I Love Childrens Movies

Childrens Movies and the Literary Tradition

Hey, group! I've been thinking recently about some movies coming out recently (or scheduled to come out) that are based on well-known childrens books, and thought this might be a good topic to discuss. Last month "The Dark is Rising" came out, and December will see the release of "The Golden Compass." I'd say I've been anticipating this movie's release since I heard it was being made, but that would be an understatement. I've bee waiting for "The Golden Compass" since the tender young age of ten, when I first read the book.

Are there any childrens book-to-film adaptations you've enjoyed recently? Are there any you eagerly look forward to? Any thoughts on the recent surge of popularity in childrens' fantasy movies? Share them here!

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I've been looking forward to Golden Compass(Most definitely my favorite series of fantasy books since Lord of the Rings) for a short time. I was a bit upset early on when the filmmakers announced they were taking all references to God out of the books, which leaves the movie with no point whatsoever as far as I can see. But then the trailers look awesome, and seeing Iorek growl and bare his teeth gets me excited for the film EVERY time.

Recent children's book adaptations I enjoyed? Well, going against popular wisdom, I actually really enjoyed A Series of Unfortunate Events. I've read all the books(and the tie-ins, and the books Lemony Snicket did under his 'real' name), and as a strict adaptation there's a lot about it that should upset me, but I really got a kick out of it. Jim Carrey just gets funnier in that movie the meaner and more malevolent he gets.By the time I saw it I think I had resigned myself to the fact that the movie wouldn't capture the wit or incredibly morbid tone of the book, and a sequel would NOT be coming, so I was able to enjoy it more on its own merits. Watch the commentary if you have a chance, in which Lemony Snicket(in character) calls the director out on some casual racism when he mentions casting Cedric the Entertainer to give the movie a more 'urban' feel.  And a very VERY funny reference to Sophie's Choice. 

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I loved the look of the "Unfortunate Events" movie, but I don't think the feel of the books transferred very well to the screen. One of the big draws to the books for me was the fact that they felt very sophisticated and managed to be quite silly at the same time while maintaining their gothic feel. With Bret Helquist's illustrations, it was like reading a slightly more whimsical and detailed Edward Gorey book. I remember thinking the movie was just more depressing than anything else, although parts of Carey's performance were very good, and he gave Count Olaf the right comic touch (I was so afraid he'd turn the film into a disaster). And Billy Connolly was wonderful as Uncle Monty. Oh, and there was that brilliant Thomas Newman score...hmm. Like I said, I thought it was aesthetically a good movie, and the acting was good, too, but for whatever reason, it just didn't end up working for me.

I want to watch it with the commentary now that you've mentioned it. I love Daniel Handler (whoops! I mean Lemony Snicket!) and his dry, witty sense of humor. Did you mean the reference to "Sophie's Choice" was in the commentary? Or was it in the movie? If it was in the movie, where was it?

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Well, I actually agree with everything you said about the Unfortunate Events film. The score is amazingly fun, the look was good, Jude Law did a pretty good job keeping it dry as the narrator. It didn't transfer much of the feel of the books(The final chapter of the Austere Academy, coupled with working a lonely night shift at 3am and listening to Smashing Pumpkins was an incredibly depressing moment), but I still enjoyed it. I only saw it the once(well, one and a half, since I saw the commentary too), but I had a good time. Maybe I had lowered my expecations enough to the point that it pleasantly surprised me.

The Sophie's Choice reference was in the commentary.

So, Daniel Handler... Have you read anything he's done under his own name? This is off topic(sorry), but I'm interested in hearing what you might think, since I've not yet met anyone who's read anything other than the Snicket books. The Basic Eight was OK, but suffered from having a really annoying narrator which made it not very enjoyable(side note; I read The Basic Eight directly after reading the Unauthorized Autobiography of Lemony Snicket, which mentions a VFD code involving bells ringing. The Basic Eight was in a high school, and mentioned bells ringing all the time. I spent way too much time looking for secret messages that didn't exist). However, Watch Your Mouth is really good. It's definitely not for children, but if you like the morbidity and wit of Lemony Snicket, and don't mind near-pornographic sex scenes, it's a fun read. 

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Watch Your Mouth isn't for everybody, but I found it to be highly enjoyable. The whole 'written as an opera' thing could have been annoying and technical, but I found it very moving. Adverbs is also something I want to read, but as you know I've been focusing my time lately on trashy books.

The Basic Eight has a lot of the same feel of the Snicket books, although much more adult in nature. The problem is that the wit and drollery come off as snobbish and condescending instead of charming. That's on purpose; it's a function of the narrator who is a snobbish high school girl. However, it wasn't that enjoyable for me.

Funny you should mention Magnetic Fields. In just the manner I'm sure you were implying, I bought the album 69 Love Songs and the 6ths Hyacinths and Thistles because Daniel Handler was involved(he plays Accordian, right?). I love 69 Love Songs, and keep forgetting to pick up the Gothic Archies. The 6ths is another Stephen Merrit project, but he doesn't sing on any of the tracks, but has guests like Gary Numan, Miho Hatori(from Cibo Matto & Gorillaz), Marc Almond and the lead singer of one of my favorite bands(Divine Comedy) Neil Hannon(corrected typo, nothing to see here, move along). It isn't as good as Magnetic Fields, but some of the songs are genius. 

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Ok, eventually I'll try and get back on topic with this thread. But hey, tangents are always fun, and the best part about 'discussion'.

First, I said Neil Hammond above and totally meant Neil Hannon... I may go back and fix that.

The Divine Comedy is all around excellent, and Absent Friends is definitely a great album to have if you only own one. In fact that and Fin de Siecle are the two albums of theirs I can listen to at any time. Although they all have their merits. A Short Album About Love is good, although Casanova took me a few listens before it really sunk in. There's a few very Brittish references that went completely over my head the first time through.