The whimsical and outlandish flights of fantasy are what initially grab the attention, but the greatest virtues are the authentic performances by the cast.
Phoebe In Wonderland (2009)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:48
Fresh:28
Rotten:20
Average Rating:5.8/10
Consensus: Blessed with a good cast, Phoebe's heart is in the right place, but its execution is dicey.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for thematic material and brief strong language.
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins 1 sec
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Mar 6, 2009 Limited
Synopsis: So much of what constitutes psychological inquiry in cinema is overly simplistic, boiling down the complexity of behavior to clichés. So it’s exceptionally gratifying, when dealing with subjects as... So much of what constitutes psychological inquiry in cinema is overly simplistic, boiling down the complexity of behavior to clichés. So it’s exceptionally gratifying, when dealing with subjects as difficult as parenting and growing up, to find as rich an inquiry as Daniel Barnz’s remarkable Phoebe in Wonderland. This is at once a tale of Phoebe (Elle Fanning), a young girl who is different, and a portrait of her mother (Felicity Huffman), a woman caught between trying to raise a child and striving for success in an academic career, while feeling a failure in both. It also includes an unusually gifted, but peculiar, educator—a drama teacher (Patricia Clarkson), who is directing the school production of Alice in Wonderland, which Phoebe longs to be part of. As talented and exceptional as Phoebe appears to be, she is also increasingly far away, retreating into fantasy, and frustrating her parents and teachers. As an examination of normalcy and madness, this is realistic and cerebral storytelling, but it is also extravagantly magical, a metaphorical fable that examines childhood, our attempts to understand it, and the way we, as parents and teachers, navigate its treacherous shoals. A film full of strangeness, exhilarating moments of realization, and painfully real revelations, Phoebe in Wonderland is an honest and thoughtful work that is not to be missed. --© Sundance Film Festival [More]
Starring: Elle Fanning, Patricia Clarkson, Felicity Huffman, Bill Pullman
Starring: Elle Fanning, Patricia Clarkson, Felicity Huffman, Bill Pullman, Campbell Scott
Director: Daniel Barnz
Director: Daniel Barnz
Screenwriter: Daniel Barnz
Producer: Ben Barnz, Lynette Howell
Composer: Christophe Beck
Studio: ThinkFilm
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Reviews for Phoebe In Wonderland
Believable and engaging, Fanning nearly renders the ensuing bore watchable
An off-putting, misguided disease-of-the-week picture that tries to disguise itself as something else before finally coming clean.
[The movie] resists being pigeonholed or easily labeled -- because, like Phoebe herself, the movie is brilliant and a little strange and wonderfully unique.
Ultimately, watching the film becomes a frustrating and annoying experience.
Movies featuring exceptional young actresses have always been near and dear to my heart. Elizabeth Taylor, Tatum O'Neal, Anna Paquin ------ to mention a few ----- are particular favorites of mine. Now I must add Elle Fanning to that list.
"Phoebe in Wonderland" gradually morphs into a psychological drama of deep intensity, with an astounding performance by Fanning.
It needs the power of imagination to be done effectively and I just didn’t think it was here.
I thought this was delightful, a little depressing at times but with three stellar performances from Fanning, Huffman, and Patricia Clarkson.
Elle Fanning, the ten-year-old sister of Dakota, can act like nobody's business, and it is her remarkable ability that carries an otherwise artistic mess of a movie.
Though Phoebe is nearly too dark for children and nearly too simple for adults, it succeeds as a swirling reminder of what it felt like to get lost in imagination
Phoebe in Wonderland has strong, well-nuanced performances and occasionally moving scenes, but often feels pretentious, uneven and slightly vapid.
Despite slow pacing and stretches of clunky dialogue, it is visually imaginative, frank and sensitive as it avoids being another tearjerker about children who are different.
A small movie in size, but large in heart and enthusiasm. Global warming be damned, Elle Fanning's smile alone could melt the polar ice caps.
Visuals aside, what drags Phoebe in Wonderland along is Fanning's performance, but the rest of the film never rises up to the level of her simple moments counting steps or explaining that she has to wash her hands a certain number of times.
[Elle Fanning is] an astonishingly natural and unmannered actress who carries this rather ungainly movie on her narrow shoulders.
Barnz has made a poignant family movie that, despite its thematic material and brief profanity, is appropriate for mature 10-year-olds and older.
Let Clarkson and Fanning take you to the rabbit hole of seductive enchantment that defines this movie.
Latest News for Phoebe In Wonderland
March 18, 2009:
Elle Fanning excels in character study of mentally-troubled child. ![]()
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February 15, 2009:
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