Interview with Abigail Breslin and Director Gore Verbenski
By Bridget Went and Danielle Slatkin, Marin Academy
“You’re a stranger;" a young mouse creature declared, "strangers don’t last long here." Welcome to the Mojave Desert, where drought has shaped the lives of the creatures within it, where it is impossible to survive without having adapted to the harsh environment. In this mystic wasteland a young lizard (voiced by Johnny Depp) suddenly finds himself lost and confused, far away from his home. With the help of a mysterious young woman named Beans (voiced by Isla Fisher) he finds himself in the only town within 100 miles: Dirt. Filled with transcendental creatures, including a frog, a mouse, and an anteater, who all seem to possess human-like qualities, the people of Dirt cause the lizard to feel bemused, misplaced, and utterly flummoxed. Yet as the young lizard gains some confidence, labels himself as "Rango" and shows off his authority, he gains the respect of the Dirt community and is soon made chief sheriff. He has the opportunity to reinvent himself by convincing new creatures that he is a hero. Through his journey in fighting off an enormous snake and a mayor with a pleasant façade, leading the town to recover from the water shortage, and discovering his own identity, Rango unearths the true significance of what it means to belong in a community. As the spirit of the west tells Rango, "no man can walk out on his own story."