A Wrinkle in Time Movie

[jewels]

ABC is going to have a movie version of Madeline L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time on May 10th.
http://abc.go.com/movies/awrinkleintime.html

The only thing that scares me is it's a Wonderful World of Disney production.

IMO, L'Engle's books are a little more intelligent than much of their usual fare. I just hope it encourages the kids to read her series: there's a love of science in general and every day acceptance of high level theoretical physics, with mythology and history thrown in that can open more worlds to young readers.

[Rowan]

That book changed my life! Never before had I stayed up the entire night to read a book! it was the first book to make my heart pound! Opened up my mind to amazing ideas and concepts I had never before imagined! I'ts a great series, thank you so much for posting this Jewels!

[Muffit]

Thanks Jewels! That's a wonderful book! I finally got my daughter to watch "The Little Prince" and "Phantom Tollbooth" a few years back. Now she'll have a chance to see "Wrinkle" thanks to you!!! Many thanks!!!

[Gemini1999]

It's been over 35 years since I read "A Wrinkle In Time" - I was in grade school! I haven't read it since, yet I still remember some of the character names and some of the story. I'm very excited to hear that ABC & Disney made a telefilm out of it - maybe there is hope for network TV after all....

Bryan
________
LovelyWendie

[Stray Viper]

Hopefully, it spawns the sequels: A Wind in the Door, and A Swiftly Tilting Planet. Perhaps even Many Waters!

[Senmut]

"OBEY ME!!!!!!!"
-It.

[thomas7g]

I remember liking the book alot when I was really young. I enjoyted the movie too. It was a fun little story, though it doesn't capture the book as well as I would have hoped. I think... I haven't read the book in a looong time.

Neat special effects. Top notch. But axe the disney logo please.

[Rowan]

I loved what I saw of it...I fell asleep at the point Meg goes back to rescue Charles Wallace! ACK!!! I thought they did a good job picking the 3 kids I loved them. I thought the kids did a great job capturing the personalities of the characters. (and they looked how I have always imagined them ) The special effects were not too bad (climbing up on Mrs. Watsit was pretty lame you could even hear the hollow sound of the thing they were actually climbing up onto but other than that, I liked it) One thing that really struck me though when ever I read that book is the intensity of feeling generated between Charles Wallace and Meg especially, in that moment where he begins to surrender to it and again when she goes to rescue him, I did not feel that level of intensity in the moment where they are shouting at Charles Wallace not to listen to "it" and I missed the part when Meg goes back to rescue Charles Wallace so I can't comment there.
(I should have taped it and I forgot )

[Gemini1999]

Originally Posted by Rowan

I loved what I saw of it...I fell asleep at the point Meg goes back to rescue Charles Wallace! ACK!!!

Rowan -

At least you saw more of it than I did....! I think I only got through the first hour and fiteeen minutes of it - the next thing I know, the end credits are running! Most of the SFX I saw were quite good, but the CGI used for the flying horse (or whatever) looked pretty bad. I haven't read the story in a long time, but it seemed like the updating of the story ate up a lot of the plot at the beginning - it seemed to take forever until the story got going. I agree with what Tom said about the story - it was kind of cute, but didn't grab me like the book did. I'll have to see if I can scare up a copy of the book somewhere.

I'm sure that this will get re-aired on ABC Family channel sometime soon...

Bryan
________
VAPORIZER VOLCANO

[thomas7g]

I think its a problem with Disney. They look for things to make money on, They pour a good amount of money into it cause they have lots to invest. But they don't have the desire or any great love that drives them to do a project. And it shows. That's why alot of what they do is kinda pasteurized.



Of course that is a view from an exDisney guy.

[skippercollecto]

I wrote a longer review of "A Wrinkle in Time" in the Everwood group at
www.everwoodonline.com
under the forums. Go to the category called "other roles."
I will just summarize what I wrote. I really liked the first 105 minutes. The last 75 minutes got disjointed and confusing. Even though I've read the book a number of times, because of the plot changes in the last half of the movie I had a hard time following it. Did you know this was originally planned as a four-hour miniseries, and it was shown in its entirety in Europe? Perhaps those deleted scenes are from the last 90 minutes, and since they're missing, that's what made the plot difficult to keep track of. Not to mention the fact that the last half did not follow the book as closely as the first part did.
And I agree with the fact that the love that Meg felt for Charles Wallace in the book did not come through very well in the movie.
Mary

[Muffit]

Got to watch it -- oops, another pun - with my daughter, tons of fun. Neatest part is, now she wants me to buy her the books. Hey, anybody who can induce a child to explore reading instead of violent pointless video games is okay by me .

That's what's so nice about being a parent - it's almost like living your childhood all over again, this time with a special friend.


Thanks again Jewels .

[Rowan]

Originally Posted by Gemini1999

Rowan -

At least you saw more of it than I did....! I think I only got through the first hour and fiteeen minutes of it - the next thing I know, the end credits are running! Poor Gemini! are we getting old, we can't stay awake long enough to watch a movie??? but didn't grab me like the book did. I agree but then I'm looking at a childrens story with adult eyes, and a heart filled with nostalgia. I'll have to see if I can scare up a copy of the book somewhere. Mine is at my parents I still have them all...but they are 3000 miles away! I'm going to look for it in a second hand book store.

I'm sure that this will get re-aired on ABC Family channel sometime soon... I was thinking the same thing, I've got my fingers crossed (only this time I'm taping it!!)

Bryan

[Rowan]

Originally Posted by skippercollecto

I wrote a longer review of "A Wrinkle in Time" in the Everwood group at
www.everwoodonline.com
under the forums. Go to the category called "other roles." I'm blind I could not find it!
I will just summarize what I wrote. I really liked the first 105 minutes. The last 75 minutes got disjointed and confusing. Even though I've read the book a number of times, because of the plot changes in the last half of the movie I had a hard time following it. Ok this does not sound good...Did you know this was originally planned as a four-hour miniseries, and it was shown in its entirety in Europe? No I did not and why is it we never get to see things in their entirety here? Most annoying!! Perhaps those deleted scenes are from the last 90 minutes, and since they're missing, that's what made the plot difficult to keep track of. Well that could make a major difference, why do they do that! Not to mention the fact that the last half did not follow the book as closely as the first part did. Ok this is also disappointing to hear...

And I agree with the fact that the love that Meg felt for Charles Wallace in the book did not come through very well in the movie. Thanks Mary, it was the love wasn't it? It's what impressed me about the book as a child, the intensity of the love they shared, the same for "A Wind in the Door", the incredible angst of that moment

Mary

[Rowan]

Originally Posted by Muffit

Got to watch it -- oops, another pun - with my daughter, tons of fun. Neatest part is, now she wants me to buy her the books. Hey, anybody who can induce a child to explore reading instead of violent pointless video games is okay by me .

That's what's so nice about being a parent - it's almost like living your childhood all over again, this time with a special friend.


Thanks again Jewels .

Oh Muffit that is wonderful news that your daughter is now interested in reading the books!
for me it's living the childhood I never had when I get to do things like that with kids, probably why I love kids books so much and love to collect them!

[jewels]

Bryan, I'll be looking for it to be on the family channel too. I only taped the 1st 2 hours...loved it. Makes me want to reread the books again. They were a favorite of mine as a kid.

I did love the emphasis on insignificant people doing very significant things with their choices, in the beginning of it.
Jewels

[Rowan]

Originally Posted by jewels

Bryan, I'll be looking for it to be on the family channel too. I only taped the 1st 2 hours...loved it. How long was it? Makes me want to reread the books again. me too!They were a favorite of mine as a kid. Yup same here!

I did love the emphasis on insignificant people doing very significant things with their choices, in the beginning of it. Jewels can you elaborate? give me an example?
Jewels

[jewels]

Rowan, it was in the dialogue and it was more of the ilk that one person can make a difference even when they think they are insignificant and included references to a lot of historical figures who had done good by standing against one form of darkness right where they were at. Ghandi, MLK...many others that had positive influences on society. It was right about the time they explained that Mrs. Whatsit had made her stand when she was a star and lost her ability to be a star because of it.

I also love the whole tessarect is "a wrinkle in time" thing. I'm thinking it goes with string theory but I could be swiss-cheesed by too much quantum leap on that.

[skippercollecto]

I first read "Wrinkle" more than 30 years ago, and in three decades I have NEVER found an answer to this question. I even read Madeleine L'Engle's autobiography, and she doesn't answer it there either.
Did L'Engle make up the word "tesseract"? I know it's probably the same concept as wormhole or ancible or warp speed or light speed, and yes, the void in Lost Planet, but it's such a goofy word that I don't know what its origins are. Over the years, I've seen it used in other science fiction novels, so I don't know if it's an actual scientific concept or if other writers are just borrowing a word she made up so they don't have to come up with their own word instead.

Mary

[Rowan]

hope this helps Mary

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesseract


http://www.tesseractmusic.com/whytesseract.html

[Rowan]

(quoted from A Wrinkle in Time)



"Now," Mrs. Which said. "Arre wee rreaddy?" "Where are we going?" Calvin asked. Again Meg felt an actual physical tingling of fear as Mrs. Which spoke. "Wwee musstt ago bbehindd thee sshaddow." "But we will not do it all at once," Mrs. Whatsit comforted them. "We will do it in short stages." She looked at Meg. "Now we will tesser, we will wrinkle again. Do you understand?" "No," Meg said flatly. Mrs. Whatsit sighed. "Explanations are not easy when they are about things for which your civilization still has no words. Calvin talked about traveling at the speed of light. You understand that, little Meg?" "Yes," Meg nodded. "That, of course, is the impractical, long way around. We have learned to take short cuts wherever possible." "Sort of like in math?" Meg asked. "Like in math." Mrs. Whatsit looked over at Mrs. Who. "Take your skirt and show them.' "La experiencia es la madre de la ciencia. Spanish, my dears. Cervantes. Experience is the mother of knowledge." Mrs. Who took a portion of her white robe in her hands and held it tight. "You see ," Mrs. Whatsit said, "if a very small insect were to move from the section of skirt in Mrs. Who's right hand to that in her left, it would be quite a long walk for him if he had to walk straight across."

Swiftly Mrs. Who brought her hands, still holding the skirt, together. "Now, you see," Mrs. Whatsit said, "he would be there, without that long trip. That is how we travel."

Charles Wallace accepted the explanation serenely. Even Calvin did not seem perturbed. "Oh, dear," Meg sighed. 'I guess I am a moron. I just don't get it." "That is because you think of space only in three dimensions," Mrs. Whatsit told her. "We travel in the fifth dimension. This is something you can understand, Meg. Don't be afraid to try. Was your mother able to explain a tesseract to you?" "Well, she never did," Meg said. "She got so upset about it. Why, Mrs. Whatsit? She said it had something to do with her and Father." "It was a concept they were playing with," Mrs. Whatsit said, "going beyond the fourth dimension to the fifth. Did your mother explain it to you, Charles?" "Well, yes." Charles looked a little embarrassed. "Please don't be hurt, Meg. I just kept at her while you were at school till I got it out of her." Meg sighed. "Just explain it to me.""Okay," Charles said. "What is the first dimension?" "Well-a line: "Okay. And the second dimension?"

"Well, you'd square the line. A flat square would be in the second dimension. "And the third?" "Well, you'd square the second dimension. Then the square wouldn't be flat any more. It would have a bottom, and sides, and a top." "And the fourth?" "Well, I guess if you want to put it into mathematical terms you'd square the square. But you can't take a pencil and draw it the way you can the first three. I know it's got something to do with Einstein and time. I guess maybe you could call the fourth dimension Time." "That's right," Charles said. "Good girl. Okay, then, for the fifth dimension you'd square the fourth, wouldn't you?" "I guess so.""Well, the fifth dimension's a tesseract. You add that to the other four dimensions and you can travel through space without having to go the long way around. In other words, to put it into Euclid, or old-fashioned plane geometry, a straight line is not the shortest distance between two points." For a brief, illuminating second Meg's face had the listening, probing expression that was so often seen on Charles's.

[skippercollecto]

Thank you, Rowan, for adding those links. I actually went on the Internet a few years ago to look up tesseract, and couldn't find anything. So I'm assuming those pages have been added since then.
I just really wanted to know if tesseract was a real word. I had looked in several unabridged dictionaries over the years, and never found it listed. You've solved one of my childhood questions!
Mary

[jewels]

I love that book.

[skippercollecto]

What did the rest of you think of the other Madeleine L'Engle-based film, "A Ring of Endless Light," which is aired periodically on the Disney Channel? I enjoyed that one too.
Mary

[Rowan]

I like the book but I have never seen the movie, did not even know there was a movie.

[Stray Viper]

Having read "A Wrinkle In Time" my first reaction when I heard about the film was that it would be impossible to make. Seriously, less than half of the story is visual. Many things are described as indescribable. A lot is left to the imagination, which is hard for film.

Having said that, I would have loved to make that movie myself, if I made movies.

[skippercollecto]

I went back and looked through my Madeleine L'Engle book collection. I have, as far as I know, all the Murry-O'Keefe novels, and this is the order in which they should be read. This isn't however, the order in which they were published. L'Engle wrote Wrinkle first about Meg and Calvin, and then a few years later wrote Starfish, about their children. L'Engle didn't fill in the gaps until beginning 10 years later.
A Wrinkle in Time, 1962 (about Meg and Calvin)
A Wind in the Door, 1973 (about Meg and Charles Wallace)
A Swiftly Tilting Planet, 1978 (about a slightly older Charles Wallace)
Many Waters, 1986 (about Sandy and Dennys)
The Arm of the Starfish, 1965 (about Poly)
Dragons in the Waters, 1976 (about Poly)
A House Like a Lotus, 1984 (about Poly)
As much as I love Wrinkle, I think that Many Waters is probably a better-written novel.
I don't know much about the Austin novels since I've read only a few of them.
Mary

[Stray Viper]

I've read the first five books in that list. I remember the Starfish novel even though I haven't read it in years. Arcangelo and the speech about the "fallen sparrows." Cool.

I like them all but I think A Swiftly Tilting Planet was my favorite. Incredibly creative work.