A Wrinkle In Time (1962)

(Written by Madeleine L'Engle. First book in the Time Quintet.) Meg Murry is not like other girls. In fact, she's not like other people, period. In the first place, her scientist father disappeared several years ago while working for the government. Second, her teachers - and the whole village - think she's an idiot. Well, moron, actually. Her little brother Charles Wallace is supposed to be the idiot. Meg is really a very intelligent girl, but she's a bit of a late bloomer. Charles Wallace is almost unbelievably intelligent, but he developed the reputation of an idiot as a baby, and reputations are hard to shake. Into this little nest of idiots and morons comes three strange old ladies. Their names are Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, and they are not exactly human. Also, they have the ability to use the fifth dimension to travel around the universe fighting evil. And they know where Meg and Charles Wallace's father is.

One of my pet peeves is that there are too few really acceptable children's books written nowadays. Kids graduate to teen books long before they are really ready. But that just means that they graduate from innuendo to more explicit sexual content. Looking back on some books I read when I was about eleven, I'm very glad that I was... shall I say not exactly up to speed on innuendo and other semi-sexual content? At the time, I knew somehow that there was something wrong, but I couldn't put my finger on what. About the only safe harbors were Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, and Redwall.

A Wrinkle in Time, however, is completely appropriate for children - and challenging as well. Its story is easy enough to follow, but there are parts where kids need to stretch their imaginations. The universe can be stretched in and out of shape by anyone, given the proper training and experience, and there are fanstastic things like centaurs - with wings! - and brains separated from bodies. Mind control makes an appearance as well. But this sort of imaginational stretch should be pretty easy for anyone weaned on Disney movies or the Narnia books.

Finally, L'Engle makes it a point that kids don't all grow up and/or learn at the same rates. Everyone has their own schedule, she seems to say. Just because some kid is "behind," don't assume that kid is a moron. Even those who might very well have some sort of learning disability also have a special talent. This is a great message that kids need to hear: God has a plan in mind for you, and you're not going to be left behind.

My Rating: Borderline AGC/OK (frightening ideas (e.g. the brain), slight parent/child conflict)

On Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

(Written by Lewis Carroll.) A curious little girl sees a white rabbit with a waistcoat and watch hurry by her and promptly decides to follow him. She tumbles down an amazing rabbit hole with bookshelves and all sorts of things lining the sides, taking absolute ages to get the bottom. Then, well, you know the rest...

Considering that this book or its sequel are mentioned in dozens of movies and books from The Matrix to Regina Doman's Black as Night, I was rather surprised at its simplicity. Though many people have read all sorts of double meanings and dark underlying themes into this book, I found it to be a children's story at heart.

The biggest connection I made was one that Lewis Carroll may or may not have intended: Alice's conversations with the different animals and other creatures in Wonderland are remarkably similar to conversations in academia. No one will give a straight answer, and many people tend to change the courses of conversations so that they don't actually lose even when they're in the wrong. What started out as a debate about one thing can very often (I might even say almost always) morph into a debate about something else - a distraction. When the losing person realizes that he or she is even losing the distracting argument, the subject is changed once again. That can be every bit as frustrating as Alice's attempts to have intelligent conversations with the creatures in Wonderland.

I realize that people have written miles and miles of words about this book and its sequel (complete with distracting arguments), but I don't really see that it contains a meaning much deeper than any other coming of age story. However, like many other surreal or fantastic (as in fantasy) classic books, people have felt the need to dissect it over and over again. I say they should just curl up with a copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in one hand and a cup of hot chocolate in the other and leave their dissecting tools in the cupboard for a little while. Alice needs no deeper meanings to be enjoyed.

My Rating: AGC

Regarding How to Train Your Dragon

Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) is not your typical Viking. He's not tall, and his arms and legs are like toothpicks. He doesn't mind so very much - except that he and his father have nothing in common and rarely talk about anything. Desperately wanting to heal this divide, Hiccup wants to kill one of the dragons that attack the village at regular intervals. But not just any dragon. He wants to kill the Night Fury dragon that no one has ever seen. When he finally lands a hit on the one that has been terrorizing the village, it crashes a distance away. No one else believes he actually hit it. Hiccup goes out to find his dragon and, if need be, finish it off. But he soon discovers a surprising truth that never occurred to him or any of the other Vikings - that dragons might not be so evil after all.

The biggest thing that jumped out at me about this movie is that it's so clean for a Dreamworks production. Based on the animated Dreamworks movies I've seen (Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, and Over the Hedge) and especially on those I haven't seen (the Shrek trilogy), Dreamworks doesn't really make movies that are tiny-kid friendly. I would never let a five year-old son of mine watch Madagascar. However, How to Train Your Dragon has just one crude part, and on a scale of one to ten, it's not all that crude.

Besides being cleaner than a lot of animated movies I've seen, I also enjoyed how the dragons were portrayed more like dogs than people. Don't get me wrong; I love the mice in Cinderella. But it can get a little tiresome to have animals and people speak to each other - particularly in a world where people are pushing "animal rights." But the dragons are very definitely not able to speak. In fact, Toothless reminds me a lot of a couple different dogs I know.

This dogginess of Toothless helps make the relationship between him and Hiccup pretty real. Toothless's (sometimes) misguided attempts at trying to please Hiccup are so sweet, and Hiccup really throws himself into training and caring for his dragon. They're just a boy and his (really, really cool) pet.

Which brings me to the other relationships in the movie. Hiccup's relationship with his dad Stoick (Gerard Butler) is definitely strained. This can get a little tiresome when it's in too many movies, but it didn't come across as a lecture to parents; just a reason why Hiccup had to do what he had to do on his own. The relationship I really liked was the one between Astrid (America Ferrara) and Hiccup. America is a tough, no-nonsense girl - but Hiccup ends up being superior in the fighting skills department. Finding a balance between "tough girl" and "girl power" is a delicate business, and not too many animated movies have been able to pull it off.

My Rating: AGC

Picture from impawards.com

On Fairest

(Written by Gail Carson Levine.) Aza is ugly. No, seriously. Dull black hair, sickly pale skin, big bones, garish red lips, and puffy cheeks all combine to make her quite an ugly young lady. But Aza can sing like a lark - and throw her voice to any spot within a reasonable distance, a talent she calls illusing. Unfortunately, her special talent gets her into trouble when the queen finds out about it. Aza is coerced into projecting her singing voice onto the queen's lips during public events - and finds herself increasingly out of her depth, particularly where Prince Ijori is concerned.

Pros: This is a fun adaptation of Snow White. It's set in the same world as one of Levine's other books, Ella Enchanted. The irrepressible, irresponsible fairy Lucinda is back, although she's not in it very much. I really like Prince Ijori, who's a really nice guy, but pretty normal.

Cons: The constant singing is a bit much. (Although I don't really mind their idea that singing can help a sick person heal, because singing is a way of praying.) *Spoiler Warning* Apparently people who spend time in the magic mirror end up in a different place than normal people when they move on to the "afterlife" (so to speak). Which, of course, is utterly ridiculous. But that's only one line in the book.

My Rating: AGC

Picture from gailcarsonlevine.com

Concerning Persuasion

Anne Elliot (Amanda Root) was persuaded to reject Captain Wentworth's (Ciaran Hinds) offer of marriage when she was merely nineteen. He had no money and no connections, and it was deemed wise for young Anne to wait for someone who would be more worthy of her. Eight years later, Captain Wentworth suddenly reappears in Anne's life. They are both still single, but Captain Wentworth appears to have quite gotten over his love for her. Anne suffers in silence as she watches him shower his attentions on a distant relative of hers. But then she meets a new man. Mr. Elliot (Samuel West), her estranged cousin, enters her life and is immediately attracted to her quiet prettiness and gentle heart. Anne quietly accepts his attentions, but somehow she can't quite cut the ties that bind her heart to the navy man she once rejected.

Pros: It's a wonderful love story. It's also funny, with many, many lines straight out of the book. Amanda Root is my ideal Anne Elliot. Samuel West is absolutely perfect as Mr. Elliot. They could have picked a handsomer Captain Wentworth than Ciaran Hinds, but otherwise he's great.

Cons: Lady Russell (Susan Fleetwood) and Mrs. Clay (Felicity Dean) are both horrible. Lady Russell looks like she has short hair (short hair! In a Regency period story!) and Mrs. Clay is not nearly pretty enough.

My Rating: AGC

In Relation To The Lion King

Simba (Jonathan Taylor Thomas/Matthew Broderick) is a spoilt little lion cub whose daddy happens to be king of the African plain. When Simba's uncle Scar (Jeremy Irons) tries to kill Simba so he can be next in line to the throne, his plans go awry. He decides to go a step further and kill both Simba and his father. Simba escapes, but, unable to face his mother, he runs away. It will be years before he finds the strength to return and free his kingdom from Scar's tyranny.

Pros: I absolutely love the music in this movie! The singing songs are good (written by Elton John), but the score is incredible. I'm not a big fan of Hans Zimmer, the composer, in general, because I think his music pretty much all sounds the same (John Williams's music is the same way), but I believe this might be his best work. The animation is pretty good, too. The faces were surprisingly expressive. And there's something about the king's death and the next-to-last scene that is so powerful. Don't ask me why; I don't know! Rafiki the baboon (Robert Guillaume) is awesome!

Cons: There's more "guy humor" than I like in this movie, but then, I'm not a guy.

Note: For those of you who haven't seen the trailer for the Broadway play, here it is, courtesy of a blog called A Rose in Bloom.

My Rating: AGC (but I know kids who are terrified by the hyenas)

Concerning The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Dobbs (Humphrey Bogart) is dirt poor and stuck in a dusty little town in Mexico. If only he had enough money to buy transport to America, he would be happy. Then he and his pal, Curtin (Tim Holt), meet an old-timer named Howard (Walter Huston) who has had experience with gold mining. When Dobbs and Curtin get their hands on some money, they decide to go in with the old man and dabble in gold. After all, they're too tough to be driven wild by gold like other men - or are they?

Pros: I must admit, I didn't see the ending coming. I also have to admit that Humphrey Bogart did a fine piece of acting. I didn't like him in Casablanca, but he's great as a seedy tramp. The old guy is great, from his acting to his character.

Cons: Too long. Not enough action. There are some random parts in the story (which are later revealed as not so random, but that doesn't make them any less annoying when they first happen).

My Rating: AGC

Picture from impawards.com

Regarding The Love Letter

Scott Corrigan (Campbell Scott) is going to be married to a wonderful young lady named Debra (Daphne Ashbrook). When Deb's eye is attracted to a beautiful wedding dress in the window of an antique store, the couple ventures in to take a look around. Scott discovers an old Civil War-era desk, which he promptly buys. When he brings it home, he discovers a letter hidden in a secret compartment of the desk - and begins to communicate with a woman who has been dead for a hundred years.

Pros: Um... *Scratches head* I liked Scott's mother, Beatrice (Estelle Parsons). I also liked Deb.

Cons: Where to begin? First, the acting was terrible and the writing was worse. Elizabeth, the woman who falls in love with Scott through his letters, was so modern it was literally painful. (Painful because I was laughing so hard my side hurt.) **Spoiler Warning** Plus, what was up with the "I'm in the past and the future, only I'm different people"? Huh? That smacks of reincarnation to me.

My Rating: AGC

In Relation To Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin

Life is perfect in the Hundred Acre Wood. Pooh is with his best friend, Christopher Robin, and the pair of buddies spend the entire day playing. But when morning comes, Pooh finds Christopher Robin is gone - and the only clue to his whereabouts is in a very honey-smeared note on a honeypot that Pooh found outside his door. Pooh and his friends are horrified when Owl deciphers the contents of the note and discovers that Christopher Robin has gone to a terrible place called "Skull." Pooh instantly sets out on an adventure to find and rescue his friend.

Pros: I'm a sucker for Pooh Bear. He's so adorable, and Tigger is so funny. I like the rest of the characters, too, even down to Eeyore. And Rabbit, whom I couldn't stand when I was younger. There are some great songs in this movie, including Owl's spine-chilling song about adventure, and Rabbit's know-it-all song about maps.

Cons: When I was little I had the hardest time figuring out the main point of this movie. Even though Christopher Robin isn't always with Pooh, they're still together? Huh? I thought that only applied to God and sweethearts! But I think I've figured it out. If Pooh has a great friend like Christopher Robin, even though they're not always together, Pooh is never alone. He always has Christopher Robin to back him, even though they're apart.

My Rating: AGC

On The Story of Robin Hood

Richard the Lionheart (Patrick Barr) rides off to war in the Holy Land, taking most of the best men in England along with him - including the Sherrif of Nottingham. The new sherrif (Peter Finch) immediately raises taxes and bolsters the number of foresters at his command. When his father is killed for speaking out against the sherrif's policies, Robin Hood (Richard Todd) is branded an outlaw and takes to Sherwood Forest to rob the rich to feed the poor.

Pros: I really like the minstrel's character, and Robin isn't bad, either. There are a few things about this movie that are different from other Robin Hood stories I've seen. 1) Robin starts out as a peasant. Usually he's already the Earl of Locksley or something like that. 2) Prince John never tries to usurp the throne from his brother - a welcome change!

Cons: I like the idea of this movie; I really do. However, the decent story, writing, and (occasionally) acting somehow get swallowed up in the bad costumes and sets, as well as the painful slapstick humor.

My Rating: AGC

Regarding The Rescuers

Little Penny (Michelle Stacy) is in terrible trouble. Held captive on a riverboat by an evil woman, Penny tosses messages in bottles into the water, hoping against hope that one of her bottles will end up in the right hands. Or paws. As it turns out, the Rescue Aid Society, a group of mice from all over the world, finds one of her messages and sends two of its members out to save her. Or one of its members and its janitor. Miss Bianca (Eva Gabor), the agent who is chosen for the mission, chooses Bernard (Bob Newhart), the superstitious and timid janitor, as her companion. Together they have to find Penny and rescue her before it's too late.

Pros: I think this movie is so funny! Miss Bianca is so sweet, and Bernard is hilarious - though my favorite characters are Orville (Jim Jordan) and Evinrude (James MacDonald). Oh, and Penny is an adorable little girl!

Cons: I think Bernard's superstitions are funny, but I'm not sure they're entirely appropriate for a kids' movie.

My Rating: AGC

Picture from impawards.com

Regarding Storyteller

Storyteller, written by Edward Myers, is about a young man named Jack who lives in Yorrow, a village in the kingdom of Sundar. Jack loves to tell stories. One day he decides to go off and seek his fortune. On his way to the royal city, he comes upon a crow-like bird named Loquasto. Loquasto not only speaks, he has fallen in love with a beautiful fish princess named Artemisia. Together, the Jack and Loquasto go to the royal city - and soon find themselves knee-deep in trouble.

Pros: Some of the names in this book seem to have deeper meanings. For instance, "Loquasto" is rather similar to "Eloquent," and the bird can talk. "Stelinda," the shining princess of Sundar, is similar to "Stella," which means star. "Yorrow" is like "Sorrow." I liked the final message of the book - each person is who he is and what he does.

Cons: Okay, I'm darn sure there's a deeper meaning to this book, but I haven't quite put my finger on what it is. It's criticizing a controlling few who won't allow people to tell live their own lives. Whether Myers means communism (which I would completely agree with) or the Catholic Church (which would be entirely misguided), I'm not quite sure. I'm leaning toward communism. Another problem I had with the book was it ripped me out of the story at various intervals to return to the old man telling his grandson a story. Very annoying. Also, I don't quite get the bird and the fish falling in love. Any hint at "love" that isn't quite... normal reminds me of gay marriage. But then, a fish and a bird are very different creatures, as opposed to homosexuals, who have essentially matching bodies.

My Rating: AGC

Picture from library.fayschool.org

Pertaining To Swiss Family Robinson

The Robinson family is on its way to New Guinea to start a new life. Then a storm hits their ship and runs it straight into a reef. When the storm subsides, the family discovers that the captain, crew, and other passengers have all abandoned the ship and left the Robinsons to fend for themselves. Determined to make the best of things, they escape from the ship to a nearby island. After settling on the island, the two older boys, Fritz (James MacArthur) and Ernst (Tommy Kirk), go to explore - and discover a band of pirates.

Pros: I grew up watching this movie, which ranked third on my all-time favorites list until I was nine. I love Fritz, Ernst is funny, and the whole treehouse thing is really, really cool. Now that I'm older, I like the parents and Roberta (Janet Munro) much more.

Cons: It is an old movie, so the pirates are somewhat dramatized, as well as the fight with the snake.

My Rating: AGC

Note: I have a question. Why isn't Ernst on the cover?

Picture from coverbrowser.com

Regarding You Can't Take It with You

Anthony P. Kirby (Edward Arnold) wants to build a monopoly in weapons production. Only thing is, he needs to buy twelve blocks of land that a fellow businessman was going to use for a factory in order to force a merge with said businessman. It's easy enough to buy eleven of the blocks he needs, but one stubborn old man named Martin Vanderhof (Lionel Barrymore) won't leave the house on his block. Vanderhof's family and one or two of his friends live with him, and all of them are a little strange. Except Alice (Jean Arthur), his granddaughter, who is also A.P. Kirby's son Tony's (James Stewart) fiancee. Needless to say, things become a little crazy before everything is straightened out.

Pros: I really like Jimmy Stewart. It's pretty funny. The people who live in the Vanderhof house are hilarious, from Alice's mother Penny (Spring Byington), who thinks she's a playwright, to the cook's fiance Donald (Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson), who's an off-beat sort of guy. The message of the movie is great - do what you love or you'll never really be happy.

Cons: Alice's sister Essie (Ann Miller) is really annoying.

My Rating: AGC

Pertaining To The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

In C.S. Lewis' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (the third book in The Chronicles of Narnia), Edmund and Lucy Pevensie are sent to spend the summer with their aunt and uncle - and their horrid cousin Eustace Scrubb. But there's a magical picture on the wall in Lucy's room that sends the Pevensies and Eustace to the magical land of Narnia. Or, more accurately, sends them into a Narnian sea beside the Dawn Treader, a Narnian boat captained by the Pevensies' old friend King Caspian. Caspian has taken a vow to find out what happened to the seven lost lords of Narnia, friends of his father who sailed from Narnia when they were banished by Caspian's uncle, King Miraz, many years ago.

Pros: Lucy is one of my favorite recurring literary characters ever. Her simple trust in Aslan is beautiful. This book is quite exciting, although a very easy read. The imaginary places, creatures, and events are fantastic (if you'll pardon the pun.) The main theme of the book seems to be redemption, one of my favorite things.

Cons: It's a slightly too easy read.

My Rating: AGC

Picture from harpercollins.com

On Toy Story 3

Andy is growing up. He's leaving for college in a few short days and his mom makes him decide what to do with his old toys. Woody (Tom Hanks) will go with him to college and the other toys will go in the attic. However, a mixup happens and Woody and the gang end up at a daycare called Sunnyside, where happy little children come to play. That is, happy little children play in the Butterfly Room. The kids who populate the Caterpiller Room are another story. The toys must somehow find their way out of the daycare and back to Andy in one night - a task that requires all their courage and resourcefulness.

Pros: Somehow Pixar has been able to make each Toy Story movie better than the last when most studios can't even make a single decent sequel. This movie is both hilarious and touching, even for adults. The animation is stunning (notice the kids' hair and the cardboard boxes).

Cons: The only con was the short film Night & Day. It was boring and politically correct.

My Rating: AGC

In Relation to Wives and Daughters

Based on the book by Elizabeth Gaskell, Wives and Daughters is about young Molly Gibson (Justine Waddell). Molly is sent by her widowed father Dr. Gibson (Bill Paterson) to spend a few weeks at Hamley Hall. Dr. Gibson promptly gets engaged to an elegant but self-absorbed governess named Hyacinth (Francesca Annis), who has a daughter about Molly's age. The new additions to the Gibson household alternately wreak havoc and blessings on everyone around them.

Pros: I love Molly Gibson! She's very sweet, but has a bit of a temper. Dr. Gibson is one of my favorite characters of all time. It's nice to watch a movie with a strong father character! Roger Hamley (Anthony Howell), though clueless like most men in nineteenth century novels, is very kind. Lady Harriet Cumnor (Rosamund Pike) is a great character - but she isn't in the movie nearly enough!

Cons: The music can be distracting at times. Osborne Hamley (Tom Hollander) could have been taller and handsomer. Hyacinth gets almost painfully superficial.

My Rating: AGC

Picture from coverbrowser.com