CMU School of Drama


Friday, March 09, 2018

Why the A Wrinkle in Time Movie Will Change Hollywood

time.com: “Dear Mr. Disney”—

That’s how a 10-year-old girl named Catherine began her letter to the most powerful man in movies during the bitter, final months of 1963. She had experienced that year’s traumas like most children do, through the anxious whispers of adults, despair moving a few feet above her head. She wanted to tell Mr. Disney about a book that had given her hope, one she thought could do the same for a nation of kids who felt the world around them darkening. If only he would put its story on film. But she never sent the letter, setting it aside in a moment of resignation.

7 comments:

Katie Pyzowski said...

The more I read about this movie the more I like it. It is so inspiring to see how Hand was driven by this idea she had as a child and did not give up when her idea was rejected so many times. I love that DuVernay was looking to create icons and representation with this story. I love the way it all looks just from the trailer. In fact, I decided to go see this movie today after reading this article yesterday. I remember all the cool bookworm kids in elementary school reading this book, and I always regretted not reading it. Thus I cannot speak to whether or not the movie was accurate to the original book, or if it has lived up to the hopes and dreams of the millions of people who have purchased a copy. I can say, however, that in my opinion it was a good movie, the visual effects were amazing, the costumes were brilliant, and I love how much inclusivity and diversity there is in the cast. If this is "the new Wizard of Oz for another generation" I hope that this diversity carries on with movies to come.

Rebecca Meckler said...

I love how this article admits that people are going to find flaws with the movie. Audience members are always going to find problems with the movie and think the book is better. I think that it is amazing the DuVernay wanted to cast leaders and role models in the movie. Having these three different celebrities, each of whom has made a name for themselves in different empowering ways, is amazing. I hope that kids continue to read the book, now that the movie has come out. As the article points out, this book is a classic. Although it has been banned from many school, this is the age of children that often read it. Hopefully this movie will be seen as an interpretation of the book as opposed to a substitute and will encourage families to read the book together. In addition, this can bring families closer by having conversations about the important topics such as science and religion.

Marisa Rinchiuso said...

One of my favorite line from this article was, "we're not just casting actors, we're casting leaders". I think that line can characterize the sentiment of this article. As women continue to fight for equality in all fields, but especially entertainment, the fast solution is just to cast more women, but it goes beyond that. We don't want to just see more women on the stage and screen, we want to see complex, interesting female storylines. It's not enough for women to play the girlfriend or the mother. It is time to start seeing women who are brave and powerful, not just those searching for a man. I'm very excited to see Wrinkle In Time. The plot is not something I would have initially been drawn to, but I thought if Oprah, Mindy Kailing and Reese Witherspoon all read the script and decided to join, this must be something important. All three of them are such strong role models for me; their dedication to equality on and off the screen makes them perfect for this new, revolutionary movie.

BinhAn Nguyen said...

I just saw this movie two nights ago so it is odd for me to be reading this article in retrospect. I think it is so beautiful how these women were able to come together and create such an imaginative story. This movie shows a new era of diversity in Hollywood wherein women are just as bankable as men and kids are able to go to the theaters and see themselves. I actually did not like the film because, though visually it was absolutely beautiful, the dialogue seemed very corny and forced. I have not read the books but I felt like the film did not explain clearly the connection between time and love. However, I was sitting next to a little girl and she was very emotional throughout the whole movie. She seemed extremely moved and, by the end of the movie, ready to take on the world and be herself which, I think, is the goal. I am glad to see the handwork of so many women achieve the success and scale of this movie.

Mattox S. Reed said...

I had no desire to go and see this movie before reading this article. This was such an honest and true article with the reader that it made you feel the real emotions of what the movie wants you to find and how you should go about watching it. The idea of creating the story for your memories is so interesting and so powerful. There's a lot here that allows you to see how the movie can create an imaginative place and how the characters can control the audience's ideas of what should happen in the movie. Oprah, and Reese Witherspoon are both two powerful women that when I first think of women in film are the two most powerful to come straight off of my head. Having them in the film with a strong young female minority character is such a strong message and allows the story to different places.

Truly Cates said...

I never read this book, but I have always heard people say great things about it. This is a perfect example of the right way to cast, in my opinion. Nowadays, especially when it comes to classic books, movies, shows, the lead characters are always cast as straight white actors, even in the story never fully specifies or calls for an actor of a particular race or sexual orientation. I am very happy to see such a diverse group of women playing these characters, though they were always depicted as white people. This movie, along with Black Panther, is proof that we are moving into a new age of big, blockbuster film. We now know it is possible to create a movie with big names under big producers, that is politically correct and fights racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and more, and that will make boatloads of money. I hope the movie industry will continue to move down this path.

APJS said...

I think this movie and the history of history of its coming to be is a powerful lesson in itself. It missed its first chance at becoming a reality. But if we are bing honest it might have been for the best that “a 10-year-old girl named Catherine” never mailed her store to Walt Disney. Im really not sure if America was ready for a book about strong women. It specially would not have been portrayed in the image of women of color, if it would have been made at all. I hope this doesn’t sound harsh. But lets look at how well Disney or any film company has done with showing stories and their truths. I think its ironic that fortune that the legacy of the man Catherine looked up to would be the company that would one day grant her dream. I look forward to seeing this film this weekend, to celebrate the power of the women in our lives.