Having worked in film off and on for a long time, I love a good movie”but I’m usually extremely disappointed by over-hyped product, and had put off seeing Avatar for that very reason. And, frankly, except for True Lies and the first Terminator movie, James Cameron has never been especially high on my list of creative talent (I actually fell asleep during Titanic). That said, I was pleasantly surprised”and rather moved”by his latest film, Avatar, and its strong underlying message of respect and honor for the natural world (despite the huge profits it stands to make).

I initially got talked into going because my husband loves animation and special effects, and because I adore the work of Sigourney Weaver. But as the story unfolded, I was struck not only by the beauty of the distant world the film portrays, but also by the apt depiction of modern society’s overwhelming greed and willingness to destroy things for a profit. Money and profit at the risk of anything and everything seems to be the motto of the Western world, sadly played out by the fact that corporations are given the same rights (and in many cases, more rights) as individuals. How that happened, and the fact that more than one Supreme Court ruling here in the US has guaranteed that gigantic corporations can make decisions that effect you, me, and our children in devastating ways, remains a matter of huge significance for us as a species. And, while some of us may be morally damaged beyond repair here on Planet Earth with regard to what’s important, what’s not, and how we treat the environment, at least we’re currently unable to damage other planets and their ecosystems.

I’ve always believed that if the moon really were made of cheese, the surface would be covered by now with huge corporate factories, all digging away at the direction of their CEOs, CFOs, and shareholders until there was simply no moon left at all. Perhaps the enormous number of children who have seen, or will see, Avatar will come away with their eyes opened, just a bit. It’s worth a hope, and a sincere thank you to the film’s creators. And yes, that includes you, Mr. Cameron.

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