Monday, November 20, 2017

Trailer Reaction: A Wrinkle in Time

A Wrinkle in Time was one of my favorite books growing up. I've probably read it half a dozen times, and listened to it more than that. So when I heard they were doing a big-budget movie, I admit I got excited. 

But we've had two trailers so far and, personally, I'm having some issues with them.


#1: The tagline of the film is apparently "Be A Warrior." Ummmm, no. Warrior things are not mentioned in the book. Like, ever. And considering how they actually take down the villain in the end? So I'm concerned about whatever they've reworked in this story to make it jive with their chosen tagline. Because that's not working with the story I remember.
 
#2: Meg seems too confident and comfortable; there's a work around, because most of these clips of her being confident are either at home, on her turf, so allowances might be made for that. Except she's also being shown as incredibly smart while being confident and comfortable which, in the book, was not the case. She considered herself the 'dumb one' of the family AND the odd one out, which gave her severe self-confidence issues.
 
#3: Meg is being shown as pretty smart and Charles Wallace barely gets his face on screen, let alone a word in edgewise. But I guess I should be happy he even made it into this trailer? (He wasn't in the last one.) And Meg's entire world, at this point, basically revolves around Charles Wallace.
 
#4: I'm nervous about the casting of the three Mrs. Ws. None of the actresses are what I ever imagined these three ladies to be like. If you've read the book, you know what I'm talking about; if you've listened to the audiobook narrated by Madeleine L'Engle herself, then you REALLY know what I'm talking about. Casting choices aside, I'm not too thrilled about the way they've been depicted -from imagery to costumes- either. This 'visionary' directer is definitely putting her own visionary spin on it and I'm not sure I'm going to like it at all.
 
#5: Where is Charles Wallace, exactly? I mean, this kid basically gets the whole story rolling. He's the one who first meets the Mrs. Ws, who he then introduces to Meg; he's the one who latches onto Calvin like he's necessary and Calvin then becomes necessary; Charles Wallace is the only reason Meg really gets involved in anything and I very much dislike he's being short-changed. Of the two trailers so far, he has only been seen in the second one -seen, because he is literally hanging out in the background of every scene he's in. That they haven't given any mention to him or to one of the most interesting sibling relationships I've seen in fiction makes me nervous.
 
#6: Action sequences. Where was that in the book again? Don't get me wrong, I'll give movie adaptations leeway for stories; they are ADAPTATIONS, after all. But action sequences do not a good story make and this is a lesson I don't think Hollywood understands.
 
#7: Mr. Jenkins, the school principal. I assume this is who admonishes Meg about using her father's disappearance as an excuse to act out. In the book, he's depicted as kind of a surly old man, out to get Meg, who no one likes, and the casting choice for him doesn't quite live up that image. Why is this important, you ask? Since he's hardly in the book at all? Because I think ahead and Mr. Jenkins plays a huge role in the sequel, A Wind in the Door. That's why.
 
#8: The giant flying lettuce leaf with a head better not be their version of Mrs. Whatsit's centaur-like form. IT BETTER NOT BE.
 
So from the most story-stretching to the very far-sighted, those are my big concerns so far. At the very least, the trailers give me a need to re-read the book, as there's a definite feel of wrongness I need to identify going on here.

What are your thoughts on the trailers for A Wrinkle in Time?

2 comments:

  1. Unfortunately I did not like this book :( so I doubt I watch the movie. BUT who knows it could be one of those were the movie is awesome! :)

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    1. It could! And I really do try to keep my optimism high(ish) until I've actually seen the film. We'll see with this one.

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