Movie Review: "A Wrinkle In Time"

All you need is love, love.
Love is all you need.
- The Beatles (1967)

"A Wrinkle In Time": B.  Since 1922 a division of the American Library Association has annually bestowed the Newbery Medal to the author of the book deemed to be the most distinguished contribution to American literatue for children.  In short, it's an award for writing the best children's book of the year, and is widely considered the most  prestigious literary prize of its kind.  New York author Madeline L'Engle won the Newbery in 1963 for A Wrinkle In Time, which to this day remains one of the most popular children's books of all time.

Until the recently released film of the same title, L'Engle's book had never been produced as a feature film for the cinema.  Walt Disney Pictures, which had created a made-for-television film of the novel in 2003, also financially backed producers Jim Whitaker and Catherine Hand for the new adaptation directed by Ava Marie DuVernay.  Her film, which follows the book more closely than the average "book-to-screen" project, tracks the adventures of a junior high age girl who, with the assistance of three mysterious fairies, transcends the universe in search of her missing father.  The film stars fourteen year old Storm Reid, who plays the abandoned daughter, Meg.  She is accompanied by her precocious five year old brother, Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe), and her teenage friend Calvin (Levi Miller).

The story starts out with Meg leading a rather ordinary life, if not for the fact that her father (Chris Pine), a scientist, disappeared a couple of years ago.  Meg's mother, Kate (Gugu Mbatha Raw), tries her best to raise her two kids as a single parent, never letting them give up hope that one day their dad will return.  Easier said than done, as everyone in their small town has an opinion -- most of them unkind -- about what happened to him.  Even Meg's schoolmates are not beneath taunting and bullying her, an addition to the novel no doubt suggested by unfortunate twenty-first century behavioral issues. It's not long before Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon) appears in the family's kitchen, and when she does the story line arcs into science fiction.  Only little Charles Wallace, who seems to have an intellect way beyond his years, is not surprised by her presence.

Mrs. Whatsit is eager to help the children locate the missing scientist, and soon partners with her two strange friends, Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey) and Mrs. Who (the sweet Mindy Kaling).  The scenes in which these three fairies -- or call them good witches if you prefer -- are present comprise the best parts of the movie.  In fact, that's an understatement because the story drags a little when the kids are left to cope on their own.  No surprise that Oprah's character is the leader of the trio, sometimes having to rein in the exuberance of the younger Mrs. Whatsit.  Mrs. Who has fewer lines, but her observations manifest her wisdom.  

In order to keep the run time to a manageable 109 minutes, the filmmakers have truncated or deleted several scenes from the novel.  Some decisions, such as eliminating an entire intermediate stop of the space travelers between Earth and their ultimate destination, are well-reasoned.  Others, like a too-brief explanation for one of the character's abrupt change of heart near the end of the story, or the elimination of an oversized disembodied brain, the evil IT, prove a little unsatisfying.  What works without question are the special effects which, thankfully, are more artistic than explosive. On the other hand, I found Ramin Djawadi's music to be annoying and cliched.  Must we have violins and French horns playing in almost every suspenseful and important scene?  

More comparisons between the novel and the film are inevitable.  In the book, Charles Wallace is endearing, while in the movie he lacks personality.  Is that by design?  I don't know.  The book spends little time developing the character of the AWOL father, but the script writers have given Pine, the actor who portrays him, more camera time.  As for Meg and Calvin, the young actors with those roles show promise; it wouldn't surprise me if Disney casts them again.

So, what, exactly is a wrinkle in time?  As imagined by author L'Engle, it is a supernatural state which allows one to pass through light years at an infinitesimal fraction of the time ordinarily required. To get a visual of the concept, place a small cloth over a table and pinch two spots (Point A and Point B) a couple of feet apart.  The distance between the two spots represents a distance of X light years.  Now, as you raise and bring your two pinching hands closer together, notice the cloth folds below.  The distance between the two spots, and therefore the time needed to travel from Point A to Point B, has diminished due to the fold, otherwise known as a "wrinkle."  Only creatures like the three fairies have the power to create such a wrinkle in space (and therefore time).  Nice of them to help the kids out.