Watch and Read: Spotlight on Media Tie-ins
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Joy Fleishhacker -- School Library Journal, 03/08/2010
Return to Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland (PG), an adventure fantasy film from Walt Disney Pictures, recently made its premier in 3-D and IMAX 3-D as well as in regular movie theaters. The project, which blends live action and computer-generated animation, was envisioned and directed by Tim Burton with a screenplay by Linda Woolverton. More of an expansion of Lewis Carroll’s classic works, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871), than a re-interpretation, the film centers around Alice (Mia Wasikowska), now a free-spirited and independent-minded 19-year-old who feels smothered by the restrictions placed upon her by Victorian society.
She accidentally returns to Underland, the magical world that she first encountered as a youngster (she vaguely recalls the denizens and environs of “Wonderland” from vivid and reoccurring childhood dreams). In this magical land, she is reunited with old friends including the White Rabbit (Michael Sheen), the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry), and the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp). Alice soon discovers that she is the only one who can slay the terrifying Jabberwocky and save Underland from the oppressive reign of the capricious and cruel Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter). But can Alice find the confidence and courage to pursue her true destiny and follow her dreams?
Kids who want to take a peek through the looking-glass can visit the movie’s official Web site to access previews and photos, sample the soundtrack, play games, and more. A character option introduces Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Red Queen, and the White Queen (the villainess’s more benign sister, played by Anne Hathaway) with personality profiles, video clips with commentary from the actors, Facebook links, and downloads.
Book Tie-ins
The movie is sure to stir up interest in Lewis Carroll’s works, as viewers will want to peruse the original stories about Alice, whether to discover them for the first time or to revisit them in order to make comparisons to the film’s plot. Put together a display of all of your copies of these tales, including the original works memorably illustrated by John Tenniel and the many inventive versions that have been published through the years in a variety of styles for readers of diverse ages and tastes.
Film fans will also enjoy browsing through DK’s Alice in Wonderland: The Visual Guide (2010; Gr 2–6), a handsome volume packed with movie stills, CG character photography, and production artwork. Double-page chapters bursting with colorful images and brief text paragraphs introduce the movie’s characters, settings, and events. Other spreads present large movie stills along with brief captions and quotes from the characters. A glossary of terms from the “weird and wonderful” language of “Outlandish” is appended. The book’s lively writing, appealing layouts, and clear reproductions invite readers to explore and contemplate the ins and outs of Underland.
Alice in Wonderland (2010; Gr 4–8), T. T. Sutherland’s elegant-looking novelization of the movie screenplay, is available from Disney Press. With a deep violet faux-leather cover, regal silver lettering and borders, and an ethereal image of Alice wandering through a mushroom forest, the book has the quality of a Victorian fairytale published long ago. The writing is strong and vivid, blending dialogue with more reflective moments of narrative humor, and the somewhat stately tone suits the fanciful subject matter. Small, detailed, black-and-white renderings of the characters are scattered throughout the pages. Aside from the cover, there are no movie images, leaving the imagining (or re-imagining) of the events to readers, who will find plenty of inspiration in the descriptive text.
Pub Info
CASEY, Jo & Laura Gilbert. Alice in Wonderland: The Visual Guide. DK. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7566-5982-0.
SUTHERLAND, T. T., adapt. Alice in Wonderland. based on the screenplay by Linda Woolverton. Disney. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-2886-1.
