Book to Movie: A Wrinkle in Time

One of my favorite childhood books was Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, an action-adventure story that transports us across the universe as the Murry children and a friend search for Mr. Murry, who went missing four years earlier.

You should have seen my smile when I learned Disney was bringing A Wrinkle in Time to the big screen. I was even happier, though, when Disney gave me the chance to help celebrate this week's release of the Blu-Ray, DVD, and digital download versions of the movie.

Thanks to Disney, I was able to watch A Wrinkle of Time in the comfort of my own home. And, as of this week, you too can own a copy of the movie. Disney made my viewing experience red-carpet special: I snuggled up in a plush throw and drank tea from my Wrinkle in Time mug.

This weekend I plan to re-read the book and was happy to see the movie tie-in paperback has a color insert with photos of the cast! I love the sparkly lined journal, which is perfect for recording the ways I can bring light into the world. (see the photo at the right)

If you're unfamiliar with the book or movie, A Wrinkle in Time is the story of how Meg and Charles Wallace Murry and their friend Calvin search the universe to find Mr. Murry, a scientist who has discovered a way to travel faster than light. They get help and advice from otherworldly beings but in the end must rely on themselves to face down the ultimate, dark evil.

The movie thus has two sets of stars. The three women who help the children are played by Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, and Mindy Kaling. The kids are played by Storm Reid, Levi Miller, and Deric McCabe. The casting was a piece of brilliance, as there were no weak links in either set of actors. Reid, who plays Meg, was especially believable and shines in almost every scene.

As with all book to film adaptations, A Wrinkle in Time doesn't follow L'Engle's plot in scrupulous detail, but the screen play captures many of the major moments. The settings are gorgeous, and I loved the soundtrack. I also appreciate that the movie includes a diverse cast.

Director Ava DuVernay and writers Jennifer Lee and Jeff Stockwell sure know how to tug at your heartstrings. As the younger crowd used to say: OMG.All.The.Feels! You'll definitely want to keep the tissues handy while you get ready to find your inner strength and the courage to become a warrior.

The themes in A Wrinkle in Time include self-acceptance, love, faith, and trust. The novel stresses more traditional forms of faith (Christianity), but the movie takes a broader view of healing the world through love.

The movie version of A Wrinkle in Time condenses the novel and tweaks the perspective for a twenty-first-century audience, but Meg's personal journey to self-acceptance is worth the trip. Note that you don't have to be a science fiction fan to enjoy this movie. Check out the trailer:

Thanks again to Disney for the opportunity to review the movie and for the very cool swag.

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Giveaway & Review: The Jungle Book (Movie)

Have you ever read Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book? I loved the stories in this classic when I was kid, so I was pretty happy when I learned Disney was making a new film that combined twenty-first-century technology with live action.

Then I learned of the amazing cast -- Bill Murray, Lupita Nyong'o, Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Walken, and Scarlett Johansson -- and I knew the movie was going on my must-see list. Plus I was curious how young Neel Sethi was going to be as Mowgli.

If you missed the movie in the theater, put your worries aside. The Jungle Book was released in Blu-ray, DVD, and digital download just this week. I got a chance to view it and loved everything about this new Disney adaptation.

First, the movie itself is beautiful to look at and the acting, especially Sethi, was close to perfect. I even liked the idea that sitting below the exciting action, good humor, and spot-on level of scary, there are some great lessons about friendship and family and about the environment and humankind's effect on the natural world.

The extras include a a short film about how The Jungle Book was made, a cool look at Sethi's journey from regular kid to Disney movie star, and in-depth exploration of one of the most complex, exciting scenes.

By the way, don't assume that The Jungle Book is just for kids. Put aside your preconceived ideas and give the movie a chance. My husband and I both really liked it and plan to watch a few more times.

Disney, of course, doesn't forget the youngsters, and in true Disney fashion, there are a lot of extras tied into The Jungle Book movie. If you visit the official website you'll find activity guides (like the one shown here; click to enlarge), animal fact sheets, and guides for teachers or home-schoolers. There are also a number of film clips and some background information.

Take a look at the official trailer. That's Walken playing the gigantic orangutan and Murray as the bear. The trailer gives you a good sense of the beauty of The Jungle Book as well as the action and jokes.

GIVEAWAY: Now for the part you've been waiting for! Thanks to Disney Home Entertainment, I'm able to offer one of my readers (with a USA mailing address) a copy of the Blu-ray/DVD/Digital editions of The Jungle Book, so she (or he) can watch the movie and all the extras on whatever device she wants. All you have to do to be entered for a chance to win is to fill out the following form. I'll pick a winner using a random number generator on September 8. Once the winner has been confirmed and the mailing information has been sent to the studio, all personal information will be deleted from my computer. Good luck!

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