Have you seen the movie Rango? It's an animated film from 2011 featuring Johnny Depp, so, of course, it's hilarious, somewhat odd, and definitely memorable. I watched it on Netflix, and was delighted to find that entire premise of the movie is based on water issues. The lack of water defines the town; water becomes both it's currency and it's religion. As the Mayor says,
"Water, Mr Rango. Water. Without it, there’s nothing but dust and decay. But with water, there’s life. Look at them. So desperate to live, that they’ll follow it anywhere. That’s the immutable law in the desert. You control the water and you control everything."
One of my favorite parts is the ritualistic "Wednesday Water", where Rango really finds out how desperate the town is for water. Check it out:
The end really brings the water issues home, when (spoiler alert!) Rango is the hero of the town when he figures out that the Mayor has been controlling the water supply by manipulating a emergency water shut-off valve in a water pipeline to Las Vegas, opens the valve, and water is returned to the town.
It's a great water movie. It calls attention to the precarious nature of water resources in areas where attention is needed most. I was reminded of the Planet Earth maps that we blogged about last August, and in particular these maps about the Las Vegas area.
So if you're looking for an entertaining movie that happens to center around water issues, Rango should do it for you. What are some other great "water" movies? I was trying to think of more, but all I can think of is Erin Brockovich.
