A Wrinkle in Time is a Mix of Stunning Visuals and Terrible Writing
A WRINKLE IN TIME-2018- Dir. Ava DuVernay//Starring: Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Levi Miller, Deric McCabe, Chris Pine
Disney lovers, DO NOT FEAR; despite poor reviews and box office disappointment, A Wrinkle in Time is a fun watch for the family. It is a classic hero’s journey story filled with renowned actors and beautiful landscapes. It transports the audience to a new world filled with hope and terror. It explores several worthwhile themes, often expressed through Oprah’s majestic voice. If you are looking for a magical two-hour escape from the stress of the real world, A Wrinkle in Time is a safe bet.
For those who have not read this classic novel recently, A Wrinkle in Time follows the story of a family whose father has been missing for four years. The children embark on a fantastical journey, traveling through space and time, to rescue him from the notorious “IT” (not to be confused with “it” from the movie It). To sum it up, the film is a classic (and slightly clichéd) sci-fi/fantasy adventure story.
To help bring this classic story to life, Disney filled the film with a diverse and star-studded cast including Storm Reid (12 Years a Slave and The Thundermans) as the emotional protagonist Meg; Oprah Winfrey as the wise mentor Mrs. Which; Reese Witherspoon (Big Little Lies and Legally Blonde) as the comedic character Mrs. Whatsit; Mindy Kaling (The Office and Inside Out) as Mrs. Who; Levi Miller (Pan and Supergirl) as the charming love interest Calvin; Deric McCabe as the intelligent youngster Charles Wallace; and Chris Pine as as Mr. Murray.
In addition to a talented cast, the film has to-die-for visuals. In fact, A Wrinkle in Time is one of the most beautiful films that I have seen in a long time. The elegance of this movie can be attributed to Disney’s bold hiring of the rising-star director Ava DuVernay, who worked on Selma and 13th. Before her success in A Wrinkle in Time, DuVernay was mostly unproven in large budget projects. As an aside, I hope Disney makes more daring moves like this in the future to give young directors a screen on which to display their talent. A Wrinkle in Time is full of extraordinary creativity. The graphics are not something for which the audience must suspend belief; each graphic design is intricate and purposeful. The CGI has a colorful and sparkly look, which adds to the magic of the film. The sets of the film are just as magical. The film is mostly filmed in New Zealand, where the landscape’s beauty is otherworldly. The costumes of the three magical mentors, Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which and Mrs. Whatsit, as well as Ms. Winfrey’s sparkly eyebrows, are worthy of the front page of Vogue magazine. The final visual aspect of this film that I must rave about is the cinematography. Cinematographer Tobias A. Schlessler, who also worked on Beauty of the Beast and Friday Night Lights, does a subtle yet excellent job with A Wrinkle in Time. He often used intimate and close shots with a shallow depth of field that will have fine cinema-lovers’ jaws dropping.
Where this film falls short is in the disappointing screenplay written by Jennifer Lee (Frozen and Wreck-It Ralph) and Jeff Stockwell (Bridge to Terabithia). It is a safe screenplay, but too safe. The film’s dialogue is choppy and the major plot points are nonsensical and dull. In fact, it is painful to watch such a talented cast navigate through unrealistic lines and swell with emotion without appropriate build up. Although this is not what they tend to do, I wish Disney had been as adventurous in choosing the writers as it was in finding the director, cinematographer and editor.
A Wrinkle in Time is an average Disney movie. It hero’s journey plot structure, magical special effects and catchy soundtrack (featuring Sia) is sure to keep the family engaged. Newer themes about self-love will touch any heart, especially with Oprah’s wise voice narrating important lessons relevant to 2018. Nevertheless, the unnatural dialogue and predictable plot are just hard to handle. There is a simple formula in filmmaking, a bad screenplay = a bad movie. I walked out of the movie theater disappointed in the squandering of such beautiful visuals. As a result, I give this film a B-.
p.s. Hamilton fans, look out for a Lin-Manuel Miranda quote in the film!
