Ava
DuVernay (Selma) directs from an
adaptation (Jennifer Lee and Jeff Stockwell) of Madeleine L’Engle’s beloved
children’s classic, A Wrinkle in Time. It is entertaining at times with likable
performances, but the result is a mixed bag.
The
Murrys are a bright, loving family, but when scientist father Mr. Murry (Chris
Pine) disappears, it creates an unsolved mystery and a hole in the lives of the
children, Meg (Storm Reid quite good) and younger, brilliant Charles Wallace
(Deric McCabe). Three magical witches, Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling), Mrs. Whatsit (Reese
Witherspoon), and Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey) appear and help the kids (and
friend Calvin) find their missing dad by guiding them via The Tesseract to
another world and dimension ruled by a menacing evil called ‘It’. But who can they trust, and how can they
rescue Mr. Murry? Meanwhile, the evil of ‘It’ spreads across the universe.
While
the film does a decent job of creating a colorful world with bizarre
characters, the depiction of ‘It’ is disappointing (differing from the novel). I wish
the filmmakers had trusted in their characters more (as in portraying Meg as an
outcast and heroine on a journey of self-discovery) and developed its theme of
the power of love. At times, the film
feels disjointed and awkward; some scenes are poorly shot and edited.
The
ingredients are here for a good film with its talented cast, but the problem with
this film is that it does not execute consistently. It is possible audiences who have not read
the novel may like the film version. It’s
one-half of a good film, but in the end,
the book is better.
**1/2 of
**** stars (subtract ½* for fans of the book)
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