“The message of the movie is not only that kids are smarter than adults, but that…it’s great to see activism at an early age.”

In the new movie Jimmy Buffet is referring to, Hoot, children are indeed smarter than a pack of bumbling, clueless and, apparently, mentally-challenged adults who are continually outwitted by the film's underage protagonists. And that activism he mentions includes vandalism, destruction of private property and kidnapping.

Few children’s films are as nakedly indoctrinating as this one. Based on the book by Miami Herald columnist Carl Hiassen, Hoot features a group of comely kids who work together to stop an evil pancake corporation from opening a restaurant on land that houses a nest of burrowing owls. In order to accomplish this task, the junior highers spray paint police cars, trash corporate equipment, and in general engage in the kind of activity that would do Earth Liberation Front proud.

Setting aside for a moment the borderline eco-terrorism the film supports, its secondary message that police aren’t to be trusted, parents are to be ignored, and teachers are only cool if they overlook a little truancy is hardly one most moms and dads will support. The last few decades have witnessed an unfortunate trend in kids’ programming of portraying children as superior to their parents. Hollywood fosters this attitude in our younger generation by feeding them storylines like the one found in Hoot, then society wonders why not one of them have any respect for adults.

As for that anti-business, environmental primary message, here’s a selection of the wisdom the juvenile trio shares with each other:

“They’re [corporations] bulldozing all across this state, to put up resorts for goober tourists.”

“There is nothing to stop [developers] from bulldozing from one coast to another."

“They’re a big corporation, they don’t care about little birds.”

“We make so much noise, with our cars and our SUVs and our bulldozers, if we could just be quiet, then we could see [birds].”

“I know we want this land, but somebody else was here first.”

And, in perhaps the ultimate illustration of extreme environmental conceit, the three youngsters look at each other in sadness, shake their heads and whimper, “We’re the only ones who care.” Continued...