Purple State of Craig

2009-03-05 01:34:23

Filed under: Film
Posted by: Craig

The Fanning sisters, Dakota and Elle, carry two refreshing explorations of Lewis Carroll’s classic “Alice in Wonderland.” Dakota Fanning is the voice of Coraline, a captivating, animated heroine. Her younger sister, Elle Fanning, delivers a remarkable performance as the talented but troubled Phoebe in Wonderland. Both girls face daunting personal circumstances. Well-intentioned parents prove unable to connect with their imaginative daughters. Coraline and Phoebe find comfort within the fantasies offered by the theater. But what happens when the show ends?

Coraline and her parents

Coraline is an eye-popping delight (especially in evocative 3-D). Each handcrafted, clay-mation frame zings with energy and color. Yet, Coraline is depressed by her new surroundings. Her parents are too involved in their new gardening book to venture outside. She befriends the bizarre neighbors in the Pink Palace boarding house. They all share theatrical backgrounds whether as British sisters trained for the Shakespearean stage or a Russian preparing mice for the circus. Coraline dives into an alternate world where an Other Mother and Other Father are much more lively and engaging. They cook delicious meals and always make time to play. The resulting dream sequences, directed by Henry Selick, are absolutely ravishing in their originality and execution.

Coraline

But Coraline’s idealized visions eventually come to haunt her. What begins as an exciting alternative descends into frightening intensity. Coraline demonstrates considerable pluck in squaring off against her adversaries. Her story would absolutely terrorize most small children. Neil Gaiman’s fantasy becomes a cautionary tale for anyone who thinks the grass is greener (or the walls are brighter) in the apartment next door. It is a reminder to parents to hang on when your kids want to run away like prodigal sons and daughters. Their desire for another mother will pass and they’ll come roaring back home.

Phoebe in Wonderland

Phoebe in Wonderland is a mother/daughter story of refreshing depth and complexity. Phoebe Lichten struggles to fit into the structures of school. She approaches steps with a precision that suggests obsessive/compulsive disorder. But her devoted parents, Peter (Bill Pullman) and Hillary (Felicity Huffman) resists administrators’ attempts to diagnose her. Is it fair to label a child with a syndrome? Shouldn’t kids be allowed to run free? Or is it a form of abuse to flee doctors and their recommendations?

Phoebe’s most empathetic advocate becomes her drama teacher, Miss Dodger. She casts Phoebe as the lead in a production of “Alice in Wonderland,” giving all the students ample room to discover their characters. As Miss Dodger, Patricia Clarkson channels all the memorable teachers who embrace outcasts and support “special” students. Only when Phoebe is onstage, portraying “Alice,” does she transcend her condition. Director Daniel Barnz captures the pageantry and pull of the theater, a refuge for those who do not conform to pre-established definitions of normal. Surely, many a child feels that their principals and teachers are the ones speaking gobbledygook. Phoebe in Wonderland celebrates the glory of exceptions.

Coraline and Phoebe affirm the transforming power of imagination and the essential role of active parenting.

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