Phoebe In Wonderland Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Dare to dream your life.
The fantastical tale of a little girl who won't - or can't - follow the rules. Confounded by her clashes with the rule-obsessed world around her, Phoebe seeks enlightenment from her unconventional drama teacher, even as her brilliant but anguished mother looks to Phoebe herself for inspiration.
| Felicity Huffman | Hillary Lichten |
| Elle Fanning | Phoebe Lichten |
| Patricia Clarkson | Miss Dodger |
| Bill Pullman | Peter Lichten |
| Campbell Scott | Principal Davis |
| Ian Colletti | Jamie |
| Caitlin Sanchez | White Queen |
| Mackenzie Milone | Sally |
| Max Baker | 2nd Teacher, King of Hearts |
| Conor Carroll | Jeremy |
| Connor Douglas | Richie |
| Peter Gerety | Dr. Miles, Humpty Dumpty |
| Daniel Barnz |
7.30 out of 10 (729 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Hard to describe, but it was great
posted on 10 Aug 2009Elle Fanning did great acting, considering she was only 10, but also because the role was complex at a level of magnitude to a normal one. She had to play a girl playing a role. How fitting, considering the inherent recursiveness of Lewis Caroll's work, around which the entire story revolves.The movie can be brutal some times, some times a little annoying, some times even boring, but it is great when you realize that at the time, some character in the movie is feeling the same emotion. It is not an easy movie. The wife, always afraid to get too deep into a movie, completely freaked out, but I enjoyed the movie tremendously.Bottom line, think Ballet Shoes with Tourette syndrome and a level of self reference worthy of Alice in Wonderland. I can only advise you to prepare for watching the movie, because bathroom and snack breaks or eating popcorn while watching it is not going to cut it.
You owe it to yourself to see this film.
posted on 05 Jun 2009Tonight my husband , son and I went to the High Falls Film Festival in Rochester, NY to see this film. Bill Pullman spoke about the film briefly before they started the movie. My husband falls asleep during every film we see. Tonight he did not even get sleepy. We were all amazed at how incredible this movie was. My husband said he was just "Captivated" through the entire show. I was so impressed. My son loved it. The cast is supportive and just "Present" throughout the film. After the show Bill Pullman was kind enough to sign our movie festival poster and pose for photos..even though the stupid flash decided not to work. He was kind, gentle and very humble. This is a film that will stay with you. I know that the three of us left that theater changed. I would have said before that the best comment one could get about a movie is that it made you laugh or cry what ever they were going for. But the truth is that this movie changed us. I don't think I could tell you when I last felt that way. The movie is not hitting you over the head with it's subject matter it's just captivating. It tends to make you feel like you want to be a better person. I don't know if that makes any sense to you or not. It's just fantastic.
Different
posted on 12 Apr 2009The Lichten family has all the potential of being a happy one; yet, nothing seems to be right with them. As the story begins, we realize that Phoebe, the intense older child, is having problems. She is different. On the other hand, her younger sister is an uncomplicated child. The parents, Peter and Hillary, are trying to cope with a daughter that doesn't interact well with her school mates.The problem with little Phoebe is one of obsession. She if forever counting, as though she must follow a system, or a method for most of the things she engages in. To make matters worse, she spits at any class mate that might contradict, or cross her. The only friend she has is Jamie, a boy who is the butt of his peers' jokes because he is perceived as odd. It is only natural that Phoebe and Jamie understand each other.Hillary Lichten is worried about her daughter's behavior. An analyst is secured to deal with Phoebe, but the girl does not respond. Hillary is preparing her thesis basing it on Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland". Phoebe identifies with the story in her vivid imagination. When the school decides to stage a version of the book, the children are auditioned for the different parts. The director, Ms. Dodger, is an enigmatic figure; she sees a lot of herself in little Phoebe, who is cast in the principal role. Ms. Dodger believes in letting the children use their imagination, something that gives Phoebe an opportunity to be herself.Things start to unravel when Phoebe, who has wandered in the theater to the catwalk above the stage, falls from that perch. An investigation by the principal focuses on Ms. Dodger. She is blamed for the accident and she is released from the play. By that time, the parents realize that Phoebe's problem has a name, Tourette's syndrome, and decide on a different approach to help the girl.Daniel Barnz, the creator of this interesting film, also directed. The film offers an inside look at a sensitive girl's mind in trying to deal with something that no one has taken into consideration, or maybe the adults get blinded into recognizing the cause of Phoebe's reactions. Mr. Barnz film is a magical trip into an unknown territory and works about most of the film, which goes soft on the last minutes of its running time.Elle Fanning plays Phoebe with such an intelligent approach that it makes one wonder how can this girl could capture the essence of Phoebe in the excellent performance she gives. If we thought her sister, Dakota, was amazing, what can one say about Elle? There are two other incredible actresses in the film: Patricia Clarkson, and Felicity Huffman. Both women bring to life a passionate teacher and a desperate mother with precision and clarity. Little Ian Coletti is also effective as Jamie. Bill Pullman appears as Phoebe's father and Campbell Scott portraits the school principal in all its accuracy.Daniel Barnz is a new voice in the cinema who shows a promising career.
Projections
posted on 17 Feb 2009I collect cinematic experiences based on Alice in Wonderland, which is why I came to this. Most folks find it too much trouble to go to for the unsatisfying resolution. But what interests me is the number of inversions.We have the movie, essentially a coming of age story of a prepubescent girl, focused on her damaged parents and an influential teacher.Folded into that is a play (of "Alice in Wonderland"), a book about "Alice" by the Mom, another book, a children's book by the Dad, a mental illness of obsessive compulsive disorder mashed together with Tourette's, a cinematic magical visualization technique, a parallel magical reality with a visitor from the other side, and finally a set of embodied anxieties in the Mom and the marriage. All this is is mixed in a way that makes sense, and though it is not particularly strong as an experience, the mix of these folds is impressive. It probably could only have been pulled off using something as deep as "Alice." Each of these inner stories becomes in turn the anchor for the others in a sort of round robin, with a very regular period, precisely equal to the periodicity of the Alioce story itself.Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.
Surprisingly Fantastic
posted on 28 Jan 2009**May contain slight spoilers** Wow. I put this on at 2 am thinking it was a kids movie that I could watch as I drifted to sleep. I was very wrong. Instead, it's a complex, deep, insightful masterpiece that made me cry two or three times.Don't be fooled by the cover. This is not a movie for children. The story focuses on a free-willed family with writer/scholar parents, and very bright young daughters. The lightheartedness slowly gives way to a deep heartfelt story of a young girl developing OCD and Tourettes while just trying to keep her lead in the school play of Alice in Wonderland. Her drama teacher, played by Patricia Clarkson, is a quiet, Nanny McPhee-type who is able to connect to Phoebe a little bit better than everyone else. I almost got annoyed with that, since it is rather cliché, but it's really Phoebe's mom (the brilliant Felicity Huffman) who connects with Phoebe the most. You'll laugh one moment and cry the next as you take this journey with such an endearing and interesting family. Phoebe befriends a young boy named Jamie who has a lot more theater experience than she does, and wants nothing more than to play not the White Knight, nor the King of Hearts, but rather the Queen of Hearts. This decision leads the other children to call him "homo" and "faggot", which results in the usually wisely reserved Miss Dodger (Clarkson) showing the only anger she shows in the film when she confronts them and challenges their mimicry. Maybe I am mistaken...maybe some older children should be exposed to this film. Not only will they learn how to imagine, but they will also learn how to tolerate differences, and to love a person for who he or she is, despite wanting to go against gender roles and play the Queen of Hearts, or having to wash her hands a certain number of times.If I am not mistaken, this is Elle Fannings first lead role, and man does she do an amazing job. She's already begun to surpass her sister when it comes to acting chops. I can't wait to see where she goes.
Lovely Film!
posted on 02 Jan 2009What a brilliant film. From the art direction, to the writing and directing this was almost flawless. The acting was above-par, and somehow, the best child actress to come along in decades, Dakota Fanning, has been upstaged by her little sister, Elle. I had an awful day, full of suburban bigots and homophobes and was starting to feed into it. I randomly watched this movie and found solace in a nine year old boy overcoming the same stuff I dealt with today. Maybe that sounds pathetic, but it was the quiet reminder I needed today. Thanks to the filmmakers, not only was I thoroughly entertained, you brightened my evening.
Amazing performances, thought provoking movie
posted on 11 Dec 2008My husband brought home this movie from the video store over the weekend. Neither of us had heard about it but we will certainly be telling our friends and family to check it out. What an amazing movie with some absolutely spectacular performances. My heart just broke when Mum was consoling Phoebe after her nightmare. Ellie Fanning is simply spellbinding in her portrayal of a child losing control and shows such amazing talent that it just blew me away. I am saddened that it appears these performances have flown under the radar with respect to being acknowledged in nominations for awards because I really feel there are at least 2 worthy of that honor. An intelligent movie that is guaranteed to make people laugh and cry. A must see.By the way I too am perplexed as to the low rating of this movie on this site.
Enthralling and at times boring, bold and uncompromising tale of a 9 year old.
posted on 05 Nov 2008I've just finished watching 'Phoebe in Wonderland' and for the first time I can remember I can't wait to see the movie again. It speaks volumes for his powers as a director that he can so fully engage a masculine 25 year old man on the focused tale of a precocious, imaginative and slightly troublesome 9 year old girl. I'm announcing a future Academy award winning director right here folks.Here are my criticisms after seeing the film again.CRITICISMS Use of music is old fashioned and out of sync with our times. I think its almost a turn off for the young and restless in their twenties (Not to speak of teenagers). Timeless is a word, it doesn't actually exist in real life, a director should try to make his movie as relevant as he can for as long as he can. In this case I'm talking about the sound in the film, which is exclusively violin and piano, with stereotypical entries from the xylophone and wind chimes.Another problem, is his static documentary camera work when filming his actors in dramatic scenes are basic and fail to engage the viewer. This is crucial, since the opulence and density of his film, leaves one unprepared for the sparse and solitary environment one finds oneself in, making one turn into oneself in introversion and contemplation, when face with these relatively empty dramatic actor scenes, thus making us miss out on these parts of the movie. (Or perhaps the actors lack sufficient charisma, but that is still only partly an excuse) In short, the scene changes are too quick, especially and detrimentally when switching to crucial actor dialog closeups.On a lesser note, from that serious problem. Is that his camera shots in the film are too basic and static. They fail to engage the viewers attention on the cameras focus and like I said, this is crucial due to Barnz's visual image being dense and rich with meaning on its own. The pan & scan format of the film might also have exacerbated this problem.Also related to all of the above. His films are challenging, in the sense of being fully understood and in the sense of being fully enjoyed as entertainment. A lot of people will miss out on what this movie has to offer as they will only pick up the surface, which is still impressive nonetheless. This may be a genuine cost of directing such a high caliber movie but I nonetheless feel that Steven Spielbergs early genius for storytelling can nonetheless be imitated and what will result will be a slightly stronger movie, certainly a movie more affective and accessible to the layman. In short there is a lack of storytelling focus. Or more accurately the simultaneous focus on many stories overwhelms the viewer leading to confusion, boredom or impatience. I think it needs a stronger central story so that the rest of the film meanings are complementary instead of distracting and overwhelming.On another line of thought, the dialog in the film is so genuine and the acting of such high quality, that one sometimes gets the feeling that one is a covert observer. But just like in real life, it suffers from the same weaknesses that we all must bear in real life. Failing to understand, not being able to hear or decipher, misinterpreting and becoming distracted from someone speaking directly at you. Very rarely have I felt such an experience in a movie, but in this film it is standard. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing.And finally. The principal, psychiatrist, father even the future gay basher/criminal little boy are all forgivable and admittedly effective. And as a counter balance of sorts the director offers us one decent male character, but this character is not enough. Why? Its not because he is obviously gay, but it is because he is weak and not masculine in the least.Fearful of others opinions and lacking confidence he does not embody a single masculine value. Phoebe's sister is also not masculine, her two primary traits are being outspoken and being petulant. This spoiled the movie for me once I realized it, as I find it difficult to enjoy a film that ridicules and disparages my entire metaphysical world view, without so much as offering a shred of affirmation for the male gender. I hope in your subsequent films you will be able to remedy this.
Great movie!
posted on 04 Oct 2008I saw Phoebe in Wonderland at a private screening at the LA Film Festival. I had no idea what it was about and wasn't really thrilled about spending a beautiful day inside watching a movie. I was so pleasantly surprised to get the opportunity to see such a great film. The plot was great, the acting was great, and I loved the fantasy scenes. Elle Fanning's portrayal of a child with special needs was so on the mark. Felicty Huffman was brilliant in showing the pain of seeing her child suffer and the love that she had for her. Bill Pullman was so believable in his frustration at Phoebe's condition, that it made me really not like his character of the father. I want my family and friends to get the opportunity to see this film. I hope it gets the wide distribution it deserves!
A dark tale about a troubled girl and an unusual drama teacher
posted on 22 Sep 2008"Phoebe In Wonderland" is about a troubled young girl who needs to follow rituals compulsively to achieve good luck, even if the ritual consists of hurting herself.Acting is amazing in "Phoebe In Wonderland". Elle Fanning is such a star, she is able to portray the troubled state of mind perfectly, ranging from obsession, dullness, fear, stubbornness to happiness. I just wonder, how can a young girl play such a troubled soul when she has not encountered such atrocities. Felicity Huffman is unbelievably good as the weird drama teacher. She may be different from the usual teacher, but she cultivates the pupils to believe in themselves, bring out out the talent and hidden abilities in them. Furthermore, she emanates regal elegance, every move and every word is almost out of this world. Such a heavenly quality is rarely encountered."Phoebe In Wonderland"is probably not a film to be enjoyed due to the dark and disturbing plot, but to be admired for its artistic merits.
Good film, but it feels like it's missing something.
posted on 13 Aug 2008Despite great efforts from the cast (excluding most of the child actors) and having it's heart in the right place, I can't help but feel like this little indie film is pushing buttons that don't necessarily need to be pushed.The inconsistency with certain elements kind of let me down and confused me. There were just so many open doors that were never closed or explored. Whether this is intentional or not it's still nevertheless unsatisfying.This isn't a bad film and it features a good performance by Elle Fanning (which surprised me because I can't stand her sister Dakota). I'd say to give this a chance, but don't buy it without viewing it first.
Awesome!
posted on 03 Aug 2008I walked into the theater during a special screening through Boston's International Film Festival only seeing the trailer and hearing bits and pieces of the plot.Let me be the first to say on the IMDb that the ensemble acting, plot development, and art direction is simply fantastic! In a word, the film was awesome! While a drama, there were many comedic moments through the talents of Elle Fanning and other characters, and stay tuned to a tear-jerking moment near the end that caused many of us in the theater to sniffle.I recommend this to everyone once it hits mainstream theaters this fall.
Laugh, cry, think, feel- This film is a must-see!
posted on 28 Jul 2008I love this movie. I watched it twice in one night. I am not so much one to comment on these things but this film deserves many nods. I will be very surprised if it doesn't win multiple awards. The acting is phenomenal and adds to the film's story by allowing it to be believable despite the setting of a world of enchantment. This film is not pretentious or self- effacing. It does not look down on the viewer; making one feel 'dumb' or confused, as many of these Sundance film festival type films succeed in doing. Rather, it sets a straightforward storyline that is easy to follow yet complicated in its intricacies. Each of the characters faces a plethora of obstacles; making it easy for the viewer to relate to them. Despite the fact that the exact circumstances which occur in the film may not apply directly to the viewer's life, I think most people can find at least some part of the film to relate to personally and internalize; I know I did. This movie had a profound impact on me emotionally, which is more than I can say for most of today's movies- It is not soppy (I cannot stand soppy) nor is it too raw and gritty. I would recommend this film to anybody who can appreciate an amazing piece of art.
Psycho
posted on 10 Jun 2008I watched this today, the first 20 minutes anyway. It's terrible. Does a child have to be psychotic to have an imagination. Apparently so. This little girl has serious problems. Obsessive, compulsive. Purposely hurting herself. Yet, her parents are in denial about her obvious very serious problems! The child is not in therapy or taking any medication. Her mother thinks the girl is gifted. It seems the child is not ill, she just has a unique way of seeing the world around her. After jumping compulsively on the stairs and repeatedly hurting herself she goes outside and sees the red queen in a colorful garden. A COMPLETE PSYCHOTIC BREAKDOWN! Isn't that great! We should celebrate this!! Isn't it wonderful! Believe me, this is sad. Throw in a little boy who just happens to be gay. Doesn't matter. The girl is mentally ill, the boy is gay. Now that I think about it, all the characters are a little off center. I suppose this all gets resolved by the end.
Smart, Imaginative and Intriguing to all
posted on 01 May 2008This movie was exquisite, it enthralled me with the opening scene of when to ask questions, question. Felicity, Patricia, and Bill gave great performances from very talented actors, and to be able to stand next to them and be only 10 years old this is why Elle Fanning is quickly making a rise to young superstardom.This movie has tidbits of Shakespeare, Karl Marx and other literature icons, only thing missing was Nietzsche and Dostoyevsky. This was an incredible piece of drama it showed the psyche of a young girl with an illness to not control her ability to follow the rules. Something very common with what Marx wrote about. This was more than just about Elle's character it is about how she affects her family and those around her. We are given a performance where we can't believe she is acting the way she is yet we feel sorry for her and if we were in that situation of the adults we would probably look the other way.Good luck to the future endeavors of this young rising star and great supporting cast I'm sure they have taught her things she will carry towards her future career.9/10 ~XTC
Terrific movie!
posted on 25 Apr 2008I just saw this movie in Rochester NY at the High Falls Film Festival. Bill Pullman introduced the movie.To put it simply, this was a terrific movie! One of the best I have seen in a long time. How it is scoring so low on this site is beyond me. I would not trust the ratings on this site if this movie is scoring so low.Elle Fanning is amazing in her role - one of the best performances I have ever seen by a child actor. Felicity Huffman gives her normal strong performance. Bill does not have a big part in the movie but plays it very effectively. Patricia Clarkson's performance as the drama teacher is perhaps the 2nd best in the movie behind Elle's. The rest of the cast was stellar as well.This movie holds you in its spell throughout. It's moving, funny at times and captivating in its style. Ignore the ratings - see this movie!
Cute, but... meh.
posted on 26 Mar 2008This film was written by a man; a fact which is confounding to me because every male character in this film was an antagonist, unless they were a homosexual 10 year-old. The school principal is preposterously unqualified and the father is meak and pathetic and doesn't seem to understand anything; the basic formula for a Lifetime production. This film deals with many issues I feel parents can relate to, but deal with them in a way that seems overplayed. Felicity Huffman's character, as the mother, takes her daughter to a psychiatrist. When he tries to prescribe her meds (part of the job description of a psychiatrist) she blows up, with all the rhetorical and tired complaints everyone has heard so many times about medicating and "kids these days". If you want to find your daughter help sans drugs, just take her to a therapist and stop bitching. Undoubtedly, Elle Fanning as a child with Tourette syndrome, is adorable, and surprisingly (to me) performed on the same level as her talented female co-stars. You can't blame the actors for a melodramatic script, they certainly pulled it off and I was authentically touched on more than one occasion. But in the end, this film could have gone straight to television, and I doubt anyone would have noticed, particularly the theatre I went to, wherein I was the only attendee.
Young Elle Fanning has to carry this movie, and she does!
posted on 14 Mar 2008Elle Fanning was probably 10 during filming, and she plays 10-year-old Phoebe Lichten. While she seems to be a normally bright girl in most respects, we soon see that she has some "issues." She has borderline OCD with the need to wash her hands a certain number of times, or go through some type of counting ritual before she can move on. She also seems to not be able to control certain other behaviors. This behavior causes some minor problems at home and at school.But when Phoebe is at school, on stage, rehearsing to play Alice in the Wonderland lead, she exhibits none of those characteristics.Felicity Huffman is good as her mother, Hillary Lichten, an author writing a book about Alice in Wonderland. Bill Pullman is her dad, Peter Lichten, also an author. Both Huffman and Pullman are effective in their roles.The other important character is Patricia Clarkson as Miss Dodger, the teacher who is in charge of putting on the play. Her approach is unique, she tells the students to start, to figure out who goes where and begin reading their lines. She ends up having a very positive effect on Phoebe.Good movie, a difficult theme of a childhood malady that probably has no hope for cure, and how all those around her must learn to cope, as she learns to cope.
I am a woman with the same problem Phobe had...
posted on 23 Feb 2008Spoiler Alert- I am a fifty year old woman with OCD and Tourette's. My daughter called and excitedly told me, "Mom! I'm watching a movie about your childhood!" With a few small exceptions, Daniel Barnz managed to capture the personalities of many people in my life. The situations were almost identical. I even wound up going into acting and directing. There is no spot on earth that I find more magical and peaceful than an empty theater and a blank stage.Although my life did not have a happy Hollywood ending, the vast majority of the movie was spot on. Elle Fanning is proving to be as talented as her sister. This is a wonderful representation of a little girl struggling with behaviors that she doesn't understand, and cannot stop with sheer force of will, and all the people around her are just as confused.I had to stop the video to read the line about "All characters are fictional...". I think Daniel Barnz was peeking in my window when I was nine.
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We all need a little magic....
posted on 12 Aug 2009I remember childhood as a time of striving to fit in, or despair at not fitting in, or being in limbo between the two. Sometimes a book, like Alice in Wonderland, captured my imagination, and, for a while, it didn't matter that I was different.This movie accompanies us on a journey of discovery; showing us the bad places, the hurtful places, the thoughtless places, and the beautiful, magical, touching places that make up a life's geography. The impeccable Patricia Clarkson gently pulls our grimy, jammed-in- hands out of our pocket hiding places and shows us the beautiful truth at the center of our uniqueness.... that is, if we can identify with delightful, difficult Phoebe.A wonderful ensemble cast of actors, notably diverse in age, experience and ethnicity, tell the story of this "misfit child" and the way such a personality churns up the water within her family. There is no escape for her loving, conflicted, and anguished mother, so beautifully portrayed by Felicity Huffman in what I believe to be her best performance to date. In large part, she and Phoebe play hide and seek throughout the journey, each fearing to hurt the other, each loving the other too much and understanding too little the myths and mysteries each must negotiate.Bill Pullman, (does he get tired of the Everyman reference I wonder?), no less concerned about the condition of his daughter(s), or his wife, sensitively struggles to find his way to support and care for his family. It is my hope that his performance will inform fathers everywhere: be involved with your children, know them, insist on your important role and, resist letting mothers be the only experts. Whew! I'm telling you, this movie got me thinking!If a writer writes words on a page to move people, to touch their emotions...Danial Barnz did a wonderful job of work with me and the other people in the audience at the L.A. Film Festival. I wasn't the only one gasping at the intricate and amazing sets, laughing at the ironies and juxtapositions, or sniffling (it was a 5 tissue movie for me!) when the charming Elle Fanning bravely faced her obstacles and challenges as she wound her way through her daily rabbit hole in the crucible of grade school. We all remember that one, but here with a principal-- played by Campbell Scott--almost sinister in his devotion to decorum and conformity. Manipulative and slightly malevolent, he sees only the problems and none of the gifts of the children in his care.I have had "Phoebe flashbacks" daily since seeing this movie. Maybe the wonderful, fanciful costumes, or the austere demeanor and dress of Miss Dodger, or the pain on a child's face when a grown-up says something innocuous that isn't to a child, or the ballet that brings both joy and anxiety to a sensitive little girl, Dad and Mom struggling separately to achieve unity and discovering that no one can do it alone. To me, these are rich gifts and the reason I so love the movies. It might be called a little movie, but I don't think so. It is a huge and mythic movie dressed up in a small, soft rabbit costume which you will love.A personal thank you to everyone concerned with making this touching, big, little movie. Work well done! And, I hope it goes into wide distribution so that I can take my own family and friends on this charming, poignant journey.