The film is powerful to me, something with a very human message important for everyone. A Wrinkle in Time is about hope, bullying, the boundaries of science, choosing career over family, and those who do not fit in, but are incredible in their own ways. Madeline L’Engle’s novel is my favorite book from childhood to today, I finally got to re-reading it, in anticipation of the movie. The book is an ambitious story that has a young female protagonist dealing with the loss of her father, and then brought to a strange world by three, otherworldly mentors across worlds strange and oddly familiar. I’ve read critics giving nods to the film’s diverse cast and I would note the accomplishment of putting a $100 million film into the hands of a black, female director. A Wrinkle in Time is directed by Ava Duvernay, her film after the incredible Martin Luther King, Jr. drama Selma (2014). A former publicist turned documentary filmmaker with 13th (2016) and dramatic series like Queen Sugar (2016). This is a new direction for her after turning down Black Panther.
There was an earlier tv movie in 2003, but it followed the book so closely, it lost the wonder of L’Engle. The new film is adapted by Jennifer Lee who of course worked on Frozen (2013) and Zootopia (2016) so this is her first foray into live action fantasy. Storm Reid stars as Meg Murray, our heroine, she has worked on television series and some small films, but this is her first lead. Meg is a young, full of potential, and awkward, Reid is brilliant in her portrayal. The Disney logo is Tessered and there is an opening shot tracking through clouds until it finds the glowing disc of the sun. The cinematography is by Tobias A. Schliessler who worked on last year’s Beauty and the Beast.
We get a flashback to Mr. Alex Murray played by Chris Pine, who was brilliant in Wonder Woman (2017). He supports his daughter Meg with science experiments. His wife, Mrs. Kate Murray, enters played by Gugu Mgatha-Raw, who is in The Cloverfield Paradox (2018) on Netflix and played Plumette in Beauty and the Beast (2017). They are about to announce that Meg has a new adopted brother. Meg is shown a folded paper fortune teller to show a heart that is folded. It shifts to the current time where Meg wakes up in the book’s opening with a dark and stormy night. She looks at the fortune teller paper that she has kept.
We get a flashback to Mr. Alex Murray played by Chris Pine, who was brilliant in Wonder Woman (2017). He supports his daughter Meg with science experiments. His wife, Mrs. Kate Murray, enters played by Gugu Mgatha-Raw, who is in The Cloverfield Paradox (2018) on Netflix and played Plumette in Beauty and the Beast (2017). They are about to announce that Meg has a new adopted brother. Meg is shown a folded paper fortune teller to show a heart that is folded. It shifts to the current time where Meg wakes up in the book’s opening with a dark and stormy night. She looks at the fortune teller paper that she has kept.
Meg heads downstairs to see her adopted brother, Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe), in the book he is a natural brother, but I think the film is interesting in having an Asian member of the family who is adopted. It does not feel like forced diversity, but opening how we see ourselves. Charles Wallace in the book was a central figure for me. He is a genius of unimaginable proportions even though young, bullied, he is defended and protected by Meg, and is familiar with all of the strange, super science in the story. The bullying is shifted to Meg, but I thought it was important to see it also with Charles Wallace, because no one can understand his intelligence.
They hear on the news about the disappearance of their father four years ago. At school, we see Meg given a note on her locker and given looks by Veronica Kiley (Rowan Blanchard). In the book, she gets in a fight with a boy, but I like the dynamic here and also the novel takes place at the Wallace home and doesn't get to the school. Charles Wallace is sketching in a book when he overhears teachers gossiping about his father. He is upset and chastises them going to the fence to defend Meg. She is bullied by Veronica who goes too far and gets a basketball to the face! Meg is told she can’t use her father as an excuse by Principal Jenkins (Andre Holland). She walks out of the office.
They hear on the news about the disappearance of their father four years ago. At school, we see Meg given a note on her locker and given looks by Veronica Kiley (Rowan Blanchard). In the book, she gets in a fight with a boy, but I like the dynamic here and also the novel takes place at the Wallace home and doesn't get to the school. Charles Wallace is sketching in a book when he overhears teachers gossiping about his father. He is upset and chastises them going to the fence to defend Meg. She is bullied by Veronica who goes too far and gets a basketball to the face! Meg is told she can’t use her father as an excuse by Principal Jenkins (Andre Holland). She walks out of the office.
Her mother has her write a letter of apology to the principal and also Veronica. Meg resists the last part mentioning her father’s advice and of course upsets her mother. They hear a knock at the door and Charles Wallace opens it to invite in Mrs. Whatsit played by Reese Witherspoon. She is dressed in bed sheets turned into an incredible dress; the costumes by Paco Delgado are stunning. Mrs. Whatsit finds Meg suspicious and not ready, but Charles Wallace knows his sister is important. The Mrs. are literally stars, not explained, but in the book. She leaves them telling there is such a thing as a tesseract. This is not the cube from the MCU, the name was popularized by L’Engle.
Meg walks with Charles Wallace the next day and are suddenly joined by Calvin O’Keefe played by Levi Miller. He had the lead role in 2015’s Pan, but here is in a more complex part. Calvin is successful in academics and athletics and still has a flaw not of his making. Charles Wallace understands Calvin’s talent is diplomacy which will be needed in the coming battle. He enters an abandoned house with the others and finds stacks of books. Inside also is Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling) who speaks in quotations because some of the younger Mrs. have difficulty in human form. This characterization really opened me up to different thinkers. She holds Calvin and then Meg to tell them words they will use later in the battle. Charles Wallace notices that this has exhausted Mrs. Who and she has fallen asleep.
Meg walks with Charles Wallace the next day and are suddenly joined by Calvin O’Keefe played by Levi Miller. He had the lead role in 2015’s Pan, but here is in a more complex part. Calvin is successful in academics and athletics and still has a flaw not of his making. Charles Wallace understands Calvin’s talent is diplomacy which will be needed in the coming battle. He enters an abandoned house with the others and finds stacks of books. Inside also is Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling) who speaks in quotations because some of the younger Mrs. have difficulty in human form. This characterization really opened me up to different thinkers. She holds Calvin and then Meg to tell them words they will use later in the battle. Charles Wallace notices that this has exhausted Mrs. Who and she has fallen asleep.
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Deric McCabe, Charles Wallace, at the El Capitan theatre, March 8th, photo by the author. |
Over dinner, Mrs. Murray discusses their research, a flashback to a NASA presentation where Mr. Murray explains quantum entanglement and how a tesseract would open up the universe. Instead, he gets laughs from the crowd. Later, his wife calms him down, Mr. Murray is frustrated because he wanted to shake hands with the universe. The explanation of a tesseract by Meg in the trailer (which was also in the book) was dropped in favor of this flashback that brings in Mr. Murray again. In the backyard, Calvin is talking to Meg when she notices that Veronica is watching them from her window next door. Meg is embarrassed that they are seen together, but Calvin is unfazed. Then comes the arrival of the Mrs., first Mrs. Whatsit dropping from the fence, then the door opens with Mrs. Who.
Charles Wallace is excited knowing that their mission has begun. Next, is the final Mrs., Mrs. Which, played of course by Oprah Winfrey. Her character is stately and also building-high, a celestial figure. Mrs. Whatsit questions Meg’s commitment, but she agrees to the mission and they tesseract. This is the 2001: A Space Odyssey part with folds including the impression of Meg’s face. She had difficulty tessering and they have reached another planet, Uriel. Mrs. Whatsit makes the transformation into a plant-like flying creature bringing along the kids to see the oily blob of evil, the IT, worse than a clown. Pure evil that wants order and control, the scene in the trailer showing the planet Camazotz where kids bounce balls in a terrible synch. They get the help of the Happy Medium played by Zach Galifianakis, a yoga-like teacher who is more compassionate than funny. Meg gets closer to getting her confidence and faces the puppet controlled by the IT, the Man with Red Eyes played by Michael Pena, a sinister part.
Charles Wallace is excited knowing that their mission has begun. Next, is the final Mrs., Mrs. Which, played of course by Oprah Winfrey. Her character is stately and also building-high, a celestial figure. Mrs. Whatsit questions Meg’s commitment, but she agrees to the mission and they tesseract. This is the 2001: A Space Odyssey part with folds including the impression of Meg’s face. She had difficulty tessering and they have reached another planet, Uriel. Mrs. Whatsit makes the transformation into a plant-like flying creature bringing along the kids to see the oily blob of evil, the IT, worse than a clown. Pure evil that wants order and control, the scene in the trailer showing the planet Camazotz where kids bounce balls in a terrible synch. They get the help of the Happy Medium played by Zach Galifianakis, a yoga-like teacher who is more compassionate than funny. Meg gets closer to getting her confidence and faces the puppet controlled by the IT, the Man with Red Eyes played by Michael Pena, a sinister part.
Five Tesseracts out of Five!
#AWrinkleinTime, #AvaDuvernay, #StormReid, #DericMcCabe
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