#PhoebeinWonderland

[adamwatchesmovies]

Phoebe in Wonderland (2008)

I had no idea what Phoebe in Wonderland was about as I prepared to watch it. A reimagining/reinvention/interpretation of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland? That’s been done time and time again. I was enthusiastic when I realized that this is not the case.

9-year-old Phoebe (Elle Fanning), has problems fitting in. She insists on performing strange rituals throughout the day, has fits at random, and is described as a troublemaker by her teachers. Her antics are putting a strain on her family. Her mother (Felicity Huffman) and father (Bill Pullman) are surprised when her odd ticks disappear while rehearsing for the school’s upcoming production of Alice in Wonderland.

When I realized what Phoebe in Wonderland was about, I saw two ways the film could go wrong. First, by being soft and glossing over how difficult it can be to deal with a mental illness (I’m using this term to avoid giving too much away). The second would be by giving the young performers more than they could handle.

Not only is the acting good; the kids in this movie are some of the best I've seen in a long time. When you see Phoebe cry, you'd swear they were candid moments they're so genuine. It isn't merely her lines that are delivered well, it's the mannerisms, and the energy she projects. Elle Fanning portrays a multi-faceted character that can come off as either perfectly normal or in desperate need of help depending on the situation. It's doubly impressive when we first see Phoebe struggling with her lines in the play. Can you imagine how difficult it must be to be for a good actress to pretend to be a character that can’t act? It would be like trying to ask an Olympic runner to finish last but without arousing suspicion. It takes a special talent to pull it off.

Phoebe in Wonderland is honest about how difficult children can affect the people around them. If you've lived with people who have behavioral problems, Aspergers, autism, or even something extreme like Tourette’s syndrome you will find that writer/director Daniel Barnz nails it. If you don't know what it's like, this picture will give you a good idea. Dare I call it educational? Ever been inside a supermarket and witnessed parents standing idly by while their children go ballistic? You wonder what level of denial the adults must experience to let things play out. That gets addressed in this movie. No one's at fault but it's obvious Phoebe’s mother is either in denial or so reluctant to admit something wrong that she's actually neglecting her daughter's needs by thinking she can take care of Phoebe on her own.

Some scenes with the adults feel artificial. The school principal (Campbell Scott), for instance. He's so stuffy and rigid that I might have bought it if he was on the edge of retirement, or very new and wanted to put his foot down to show that he was capable of the job. Everything else, from the fantasy sequences to the costumes, performances, and the way the subject material is handled expertly. Every detail feels carefully chosen to tell a personal and honest story. I highly recommend Phoebe in Wonderland to parents that might encounter this issue, for people who live it or who want to experience what it's like. (On DVD, March 15, 2015)

[saffronandperi]

1) The Case of Four and Twenty Blackbirds is this nursery stories/Wonderland/film noir combo (I know!) and can be read online in his website

2) Alice (1988) might be the most imaginative retelling I’ve seen, but don’t let kids watch it (it’s creepy)

3) Mary Blair is one of my favorite artist and I adore the work she did for the Disney version of Alice

4) The Thursday Next series has so much literary references for book geeks, and has my favorite Wonderland character, the Cheshire Cat.

5) Snarked is a fun and colorful comic that takes place in Wonderland

6) The title character in Phoebe in Wonderland takes solace from the books. I also love this movie because it captures the pain of not having a name for your situation.

7) Do you remember how the White Rabbit kept yelling for Mary Anne? She’s the main character here. I just love the art here.

8) Namesake is a good webcomic for book nerds, since it takes place over multiple literary worlds, including Wonderland.

[filmexodus-blog]

Howard Hughes and Pop Culture: How One Man Affected The Portrayal of OCD

Howard Hughes and Pop Culture: How One Man Affected The Portrayal of OCD

http://filmexodus.com/howard-hughes-and-pop-culture-how-one-man-affected-the-portrayal-of-ocd/

#AsGoodAsItGets, #Girls, #HowardHughes, #MartinScorsese, #MatchstickMen, #Monk, #PhoebeInWonderland, #Scrubs, #TheAviator

[clumsycapitolunicorn]

Brought this! Its actually quite a deeper film about a girl dealing with tourettes and OCD. Also, the front is one of those moving covers. Trippy... #phoebeinwonderland

[fragmentos-soltos]

Filme: Phoebe in Wonderland

[br0ken-butt3rfly]

title/tt1034325/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1034325/quotes

I highly recommend this movie. It's really easy to relate to.