Movies to Get You in the Earth Day Mood

There are many ways to get into the Earth Day mood — plant a tree, recycle your old computer — but you could also unplug every electronic in your home except the TV and watch a movie about the environment.

In light of the approaching Earth Day celebration, Upper St. Clair Patch has compiled a list of the top five movies in which the environment plays a role.

See if you agree with our selection. We're probably missing a few good ones, so feel free to add your own in the comment box below.

1. March of the Penguins
The documentary follows the arctic penguins as they brave the harsh conditions that Mother Nature forces upon them — which some feel have been aggravated by global warming — as they travel from their breeding grounds to their feeding grounds.

2. Free Willy
While doing time at a marina for vandalism, a boy, Jessie, befriends an orca whale, Willy, and discovers the marina owner's plan to “dispose” of the orca for poor performance in front of an audience. When Willy jumps over Jessie with his hand in the air, it will make you want to create your own nature-saving memories.

3. Erin Brockovich
It's a true rags-to-riches story of an unemployed, single mother who lands a job with a law firm and discovers a company is illegally dumping toxic waste and contaminating nearby residents. Erin Brockovich teaches you that not having fancy clothes doesn't mean you can't make a difference in the world.

4. Wall-E
After mankind uses up all of the Earth’s resources and moves to space, it is up to Wall-E, a garbage-collecting robot, to convince the human race to return and re-cultivate. It'll make you want to keep the Earth clean for the adorable, little creature.

5. Bio-Dome
The comedy revolves around two clumsy slackers who get trapped inside a closed ecological system with five scientists. The film may not inspire you to jump up and save the environment, but its dry humor may make you laugh out loud.