Do you think that something's going on with Phoebe?"
Phoebe Lichen (Elle Fanning) is aware the troubles her behavior causes on her family. Unfortunately, 'aware' is no match for the constant stream of compulsions the wreaks havoc on her mind. She is intelligent, but upsets her school with spitting, verbal outbursts, and loneliness. She's like that kid in class that you were irritated by but never considered there may be more to her actions then just trying to upset your life.
Her mother and father want to help her out but are distracted by their work. Her precocious little sister considers her a burden to 'look after.' The only time she winds down is when she is cast as the lead in her school's production of "Alice in Wonderland."
Her oddball teacher, who perhaps sees a bit of herself in the girl, is impressed by her dedication to her part, and realizes that theater is most likely a good outlet for her. Although Phoebe is by no means bad as Alice, it is possible that the part had less to do with talent as the telling, soap-rawed marks all over her palms.
Phoebe is befriended by Jamie, a mildly effeminate fellow student. She clearly wants to be a part of "Alice in Wonderland," but motivation is not enough to control her unintentional behavior problems. The suspicious principal is tempted to pull her from the play, and the other girls seem to have it out for her.
Elle Fanning, who is probably being nudged toward her older sister Dakota Fanning's success, is impressive as the main character. It is strange and fascinating how a seemingly normal young actress could consistently portray Phoebes premature sadness and hopelessness at her emotional disconnect from friends and family. There is a painful scene where she is in bed and her distracted mother discovers bruises all over her knees, caused by performing compulsions hopping up and down the stairs repeatedly.
Unfortunately, "Wonderland" is hindered by cliche' characters that that could have been put together more thoughtfully, for instance- high-strung principal, extremely smart kid sister, manipulative little bullies, and even the unorthodox teacher. Also the dream sequences featuring Wonderland characters, while visually beautiful, seem somewhat out of place, as if added to put extra interest into the narrative.
"Pheobe in Wonderland" is of interest to people concerned with depressed, misfit children, and may well be helpful in advancing the younger Fanning's career. Despite the eventual Tourette's diagnosis, it is really a ode to kids whose differences set them apart, making them wish they had a 'wonderland' to slip into when things got out of hand (Rated PG-13.)
Recommendation- For a similar film about a troubled kid who finds an outlet through theater, watch The Tic Code
Phoebe Lichen (Elle Fanning) is aware the troubles her behavior causes on her family. Unfortunately, 'aware' is no match for the constant stream of compulsions the wreaks havoc on her mind. She is intelligent, but upsets her school with spitting, verbal outbursts, and loneliness. She's like that kid in class that you were irritated by but never considered there may be more to her actions then just trying to upset your life.
Her mother and father want to help her out but are distracted by their work. Her precocious little sister considers her a burden to 'look after.' The only time she winds down is when she is cast as the lead in her school's production of "Alice in Wonderland."
Her oddball teacher, who perhaps sees a bit of herself in the girl, is impressed by her dedication to her part, and realizes that theater is most likely a good outlet for her. Although Phoebe is by no means bad as Alice, it is possible that the part had less to do with talent as the telling, soap-rawed marks all over her palms.
Phoebe is befriended by Jamie, a mildly effeminate fellow student. She clearly wants to be a part of "Alice in Wonderland," but motivation is not enough to control her unintentional behavior problems. The suspicious principal is tempted to pull her from the play, and the other girls seem to have it out for her.
Elle Fanning, who is probably being nudged toward her older sister Dakota Fanning's success, is impressive as the main character. It is strange and fascinating how a seemingly normal young actress could consistently portray Phoebes premature sadness and hopelessness at her emotional disconnect from friends and family. There is a painful scene where she is in bed and her distracted mother discovers bruises all over her knees, caused by performing compulsions hopping up and down the stairs repeatedly.
Unfortunately, "Wonderland" is hindered by cliche' characters that that could have been put together more thoughtfully, for instance- high-strung principal, extremely smart kid sister, manipulative little bullies, and even the unorthodox teacher. Also the dream sequences featuring Wonderland characters, while visually beautiful, seem somewhat out of place, as if added to put extra interest into the narrative.
"Pheobe in Wonderland" is of interest to people concerned with depressed, misfit children, and may well be helpful in advancing the younger Fanning's career. Despite the eventual Tourette's diagnosis, it is really a ode to kids whose differences set them apart, making them wish they had a 'wonderland' to slip into when things got out of hand (Rated PG-13.)
Recommendation- For a similar film about a troubled kid who finds an outlet through theater, watch The Tic Code
No comments:
Post a Comment