Customer Reviews

Phoebe in Wonderland

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Wow. I put this on at 2 am thinking it was a kids movie that I could watch as I drifted to sleep. I was very wrong. Instead, it's a complex, deep, insightful masterpiece that made me cry two or three times.

Don't be fooled by the cover. This is not a movie for children. The story focuses on a free-willed family with writer/scholar parents, and very bright young daughters. The lightheartedness slowly gives way to a deep heartfelt story of a young girl developing OCD and Tourettes while just trying to keep her lead in the school play of Alice in Wonderland. Her drama teacher, played by Patricia Clarkson, is a quiet, Nanny McPhee-type who is able to connect to Phoebe a little bit better than everyone else. I almost got annoyed with that, since it is rather cliche, but it's really Phoebe's mom (the brilliant Felicity Huffman) who connects with Phoebe the most. You'll laugh one moment and cry the next as you take this journey with such an endearing and interesting family. Phoebe befriends a young boy named Jamie who has a lot more theater experience than she does, and wants nothing more than to play not the White Knight, nor the King of Hearts, but rather the Queen of Hearts. This decision leads the other children to call him "homo" and "faggot", which results in the usually wisely reserved Miss Dodger (Clarkson) showing the only anger she shows in the film when she confronts them and challenges their mimicry. Maybe I am mistaken...maybe some older children should be exposed to this film. Not only will they learn how to imagine, but they will also learn how to tolerate differences, and to love a person for who he or she is, despite wanting to go against gender roles and play the Queen of Hearts, or having to wash her hands a certain number of times.

If I am not mistaken, this is Elle Fannings first lead role, and man does she do an amazing job. She's already begun to surpass her sister when it comes to acting chops. I can't wait to see where she goes.

The hype of this film prior to me even getting it in the store was higher than I had anticipated and I am actually having to order twice as many now. After playing it for screening audiences, word of mouth is making the demand even greater.

The Amazon editorial delves plenty deep into all of the characteristics and relationships being played in this film and to what adequacy the acting appeared. I was thoroughly impressed with how everyone filled their roles to where both kids and adults would get something out of this. The visuals of fantasy and reality blurring together were done believably, and the resulting outlooks left with the viewer about adults in a kids world were moving and well written.

Pullman was useless in the film as a father, but he played it perfect, as did Huffman in another obscure mother character role. Fanning proves she has a bright future with how she convinced both kids and adults what she was feeling and seeing in both worlds. The quality of the picture was adequate, and would be a solid case for HD with all of the colors used. The 5.1 gets used more often than one would think for a dialogue and fantasy film, but they stopped short with no special features of any kind.

The two cover art DVDs are exactly the same except for the picture, no content or feature differences (both 100 minutes). For parents that are wondering about the rating, the PG13 does exist due to several gay themed words being used and a couple cuss words. Hope you enjoy.

This is an odd tale of a young girl who turns out to have several OCDs that cause her problems at home and especially at school. Elle Fanning does a fantastic job as Phoebe, who doesn't know why she does these things and wants to stop. Her sister is adorably outspoken, and the kids in the movie are more fun to watch than any of the adults.

Campbell Scott is oddly cast as the principal, while Patricia Clarkson gives her usual strong performance as a drama teacher who is eccentric yet caring. Felicity Huffman and Bill Paxton play some rather strange parents who seem to live a life of the mind as writers but also have a nice house and apparently a nice chunk of income too.

There are also some interesting visual effects that occur when Phoebe imagines herself interacting with the characters from Wonderland.

Worth watching for young Fanning's talent.

This movie is very hard to rate. First off, the trailer I saw completely misrepresented this movie, making it seem like it was a cheerful, light-hearted movie about a young girl who is offbeat, imaginative, and misunderstood. Going into the movie with this expectation threw me off because the movie is not this at all, but it takes a while to reveal what it really is about. Meanwhile, I kept wondering when the lighthearted part was going to start. It is not lighthearted. It is a very serious movie about ...


BEGIN SPOILER


... a young girl, Phoebe, who is developing Tourrette syndrome with some associated OCD behavior. (As an aside, the Tourrette syndrome behavior pictured in this movie is pretty accurate.) She knows something is wrong but she just can't help saying and doing the things she is doing that are causing so much disruption in everyone's lives. Her mother is in denial about the severity of the problem and also blames herself for Phoebe's behavior, thinking she just hasn't been a "good enough" mother.


It doesn't help that Phoebe's been attending a school that is more about rigidity and mindlessly following the rules than it is about preserving the natural creativity all children have before they enter public school. A new drama teacher, played brilliantly by Patricia Clarkson, brings some wisdom into Phoebe's life, but ultimately there is no real happy ending. (There are hints that the teacher has a mild form of Tourrettes herself.) Phoebe has the disease, she isn't going to get better (though she might be able to manage her symptoms with medication), and that's that.


Also, Phoebe sees and talks with characters from Alice in Wonderland. That is never fully explained. Is it her imagination? Is it a different mental symptom? We never find out, though the movie seems to be leaning toward it being part of her Tourrette syndrome.


Some loose ends with her parents are left untied as well.


END SPOILER


BUT. The acting is incredible, especially from Elle Fanning. The writing and cinematography are excellent. The pacing is a bit uneven, but overall fine. The story itself is perhaps one that needs to be told. But the movie is sad. It is a drama. It has real people behaving in real ways, for the most part, and that is also on the plus side, but it was hard to watch all the way through because it became clear that Phoebe was a train wreck happening in front of our eyes and there was nothing that was going to happen to prevent that wreck. The only positive thing is that people finally acknowledge the train has wrecked and decide to cope with it.



So, overall, five stars for the acting and the script, one star for the misleading trailer, three stars for the pacing...it averages out to three stars total. maybe three and a half.


This is not a family film. I would not have young children watch this. Teenagers and above, yes. But be prepared to talk about it and to ask some of the questions that are only hinted at.

What is a child to do when she begins to realize that she is not like other children? And that her 'different-ness' is taking a toll on her family and alienating her friends, classmates, teachers, and others? In this lovely film by Daniel Barnz, the child "Phoebe" is beyond quirky, and she suffers not only from her own behavior but from the guilt she feels when her family members are affected by it. Lost in a world that is confusing and often harsh, she has to find her way back to what others call "normal."

I am a huge fan of anything Patricia Clarkson has done in the last ten years, and in this film she plays the loving, oddball drama teacher, "Miss Dodger." The movie is worth seeing simply for her performance, but added to that is the completely convincing way Elle Fanning plays Phoebe, making us truly believe that she is a child at wit's end. Bravo to Miss Fanning and I hope we see much more of her.

I recommend not reading too many reviews as there is a 'reveal' in this film that other reviewers will feel compelled to give away. If you are a very pragmatic, concrete personality, you may not be able to appreciate the scenes meant to show us the world through Phoebe's eyes, so this movie may not be to your liking, but anyone who understands and loves the 'different-ness' of all children will enjoy this film.

While perusing for a video rental, the store manager literally insisted that I take, 'PHOEBE in WONDERLAND,' home for viewing. By surveying the DVD cover and synopsis, I was less than enthused, but I didn't want to hurt her feelings by sneaking it back on the shelf. Boy, was I proven wrong!

This dark, family drama won the: Heartland Truly Moving Picture Award. I can certainly understand why, and recommend you keep tissues handy, because I suspect you will, too. It is both heartwarming and heart-wrenching, as it delves into the gradual escalation of Phoebe's mental illness; the dual diagnosis of OCD, with Tourette's Syndrome. We begin to witness this 9 year old child, exhibiting objectionable behaviors and becoming an outcast; behaviors she doesn't understand and can't control. She escapes her challenging reality into her favorite fantasy world---that of Carroll's, Alice in Wonderland.

Elle Fanning's portrayal of Phoebe, ranks as one of the best child performances, for her age group, that I have ever seen. Such a young actor couldn't possibly understand the dynamics of such a serious mental illness, yet she brings the character to case-study, textbook perfection, with the added dimension of raw emotion. If you don't viscerally experience her pain, you're stronger than I. She was brilliant!

Meanwhile, Phoebe's parents are experiencing angst that would be expected when learning that your child isn't just 'brilliantly creative, and different,' but carrying a life-altering diagnosis. Felicity Huffman provides a stellar performance moving between severe denial, into anger, followed by all-consuming guilt, as she faces she was not always the best mother with this difficult child. Bill Pullman portrays the confused and loving father, who is more realistic in his assessment, but censured by those not ready to accept the truth.

Patricia Clarkson, is extraordinary as the teacher and mentor, who chooses Phoebe to portray a very integral role in the school play; one Phoebe has coveted. As their relationship develops, Clarkson's ethereal, magical, and trusting guidance, begins to help Phoebe embrace some of her 'differences,' but not without pain and loss for both of them.

My only grievance is that the ending seemed to wrap up too quickly; it didn't take advantage of sharing more information about OCD and TS. It also wasn't made clear that Phoebe had a dual diagnosis of OCD and TS, which is not uncommon, but complicates the prognosis. In fact, the very person who recommended this movie to me admitted she was confused about the extent of Phoebe's illness.

The primary focus of this film was on embracing individual differences; our uniqueness, regardless of obstacles in the way. This is definitely a good philosophy to live by, but some rays of hope might have been nice, too. There are treatments available that often provide some relief from the repetitive, intrusive thoughts, and ritualized behaviors. Also, that many brilliant minds have had very successful lives with TS. It is believed that Mozart was one of them. For families that might be dealing with a new onset of such an illness, I wouldn't want them to have false hope, but to realize that all symptoms and outcomes are not the same.

If you know of, or have, a child who is full of light, sparkle and whimsy - plus her own person, you will find here a film to touch your heart.

Elle Fanning is phenomenally fine as Phoebe, the beautiful and strange ten year old. You will love her performance.

A small but unforgettable film in which Patricia Clarkson shines as the kind of teacher we all hope our kids will have, at least once. Instead of seeking to control, restrict or punish children, she allows them to fully expand and embrace their individuality as they grow, and come alive!

Elle Fanning (Dakota Fanning's Younger Sister) is the lead in this haunting and painfully beautiful film centered around Alice in Wonderland. You may recognize Elle as a younger version of Dakota in "I Am Sam" and she was also the "Future Granddaughter" of Fern in Charlotte's Web opposite her sister. However, she definitely takes center stage all on her own in Phoebe in Wonderland.

Phoebe is a disturbed young girl who is "different" according to her mother. When she gets up enough courage to try out for the school play, she's cast as the lead in Alice in Wonderland. Outside of the theater, Phoebe worries that she will "be fired" from the play unless she completes certain tasks such as counting the bricks in the sidewalk to her home and leaping up the stairs in odd sequences. After her parents see her bruised hands from endless hand washing and bruised knees from falling on the stairs, they send her to see a child psychologist who thinks Phoebe might be OCD and wants to put her on medication.

However, Phoebe is completely different when she's in the theater and on stage rehearsing; she is happy and much like a normal everyday girl. Yes, the other girls think she is still different. She spits at them when they taunt her. Phoebe becomes friends with a young boy named Jamie who is also a bit different, having tried out for the part of the Red Queen and won the role. The children taunt him too and call him names for wanting to play a female role. However, both of the "special children" are applauded by the whimsical and strange Ms. Dodger who is the theater teacher and encourages the children to "do what they want."

When Phoebe starts to interact with actual characters from the story, things start to get out of hand and Phoebe might get thrown out of the play. Felicity Huffman and Bill Pullman do a decent job as Phoebe's parents struggling to want to understand what is troubling their daughter and making her act out. Mom is also writing a book about Alice in Wonderland, but this storyline is not explored as much as I would have liked. However, the connections between Mom and Daughter are there. There is one scene where Phoebe is crying in bed and her Mom is holding her. The pain the child is going through because she does not know why she is acting out will rip out your heart.

The film moves at a slow detailed and hypnotic pace ultimately leading to a few conflicts that you hope will not leave you feeling empty hearted and even more sad than Phoebe. When both child and parents discover the true sickness that Phoebe suffers from, it is all wrapped up nicely in the end and few plotlines, if any, go unanswered. This is a great film for both children and adults to share in order to teach children that it is okay to be different. Bullying is also addressed, as well as the possiblity of a child being homosexual.

Throw in the world that is Alice and the White Rabbit, and you have a great film overall that left me pleasantally surprised. I'll remember this one and be suggesting it to others for a long long time to come.

When it's good, it's terrific, including an amazing performance by a very young Elle Fanning as a
mentally troubled 8 year old, and good work by Felicity Huffman, and the always wonderful
Patricia Clarkson.

On the other hand, the very talented Campbell Scott is reduced to playing a one note joke, and
the tone of the film is all over the place; odd quirky comedy one moment, a child contemplating
suicide the next.

But the real problems are when the film's Lifetime network roots show through, and suddenly there's
that warm, fuzzy, phony feeling that being a kid with severe emotional problems isn't all that bad,
and everything will be just fine. It undermines the film's valiant attempts to really get inside a
struggling kid's head.

None-the-less, in a world of cookie-cutter filmmaking, the film gets real points for trying, and
about 80% of the time, this is a very good, and very original film.

I'm not sure why this movie wasn't advertised more. The only way I found out about it was through word of mouth. It is one of the more artistic movies I've seen in a whole year or two. It is enchanting in a most real way. The characters are unique and endearing and the actors each give very moving performances, especially Patricia Clark as Miss Dodger, the drama teacher. Her performance alone is worth watching the movie for. However, Elle Fanning is brilliant in this role and, I believe, surpasses her sister in her ability to act, at least in this performance. The one thing I told people after watching this was that Miss Dodger would go down in my book of memorable characters with the likes of Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow and Carol Burnett as Miss Hannigan. I loved this movie so much!