
Phoebe in Wonderland
2008, Drama, 1h 36m
54 Reviews 25,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
Blessed with a good cast, Phoebe's heart is in the right place, but its execution is dicey. Read critic reviews
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Phoebe in Wonderland Photos
Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Hillary Lichten
Miss Dodger
Phoebe Lichten
Peter Lichten
Principal Davis
Olivia Lichten
News & Interviews for Phoebe in Wonderland
Critic Reviews for Phoebe in Wonderland
All Critics (54) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (33) | Rotten (21)
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It needs the power of imagination to be done effectively and I just didn't think it was here.
March 9, 2009 -
I thought this was delightful, a little depressing at times but with three stellar performances from Fanning, Huffman, and Patricia Clarkson.
March 9, 2009 | Full Review… -
There's a lot more perspiration than inspiration.
March 9, 2009 | Rating: C+ | Full Review… -
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
March 9, 2009 | Rating: B- | Full Review… -
The taxing whimsy of Phoebe in Wonderland proves more grating than poignantly escapist.
March 6, 2009 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review… -
[Elle Fanning is] an astonishingly natural and unmannered actress who carries this rather ungainly movie on her narrow shoulders.
March 6, 2009 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for Phoebe in Wonderland
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Nov 14, 2013The film's strength lies in its candid portrayal of a young girl afflicted and in Elle Fanning's Phoebe. Full review later.Thomas B Super Reviewer
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Jun 05, 2012A troubled ten-year-old gets cast as Alice in the school play version of Alice in Wonderland and copes with the pressures of growing up different than her peers. Stellar performances by everyone in the cast carry this film. Elle Fanning has all the natural charm her sister has and is equally wise beyond her years. Felicity Huffman and Patricia Clarkson are also quite good, and Bill Pullman has moments of emotional expression that are rare for him. I liked that that film took its characters seriously and that this didn't attempt to be a contemporary re-telling of Alice in Wonderland. Rather, the film is about a child coping with what could be either eccentricity or mental illness, and for the characters in the film, the line between those two conditions is as fluid as it should be in real life. Aside from the principal, there isn't a villain (even the principal is more of a weak douche than a true villain), just people of different perspectives trying to resolve the Phoebe's problems. I didn't like the ending, and I thought that Phoebe's antics occasionally got petulant, making her character less identifiable. Overall, Phoebe in Wonderland is a strong, sensitive drama about growing up different with just the right touch of Lewis Carroll whimsy.Jim H Super Reviewer
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Jan 08, 2011This is NOT a childrens' movies. Don't go to Red-Box see the cover and think "O how sweet! A new Alice in Wonderland with Dakota Fannings' little sister!" That is a falsehood! Bad adevertising. Let me tell you what this movie is actually about. Phoepe (fanning) Has always had trouble following the rules and was always told by her mother that being different is a good thing. As she enters 3rd grade (i think) she finds following the rules harder than usual. Spitting on her classmates and yelling out whatever she thinks. He Mother (Huffman) is attempting to write a book on Lewis Carol and his infamous book, but finds starting the book hard while dealing with two extremely immaginatve young girls and an unsupporting husband. Phoebe finds refuge in her class play Alice in Wonderland where she is cast in the title role. She befriends her director, wonderfully played by Patricia Clarkson. But as her parents push her farther into therapy and trying to understand their daughters unruliness, Phoebe goes further down the rabbit whole and further away from reality. This is definitely a PARENTS movie. I really enjoyed it. The performances are raw and believable. A bit long but it had good closure to the ending.Morgan S Super Reviewer
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Dec 06, 2010This wasn't the movie I wanted it to be. It's about a troubled girl who finds her school's production of Alice In Wonderland, which ends up becoming a strain on her sister and her parents. I don't know what the point of it was, it was just a tough movie with not much cute.Alexis N Super Reviewer
Phoebe in Wonderland Quotes
Phoebe: | I can see myself wrecking and ruining, but can't stop myself. |
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