Earth Day is over and I spent it indoors

It was Earth Day, and we decided to go see Disney’s release of Oceans. The irony of spending a beautiful afternoon inside a movie theater did not escape me. But it’s kind of become a tradition. Because last year, we also spent Earth Day at the movies, watching Disney’s Earth.

I am actually kind of a geek that way. I love documentaries about nature and science. And Oceans did not disappoint. My only regret: we didn’t see it at the IMAX.

Much like Earth, the photography was unbelievably mesmerizing. The conservation message was loud and clear. And it was just a tad bit too long. Twirl told me afterwards she thought it was a little too violent. I think the 999 newly-hatched sea turtles that got brutally grabbed out of the sand one by one and eaten for breakfast as they tried to make their way to the water is what threw her off. It was somewhat unsettling and a heck of a reminder that it’s good to be at the top of the food chain.

Disney also did itself no favors with the scenes of ships being tossed around like toothpicks during a storm. Twirl’s response: “I’m never taking a cruise, mom.” I tried to explain that the ships in the film were not cruise ships, but the damage has been done. Which is probably okay given that a Disney cruise isn’t exactly in the budget this year…or next.

One very favorite part of the movie for me was the sense of camaraderie among strangers in the theater as we laughed, ooh’ed and ahh’ed together. There were beautiful moments as a herd of dolphins leaped and twirled and played. There were touching moments watching a mother walrus hug and kiss her baby. Astounding shots of fish swirling in the shape of a tornado,  surprising ones of a fish with “feet” popping out of its belly and weird ones of really, really old Asian sheepshead wrasses mirroring one another in the South China Sea. And even one I-wonder-how-in-the-world-they-got-that-shot moment as we watched a rocket blast into space, reflected in the eyes of a marine iquana.

If you go – be sure you hit the biggest screen you can find. And go opening week. Because if you do, Disneynature will make a donation to The Nature Conservancy in your honor to save the coral reefs.

Happy Belated Earth Day.