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The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Friday, March 29, 2024

'A Wrinkle in Time' promises adventure, fails to deliver

a-wrinkle-in-time
Via Walt Disney Pictures

“A movie is an adventure, if one is willing to have faith in imagination.” These were the compelling and thought-provoking words spoken by Ava DuVernay, the director of “A Wrinkle in Time” (2018), in an introductory video message welcoming viewers to the film. However, for a movie to truly be an adventure, there is one thing more essential than faith: quality. And no matter how desperately audiences wanted to be able to enjoy DuVernay’s creation, the adventure we were given went no further than the screen.

Adapted from the 1962 novel by Madeleine L’Engle, “A Wrinkle in Time” should inspire children to fight against the evils of their everyday lives. Intelligent and brave, yet dubious, heroine Meg Murry (Storm Reid), along with her passionate and cheerful younger (adopted) brother,Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe) and charming classmate Calvin (Levi Miller) embark on an interdimensional journey to rescue Meg’s father (Chris Pine) from the clutches of a malevolent entity known simply as The It (David Oyelowo). The child heroes are aided on their quest by three eternal beings:Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey), Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling) and Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon). As Meg overcomes each obstacle in her path, she realizes that it is truly herself whom she must save, and to do so she must learn not only to have faith in others, but to believe in herself. In the novel, Meg’s journey of self-acceptance is energizing, and upon finishing the book one feels prepared to take on the world. After watching the movie, however, all one wants to do is return home and sleep, hoping that at least dreams contain the necessary excitement to survive the following day.

Viewers may expect that with such a star-studded cast, “A Wrinkle in Time” would only need to rely on its acting to make it an exceptional film. Unfortunately, the movie’s improper use of its celebrity actors greatly detracts from the audience’s ability to appreciate the movie. Mrs. Who only speaks in quotes, which is initially endearing, but quickly becomes intolerable, especially when it is unclear how the quote is relevant to the scene. Though Mrs. Whatsit possesses at least some degree of originality, she continuously berates Meg and remarks on her faults, causing viewers to wonder how children could possibly find the movie empowering. Moreover, because of Meg’s overwhelming desire to find her father, the three youngsters are unwillingly separated from the three women, and thus the lesser known actors end up occupying a disproportionate amount of screen time. While they are endearing, their performances are underwhelming and require much improvement if the audience is intended to cheer for the film’s heroes.

The movie does, however, feature many people of color, a departure from the novel. In the book, the Murry family is explicitly Caucasian, while Meg Murry is biracial and Charles Wallace is Filipino-American. DuVernay, a black woman herself, has expressed her determination to diversify the film industry, and this movie certainly accomplishes that. Unfortunately, the diverse cast alone cannot save this film from its multitude of other problems.

Especially concerning is the movie's dependence on cheap CGI tricks. The first place the characters travel, or “tesser,” on their journey is to the planet Uriel, which would have the appearance of a beautiful and majestic “Lord of the Rings”-esque landscape if the special effects used to create it were not immediately obvious. Worse, the decisions made by the effects team are extremely questionable. In one scene, for example, Mrs. Whatsit transforms into a gigantic flying creature, allowing the children to ride on her back. Whoever designed this creature mistakenly assumed that an oversized leaf of lettuce was a better choice than something actually strong and powerful, like a dragon or anything else. Believable special effects are critical if one hopes to produce an engaging fantasy film, and “A Wrinkle in Time” more than misses the mark — it shoots itself in the foot.

The movie offers nothing for audience members to resonate with, and as a result one is left not with the sense of urgency to right the world’s wrongs that the book imparts, but instead with a feeling of emptiness and dissatisfaction. Just like The It, whose wickedness stems from its desire for sameness, “A Wrinkle in Time” dulls its viewers’ minds with its monotony. However, while the characters manage to escape, the same cannot be said for the audience.

Summary "A Wrinkle in Time" attempts to inspire its audience, but makes no lasting impact.
1 Star