A Wrinkle in Time was wonderful!

I will caution you; it’s a kids’ movie. Don’t go expecting the depth and philosophical beauty of the original book. The ideas are there, but only as seeds. I do think a lot of people are varnishing the book in their memories and then being disappointed by the movie. The movie is spectacular; visually gorgeous, technically clever and just like being wrapped in a warm fuzzy sweater. but there are parts missing – the ideas those parts encompassed are still in the movie, just not overwrought or hammered in firmly. The notion of nurturing love is still there, even without Aunt Beast. The notion of how parents can disappoint is still there, even without Meg’s anger at her father. It’s all there. It’s just more subtle, more gentle than the book was. I love the book, and I read it very recently to my own daughter (who loved it) but the movie has a different angle for the same vision. And I think it worked beautifully.

People forget, there were a lot of amazing ideas being promoted in the book and the movie doesn’t have time to delve into all those ideas as deeply. Because the main point of hte book was Meg’s agency and self-esteem. All the other ideas were pieces of that puzzle. So the movie focuses on that point mainly, just like the book, all the others are but aspects for her to realize that who she is, is all she needs to be in order to grow and be strong. She doesn’t need approval, she doesn’t need perfection and she doesn’t even need her dad, she just needs to accept herself and be willing to move on and grow. She needs to center herself. And she does.