Earth Day 2020: What to Watch on Event’s 50th Anniversary
Meghan Markle’s Disney elephant feature and a new Michael Moore-produced documentary are worth checking out
Lawrence Yee | April 22, 2020 @ 6:30 AM
Last Updated: April 22, 2020 @ 11:09 AM
Photo credit: Disney
April 22, 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and as the global community comes together to fight the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the event serves as a reminder that we’re all living on this planet together.
From family-friendly features to critical conservationist documentaries, here’s a list of educational Earth Day programs to watch.
There’s also conservation-minded feature films including “Avatar,” “Bambi” and “Pocahontas” — something for everyone in the family.
Earth Day also coincides with National Parks Week, and National Geographic has its eight-part “America’s National Parks” series, which highlights sites like The Grand Canyon and Yellowstone — places we’d definitely want to visit instead of sheltering at home. National Geographic also has over a dozen documentaries, including the premiere of Jane Goodall’s “The Hope.”
Hulu
Hulu has its own Goodall documentary — 2017’s “Jane” — streaming. We also recommend “March of the Penguins 2: The Next Step” and “Zoo,” which takes a look behind-the-scenes look at the residents of the Bronx Zoo.
“H2O, The Molecule That Made Us”
The Earth is some 72% water, and this new documentary explores its most precious resource — water. “H2O, The Molecule That Made Us” is a special three-part broadcast and digital series premiering this Wednesday on PBS and airing for three consecutive Wednesdays. The series will also be available to stream on PBS here.
“Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth”
This captivating animated film, based on the No. 1 New York Times Bestseller and 2017’s No. 1 TIME Best Book of the Year, is airing on AppleTV+. It follows a precocious 7-year-old (Jacob Tremblay) who, over the course of Earth Day, learns about the wonders of the planet from his parents (Chris O’Dowd and Ruth Negga) — and from a mysterious exhibit at the aptly titled Museum of Everything. “Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth” is narrated by Meryl Streep. Check out a preview above.
“The Great Global Clean Up”
Actor Zac Efron and TikTok star Zach King will be joined by celebrities including Lil Dicky, Liza Koshy, and Cody Simpson to talk about the efforts being made to clean up our planet. The Discovery special will travel to different locations around the world, including a beach cleanup in Efron’s hometown in California. Efron will also interview Denis Hayes, who founded Earth Day in 1970.
Discovery will also be airing encores of “Racing Extinction” and its gorgeous nature series “Serengeti.” Check out the network’s full slate of Earth Day programming here.
“Last Call for the Bayou”
Each year 25-square miles of Lousiana’s wetlands are lost forever, displacing its marine life, damaging local oil and gas industries and threatening the citizens of New Orleans. “Last Call for the Bayou” follows the lives of those experiencing these catastrophic changes first-hand to discover the difficulties of life on the bayou and capture a way of life on the brink of collapse. You can stream on Smithsonian Channel here.
“Planet of the Humans”
This Michael Moore-produced documentary, which you can watch in its entirety above, takes a critical look at the current state of the green energy movement. You can read our review here.
Earth Day Live
Beginning Wednesday, a generation of young people will come together online for Earth Day Live, a three-day live stream mobilizing millions around climate action. The livestream will raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts.
10 Movies With Social Distancing to Watch While You're in Isolation, From 'Home Alone' to 'The Martian' (Photos)
Welcome to self isolation. As a lot of Americans find themselves stuck inside (for who knows how many days) attempting to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, you might find yourself going a little stir crazy. Running out of things to stream on Netflix? Trying to avoid eating all the quarantine snacks? Here's a list of 10 movies to keep you busy while tapping into that feeling of isolation.
20th Century Fox
"Home Alone" (1990) This John Hughes classic follows 8-year-old Kevin McCallister abandoned at home as his family forgets him on their way to a Christmas vacation. Macaulay Culkin broke into stardom as Kevin, warding off home invaders. "Home Alone" was nominated for two Oscars and grossed $477.1 million worldwide.
Watch the trailer here. Check here for streaming options.
20th Century Fox
"Cast Away" (2000) Tom Hanks plays a FedEx executive stranded on an island in the Pacific after a violent storm crashes his plane. He spends four years alone on an island with only a volleyball named Wilson as company. "Cast Away" garnered two Oscar nominations and grossed $429.6 million worldwide at the box office.
Watch the trailer here. Check here for streaming options.
"I Am Legend" (2007) This Will Smith thriller based on the 1954 Richard Matheson novel of the same name is set years after a virus kills most of humanity and transforms the rest into monsters. Robert Neville (Smith), apparently the sole survivor in New York City, valiantly searches for a cure. "I Am Legend" grossed $585.4 million at the box office worldwide.
Watch the trailer here. Check here for streaming options.
"Into the Wild" (2007) Written and directed by Sean Penn, this film follows recent college graduate Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) as he gives up his possessions life savings to hitchhike and live in the Alaska wilderness. "Into the Wild" was based on Jon Krakauer's 1996 non-fiction book by the same name, which was an expansion of a 9,000-word article by Krakauer on McCandless titled "Death of an Innocent." The film was nominated for two Academy Awards and grossed $56.7 million at the box office.
Watch the trailer here. Check here for streaming options.
Paramount Vantage
"Disturbia" (2007) This modern take on Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window" follows high school student Kale Brecht, placed under house arrest for the summer. He keeps tabs on his neighbors to avoid getting bored, falls in love and suspects one of them to be a serial killer. "Disturbia" grossed $118.1 million worldwide at the box office.
Watch the trailer here. Check here for streaming options.
Paramount Pictures
"Moon" (2009) If you're starting to talk to yourself, check out Sam Rockwell in "Moon," one of many films about an astronaut alone in space on this list. The film offers a nice wrinkle as it follows a man who experiences a personal crisis as he nears the end of a three-year solitary stint mining helium-3 on the far side of the Moon. "Moon" grossed $9.8 million at the box office.
Watch the trailer here. Check here for streaming options.
Sony Pictures Classics
"127 Hours" (2010) James Franco stars in another film based on a true story. The film follows a mountain climber who finds himself trapped under a boulder for... 127 hours. He ultimately has to resort to desperate measures in order to survive. "127 Hours" was nominated for six Oscars, including best picture, and grossed $60.7 million worldwide.
Watch the trailer here. Check here for streaming options.
Fox Searchlight
"Gravity" (2013) This Alfonso Cuarón-directed space disaster film puts Sandra Bullock through the ringer as an astronaut struggling to get back to earth after space debris leaves her and her partner, played by George Clooney, stranded in space. "Gravity" won seven Oscars, including best director, and grossed $723.2 million at the global box office.
Watch the trailer here. Check here for streaming options.
"Wild" (2014) Based on Cheryl Strayed's memoir "Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail," the film stars Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl, determined to complete the one thousand one hundred mile solo hike as a way to recover from a personal tragedy. "Wild" was nominated for two Oscars, including best actress, and grossed $52.5 million at the box office.
Watch the trailer here. Check here for streaming options.
Photo by Anne Marie Fox Searchlight
"The Martian" (2015) After being stranded on Mars, with the rest of his crew assuming him dead, astronaut Mark Watney is forced to use his wits and knowledge as a botanist to survive alone on the planet for a year. "The Martian" was nominated for seven Oscars, including best picture, and grossed $630.2 million worldwide.
Watch the trailer here. Check here for streaming options.
20th Century Fox
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Confinement loves company
Welcome to self isolation. As a lot of Americans find themselves stuck inside (for who knows how many days) attempting to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, you might find yourself going a little stir crazy. Running out of things to stream on Netflix? Trying to avoid eating all the quarantine snacks? Here's a list of 10 movies to keep you busy while tapping into that feeling of isolation.