Alternate Takes 10.17.09: Children's Literary Adaptations

Posted by Shawn S. Lealos on 10.17.2009

On the heels of the release of Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are, Shawn S. Lealos looks at other classic children's tales brought to life in this week's Alternate Takes.



Welcome to Week 73 of Alternate Takes. I am your host Shawn S. Lealos and you have now entered my world.

Following last week's one mainstream release, this weekend offers a bit more choices with one week to go before the Halloween movies hit. The biggest release in my mind, and my most anticipated movie of the fall, is Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are, a movie I fully expect to be a masterpiece. I have the highest of expectations and believe they will be met. There is also a horror movie that will get released this weekend that will be completely buried by Saw next week. The movie is a remake of the schlocky eighties horror flick The Stepfather. Here is some interesting trivia about the movie: the original film starred a pre-Lost Terry O'Quinn (Locke). Next up is a movie I have had three chances to see in advanced screenings and didn't make it to any of them (I suck, I know...), Law Abiding Citizen, starring Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx. Finally, for those who want a little blaxploitation in your lives, I give you Black Dynamite. Want two reason to see this movie?

1. Plot Synopsis: In 1972, Black Dynamite (Michael Jai White), a former CIA agent, is called back into the business when the Italian mob kills his brother, fills black orphanages with heroin, and floods the street with bad malt liquor. He soon discovers a vast conspiracy, reaching all the way to the White House.


2. Tag Line: Cuz there ain't no hope for dudes who deal dope!

THIS WEEK'S RELEASES:

This week I am going to use Where the Wild Things Are as the template for my Alternate Takes. The movie is based on a popular children's book written by Maurice Sendak. It is a picture book about a mischievous boy who is sent to bed without supper and then encounters strange creatures known as The Wild Things, whom he becomes the king of. This week in Alternate Takes, I am going to look at the best live action films based on children's literature.

5. THE NEVERENDING STORY (1984) Directed by Wolfgang Petersen Written by Herman Weigel based on the novel by Michael Ende Cast: Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver, Tami Stronach, Patricia Hayes, Sydney Bromley, Gerald McRaney, Moses Gunn, Alan Oppenheimer The Neverending Story is a German children's fantasy novel written by Michael Ende in 1979, although it was not available in a standard English translation until 1983. The story switches back and forth between two worlds. Fantastica (Phantásien in the original German version; referred to as Fantasia in the films) is a world being destroyed by the Nothing. A young warrior known as Atreyu is called upon by a princess to find a cure for the world. This story is all being read by a child from our world named Bastian. The movie only tells the first half of the novel. Bastian reads the story of Atreyu and realizes that he is becoming part of the story. By the end, Bastian realizes he must enter the world of the story to help find the cure and rebuild the world. As a result of this, he is given the power to grant himself wishes and races back into his own time, calling upon his trusty luck dragon Falkor and starts upon many great adventures. Directed by Wolfgang Peterson (Das Boot), the movie was forced to drastically change events since it only covered half the story. Characters such as the will-o'-the-wisp Blubb and Ygramul the Many were cut from the film. The Southern Oracle has no physical form in the novel but does in the film (the sphinx creatures). Gmork is not the attacking creature that is shown in the film, instead a chained up creature that is dying in the book. The Nothing was changed drastically as well. In the film it was created by people who have no hopes or dreams but in the novel it is the being that approaches these hopeless people and transform them into human lies. The ending was also altered to have the Childlike Empress plead with Bastian to come save her but in the book she is saved by having the story read to her by the Old Man of Wandering Mountain. Thanks to these changes, author Ende demanded the production either halt or no longer use his story's title. Neither happened and he sued the production company, losing the court case. Neither of the sequels were faithful to the original text either. Regardless of the author's distaste of the film, it remains a magical tale. I remember watching this as a child and being swept into an incredible new world. It is an amazing story for a child and remains a fun movie for me to watch today as an adult. The movie, when released, flopped at the box office but rebounded with the advent of home video becoming one of the highest selling videos ever released. There is a new version currently in development, promising to remain more loyal to the source material, but it will never replace this classic film. That's ... another story.

4. THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES (2008) Directed by Mark Waters Written by Karey Kirkpatrick, David Berenbaum and John Sayles based on the books by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black Cast: Freddie Highmore, Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Nolte, Sarah Bolger, Andrew McCarthy, Joan Plowright, David Strathairn, Seth Rogen, Martin Short Spiderwick Chronicles is the newest addition to this list. It stars Freddie Highmore, who also appeared in the live action adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, as twins. I've always been a fan of Highmore but he blew me away in this movie. He plays each character with a unique personality, one quiet and shy the other slightly unruly and antagonistic. With both characters, he proves once again to be one of the best child stars in Hollywood. The novels tell the story of a pair of twins (Simon and Jared) and their older sister Mallory after they move into the Spiderwick Estate with their mother and discover a world of fairies and goblins they never knew existed. The movie adaptation is based on the five original Spiderwick books (although it mainly ignored the fourth), from when the children move into the house until they finally defeat the evil Mulgarath and save Arthur Spiderwick, who had been held captive for eighty years. There are minor differences between the two. The twins are made older in the films to attract a wider audience. The protective circle from the movie surrounding the house and the tunnel under the estate do not exist in the books. The final battle with Mulgrath takes place at his castle in the books and at the estate in the movie. The movie also had a happier ending than the books where it concerns Arthur Spiderwick and his daughter. The movie is a charming, fantastical adventure sure to keep kids enthralled in the world of fairies, ogres and hobgoblins. It is similar to the much darker Labyrinth but I believe Spiderwick is a better fit for the target age group. It is an exciting children's movie and one that could someday be recognized as a minor kid's classic.

3. THE HARRY POTTER SERIES (2001-2011) Directed by Chris Columbus (2), Alfonso Cuarón (1), Mike Newell (1), David Yates (4) Written by Steve Kloves (7), Michael Goldenberg (1) Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Alan Rickman, Richard Harris, Michael Gambon, Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith, Gary Oldman, Tom Felton, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Isaacs, David Thewlis, Brendan Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, Kenneth Branagh, John Cleese, Imelda Staunton, Timothy Spall, Evanna Lynch, Robert Pattinson, Bill Nighy, John Hurt, Rhys Ifans, Miranda Richardson, Toby Jones, Warwick Davis Harry Potter has reached the level of popularity where many people claim to hate it just because it is cool to hate what everyone else loves. It is the classic case of backlash and it runs rampant on the Internet. But Harry Potter may be the most popular children's book series of all time. Numbers don't lie. In a society where people are less likely to read anything, the Harry Potter franchise has sold over 400 million books as of June 2008. The last four books in the series set records for the fastest-selling books in history. The film series, with two movies still to come, has grossed over $5.4 billion worldwide. The first film is in fifth place on the all-time worldwide box office rankings, while Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince rank seventh and eighth respectively. All six movies that have been released are in the Top 25 worldwide. And all this popularity is for a boy wizard whose fate it is to battle the most dangerous wizard to ever exist in order to save the world. What makes this franchise so popular is a mixture of the fantastical magical world of the books mixed with the real world problems facing a teenage outsider. The first book places Harry in a school where magic is commonplace. Yet Harry has grown up believing he is an average boy and must adjust to this crazy, new world. As the books go on, he grows into his role and we are able to grow right along with him. The world is magical but it bears just the right amount of normalcy to allow the reader to sympathize with him along the way. He faces bullies, falls in love, makes new friends and has to face off with unsympathetic teachers. He is also alone, a boy without a family who slowly integrates himself into a new family and begins to finally feel like a normal boy for the first time in his life. Of course, he also competes in a contest where he flies on his broom, faces monsters, talks to snakes, and battles for his life at every turn. All in a day in the life of Harry Potter. The movies succeeded thanks to a talented trio of children who have grown masterfully into their roles, all surrounded by some of the best actors England has ever produced. Take a look at the names under the cast list and you will see a who's-who of thespians that are the ruling class of British cinema. These movies are populated with the best-of-the-best and the directors are just as incredible. Chris Columbus was the best person to start the franchise, a master of directing children (Home Alone). He passed the torch to Alfonso Cuarón, one of cinema's brightest new auteurs who created the masterpiece of the franchise. Mike Newell might not be the best choice for a fantasy movie, but he took a giant book with some great action, and made it into the best movie I think could have been made from this book. Finally, David Yates has taken the reins to end the series and showed such great improvement from his first effort to Half-Blood that I can't wait for the two-part finale. There will always be haters, because that is the cool thing to do, but Harry Potter is the most successful franchise in the world today, children's or otherwise. And it deserves every accolade it gets.

2. WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (1971) Directed by Mel Stuart Written by Roald Dahl Cast: Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum, Julie Dawn Cole, Denise Nickerson, Paris Themmen, Michael Bollner, Gunter Meisner I am sure a lot of the kids today only know about this classic Roald Dahl children's story through the more recent Tim Burton directed, Johnny Depp starring Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. While I do find it interesting that the same child star appeared in the remake and my number three choice on this list (Freddie Highmore), I am going with the original adaptation for my number two spot. Dahl was a prolific children's author who also wrote classics such as James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, The Witches and Fantastic Mr. Fox, soon to be released in an animated film by Wes Anderson. His stories are full of dark humor, slightly twisted endings and remain unsentimental for a kid's tale. His stories were usually told from the point of view of the child surrounded by a world of adults who either hate or mistreat children. Willy Wonka made a slight change to that dynamic by taking a good boy and surrounding him by very bad children. Thanks to a marketing campaign, the title was changed from Charlie and the... to Willy Wonka and the... to help sell a new candy bar that was hitting the market but the story remained fairly honest to the original work, although Dahl was not happy with the movie despite writing the screenplay. The main change came at the end of the film with Charlie also misbehaving and then passing a morality test to earn his prize. Either way, the film, despite being a box office flop, has risen to Cult status over the years. It all started in the mid eighties when, thanks to repeated television broadcasts and the advent of home video, found a brand new audience. Gene Wilder received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance as Willy Wonka and this movie remains his best known role alongside Blazing Saddles. It hit Blu-Ray this month and remains one of the most beloved children's adaptations in cinema history.

1. THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) Directed by Victor Fleming Written by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf based on the novel by L. Frank Baum Cast: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton, Charley Grapewin, Pat Walshe, Clara Blandick, Toto, The Singer Midgets There was never any doubt when I had to decide the best live action children's adaptation of all time. There can be only one and all you have to do is follow the yellow brick road. Two weeks ago I went to the cinema and watched the new high definition transfer of The Wizard of Oz and sat in a sold out theater with young and old watching the adventures of a young girl from Kansas, a scarecrow without a brain, a tin-man without a heart and a cowardly lion. The movie, seventy years old this year, is still as much a crowd pleaser now as it ever has been. The movie is based on the bestselling children's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, originally published in 1900. The book was so successful that Baum wrote thirteen more novels based on the places and people of the Land of Oz. The first remains the most popular and the movie it spawned is one of the most loved fantasy films ever made. The cast was extraordinary. Judy Garland was cast as Dorothy and became one of the most popular young stars in Hollywood thanks to the fame the role brought her. Roy Bolger was a Vaudeville comedian, known for his limber, awkward dancing that he brought to the role of the Scarecrow. Buddy Ebsen (The Beverly Hillbillies) was originally cast as the Tin Man but had to pull out due to illness, opening the way for another vaudeville song and dance man, Jack Haley. Bert Lehr, a physical comedian, brought the Cowardly Lion to life in a way no one else could have. The cast, set in the magical world of Oz, made this a movie that was like no other. And the film stands the test of time, a classic as great today as when I saw it as a child over thirty years ago. It is a great movie great for adults and children, the young and old, for men and women, boys and girls. It is timeless and the best children's adaptation in cinema history.

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