LA Parent, still hot on the newsstands this month!
- It's HOT, so Plan Ahead: The globes are all outside, so remember hats, sunscreen and water.
Our Tips for Extending this Adventure:
- The California Science Center: We LOVE taking our kids to wander through one of our favorite family museums. If you can make it, the current CSI: The Experience (closing April 26), keys off the popular crime drama, and lets kids try their hand at forensic investigation. If not, kids will love Identity: An Exhibit of You, an interactive exhibit exploring genetic and social make-up (opening mid-May). Click here for more information on current and upcoming exhibits, as well as ticket prices and hours.
- Natural History Museum: Though our kids have visited this exhibit almost every year, they never tire of the Pavilion of Wings, always captivated by the unique beauty of live butterflies in a unique outdoor habitat. If you can pull them away to tour the Museum, little ones will love the cool puppet show Dinosaur Encounters, and older kid will appreciate Visible Vault, an exhibit of ancient Aztec treasures on the second floor. Click here for more information.
- Rose Garden: A rose is a rose, so the saying goes, but take your family on a stroll through the famous Rose Gardens in Expo Park to sniff your way through a bounty of beautiful specimens. Click here for more information on this historic garden.
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