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A Wrinkle in Time (film)
Encyclopedia
A Wrinkle in Time is a television film based on the children's fantasy novel of the same name
by Madeleine L'Engle
.
In 2003, a television adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time was produced by multiple Canadian production companies to be distributed in the United States by Disney
. The TV movie was directed by John Kent Harrison
, from a teleplay
written by Susan Shilliday. Although footage from the project appeared in a trailer on Spy Kids
DVD and VHS copies as early as 2001, broadcast of the completed film was delayed several times; it finally aired in the United States
on May 10, 2004, on ABC
.
Meg Murry
is having a difficult time. Her father, astrophysicist Dr. Jack Murry, has mysteriously disappeared. Her youngest brother, Charles Wallace
, a genius, is teased and belittled and thought to be stupid because he does not talk to anyone but family. Meg does not get along with her peers, teachers, her 10-year-old twin brothers, or even with herself.
Into this unhappy situation comes a stranger, the mysterious, weirdly dressed Mrs Whatsit, and her friends Mrs Who and Mrs Which. They take Meg, Charles Wallace and their new friend Calvin O'Keefe
via tesseract
to other planets, preparing the children for a mission to rescue Dr. Murry from the malevolent "IT" on the planet Camazotz. Along the way they ride on the back of a beautiful winged creature (the transformed Mrs Whatsit), learn about the shadow of tangible evil known as the Black Thing, and visit the Happy Medium.
Once they reach Camazotz, however, it is up to Meg, Calvin and Charles Wallace to face the dangers of CENTRAL Central Intelligence, aided only by each other and a pair of Mrs Who's glasses. They do find and rescue Dr. Murry, but Charles Wallace is seduced away from his family by IT's agent, the Man with Red Eyes, and thus comes under the control of IT. Dr. Murry manages to tesser himself, Meg and Calvin away from Camazotz, but Charles Wallace is left behind, trapped in the mind of IT. Angry with her father, Calvin and herself for leaving Charles Wallace behind, Meg is cared for by the sightless and motherly Aunt Beast on the planet Ixchel, and argues with Mrs Which about returning to rescue her brother. Returning alone to Camazotz, Meg must find a quality in herself—love—to free Charles Wallace, and possibly free the planet Camazotz as well.
The Camazotz sequences are also quite different, with Charles Wallace succumbing to IT due to intellectual curiosity, and Meg and Calvin taking an active approach fighting the enforced conformity of the planet's inhabitants. The movie theater scene (advertising such films as Casablanc IT and IT Force) is additional to the novel, as is Meg's crowd-inspiring act of civil disobedience
with a basketball
at the end of the film.
The two versions are roughly contemporary in setting, with respect to the release date of each. The novel, published in 1962, is impossible to date chronologically (the author asserts that it is set in "Kairos
", which she defines in the front of the Many Waters hardback as "real time, pure numbers with no measurement"), but seems to be set in the 1960s or very early 1970s. The TV movie, based on clothing styles, technology, etc., has a present day timeframe, sometime around 2001 or later.
Meg is given a more contemporary and attractive look in the film than in the novel, with neither glasses nor braces, and only a passing indication that she believes herself to be "ugly". Calvin, too, is visually different, with brown hair instead of red. Charles Wallace has brown hair and eyes, as opposed to blond and blue respectively in the novel. Even IT is significantly different, a room-sized writhing mass resembling a human cerebrum as opposed to the book's "oversized brain, just enough larger than normal to be completely revolting and terrifying."
Significantly, religious elements of the novel are largely omitted. For example, the name of Jesus is not mentioned as one who fought against evil; and when Mrs. Whatsit asks Charles Wallace to translate the song of the centaur-like creatures on Uriel (which in the book is essentially a psalm
), he simply says "it's about joy".
Originally produced as a television miniseries
, A Wrinkle in Time was at one point intended to air on two nights in February 2002. It was postponed, however, rescheduled for February 2003, postponed again, cut to 128 minutes, and aired in a single three-hour block on May 10, 2004.
The film was released on DVD, on November 16, 2004, ISBN 0-7888-4336-2. The special features included deleted scenes, a "behind the scenes" segment, and a "very rare" interview with Madeleine L'Engle who discusses the novel.
A Wrinkle in Time
A Wrinkle in Time is a science fantasy novel by Madeleine L'Engle, first published in 1962. The story revolves around a young girl whose father, a government scientist, has gone missing after working on a mysterious project called a tesseract. The book won a Newbery Medal, Sequoyah Book Award, and...
by Madeleine L'Engle
Madeleine L'Engle
Madeleine L'Engle was an American writer best known for her young-adult fiction, particularly the Newbery Medal-winning A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters, and An Acceptable Time...
.
In 2003, a television adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time was produced by multiple Canadian production companies to be distributed in the United States by Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
. The TV movie was directed by John Kent Harrison
John Kent Harrison
John Kent Harrison is a television producer, director and writer.Harrison was educated at Columbia University and at Appleby College in Canada....
, from a teleplay
Teleplay
A teleplay is a television play, a comedy or drama written or adapted for television. The term surfaced during the 1950s with wide usage to distinguish a television plays from stage plays for the theater and screenplays written for films...
written by Susan Shilliday. Although footage from the project appeared in a trailer on Spy Kids
Spy Kids
The Spy Kids series is a series of family action adventure films written, produced and directed by Robert Rodriguez. The main plot follows the adventures of two Cortez children who become involved in their parents' espionage. The rest of their family are spies as well, including their estranged...
DVD and VHS copies as early as 2001, broadcast of the completed film was delayed several times; it finally aired in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on May 10, 2004, on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
.
Plot summary
Meg Murry
Margaret "Meg" Murry O'Keefe is the main character and main protagonist in Madeleine L'Engle's Time Quintet of Science fantasy novels, the daughter of two scientists, the sister of twins Sandy and Dennys Murry and telepath Charles Wallace Murry, and the mother of Polly O'Keefe and others in the...
is having a difficult time. Her father, astrophysicist Dr. Jack Murry, has mysteriously disappeared. Her youngest brother, Charles Wallace
Charles Wallace Murry
Charles Wallace Murry is a major character in Madeleine L'Engle's young adult science fiction novels A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, and A Swiftly Tilting Planet, sometimes referred to as the Time Trilogy...
, a genius, is teased and belittled and thought to be stupid because he does not talk to anyone but family. Meg does not get along with her peers, teachers, her 10-year-old twin brothers, or even with herself.
Into this unhappy situation comes a stranger, the mysterious, weirdly dressed Mrs Whatsit, and her friends Mrs Who and Mrs Which. They take Meg, Charles Wallace and their new friend Calvin O'Keefe
Calvin O'Keefe
Calvin O'Keefe is a major character in Madeleine L'Engle's Time Quartet series of books, and, as "Dr. Calvin O'Keefe", an important character in her O'Keefe series of young adult novels. In an interview released on the DVD of the TV adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time, L'Engle describes Calvin as "the...
via tesseract
Tesseract
In geometry, the tesseract, also called an 8-cell or regular octachoron or cubic prism, is the four-dimensional analog of the cube. The tesseract is to the cube as the cube is to the square. Just as the surface of the cube consists of 6 square faces, the hypersurface of the tesseract consists of 8...
to other planets, preparing the children for a mission to rescue Dr. Murry from the malevolent "IT" on the planet Camazotz. Along the way they ride on the back of a beautiful winged creature (the transformed Mrs Whatsit), learn about the shadow of tangible evil known as the Black Thing, and visit the Happy Medium.
Once they reach Camazotz, however, it is up to Meg, Calvin and Charles Wallace to face the dangers of CENTRAL Central Intelligence, aided only by each other and a pair of Mrs Who's glasses. They do find and rescue Dr. Murry, but Charles Wallace is seduced away from his family by IT's agent, the Man with Red Eyes, and thus comes under the control of IT. Dr. Murry manages to tesser himself, Meg and Calvin away from Camazotz, but Charles Wallace is left behind, trapped in the mind of IT. Angry with her father, Calvin and herself for leaving Charles Wallace behind, Meg is cared for by the sightless and motherly Aunt Beast on the planet Ixchel, and argues with Mrs Which about returning to rescue her brother. Returning alone to Camazotz, Meg must find a quality in herself—love—to free Charles Wallace, and possibly free the planet Camazotz as well.
Cast
- Katie StuartKatie StuartKatherine Anne "Katie" Stuart is a Canadian actress who has appeared in over 15 movies, ranging from the obscure to the more well-known . She has guest-starred on numerous television shows as well as appearing in the television movie A Wrinkle in Time.Stuart was born in Vancouver, British...
as Meg MurryMeg MurryMargaret "Meg" Murry O'Keefe is the main character and main protagonist in Madeleine L'Engle's Time Quintet of Science fantasy novels, the daughter of two scientists, the sister of twins Sandy and Dennys Murry and telepath Charles Wallace Murry, and the mother of Polly O'Keefe and others in the... - Gregory Smith as Calvin O'Keefe
- David DorfmanDavid DorfmanDavid Dorfman is an American teen actor. His most notable role was as Aidan Keller in the 2002 horror film remake The Ring, and its 2005 sequel The Ring Two. He has also appeared in the 2000 film Panic as Sammy. Some people may remember him as the character "Charles Wallace Murry" in the film...
as Charles Wallace MurryCharles Wallace MurryCharles Wallace Murry is a major character in Madeleine L'Engle's young adult science fiction novels A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, and A Swiftly Tilting Planet, sometimes referred to as the Time Trilogy... - Chris PotterChris Potter (actor)Christopher Jay "Chris" Potter is a Canadian actor, musician and pitchman. He is primarily known for his roles on soap operas and prime-time television. Potter is known for his roles as Peter Caine, on the popular 1990s crime drama, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, Dr...
as Dr. Jack Murry - Kyle SecorKyle SecorKyle Ivan Secor is an American television and movie actor, best known for his role as Detective Tim Bayliss on the crime drama Homicide: Life on the Street.-Early years:...
as the Man With Red Eyes and "Hank", Jack Murry's research partner - Sean CullenSeán CullenSeán Cullen is a Canadian comedian. He is known for combining improvisation with mimicry and music. Cullen has been described in Time as the "vanguard of comedy's next generation". He is best known for voicing Four, Five & Seven in Seven Little Monsters. -Career:Cullen entered into the public eye...
as the Happy Medium - Sarah-Jane RedmondSarah-Jane RedmondSarah-Jane Redmond is a British-Canadian actress and acting instructor.-Filmography:* Harper's Island as Sarah Mills* Case 39 ... as Mrs. Barron* Sorority Wars * Smile of April ... as Witness 2...
as Dr. Dana Murry - Kate NelliganKate NelliganPatricia Colleen "Kate" Nelligan is a Canadian BAFTA award winning stage, film and television actress.-Early life:Nelligan, the fourth of six children, was born in London, Ontario, the daughter of Josephine Alice , a schoolteacher, and Patrick Joseph Nelligan, a factory repairman and municipal...
as Mrs. Which - Alison ElliottAlison ElliottAlison A. Elliott is an American actress.Elliott was born in San Francisco, CA, the daughter of Barbara, a teacher of nursing, and Bob Elliott, a computer executive. She moved with her family to Tokyo, Japan when she was 4 years old, and then moved back to San Francisco when she was 8, where she...
as Mrs. Who - Alfre WoodardAlfre WoodardAlfre Ette Woodard is an American film, stage, and television actress. She has been nominated once for an Academy Award and Grammy Awards, 17 times for Emmy Awards , and has also won a Golden Globe and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.She is known for her role in films such as Cross Creek, Miss...
as Mrs. Whatsit - Munro Chambers and Thomas ChambersMunro ChambersMunro Chambers is a Canadian actor, best known for his role as Wilder on The Latest Buzz and his new role as Elijah "Eli" Goldsworthy on Degrassi. His identical twin brother named Thomas Chambers is also an actor.- Filmography :-External links:...
as The Twins
Comparison with novel
Among the many differences between the book and the movie are different first names for Meg's parents, and implied identification of Dr. Murry's colleague Hank (a character barely mentioned in the book) as The Man with Red Eyes. This identification is made explicit in one of the deleted scenes that is included on the DVD, which shows the disappearance of both Jack Murry and Hank from their lab. Hank is played by Kyle Secor, who plays the Man With Red Eyes in the later scenes. The deleted scenes also show Calvin in Dr. Murry's lab, which contradicts Calvin's unfamiliarity with Meg's father in the novel.The Camazotz sequences are also quite different, with Charles Wallace succumbing to IT due to intellectual curiosity, and Meg and Calvin taking an active approach fighting the enforced conformity of the planet's inhabitants. The movie theater scene (advertising such films as Casablanc IT and IT Force) is additional to the novel, as is Meg's crowd-inspiring act of civil disobedience
Civil disobedience
Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Civil disobedience is commonly, though not always, defined as being nonviolent resistance. It is one form of civil resistance...
with a basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
at the end of the film.
The two versions are roughly contemporary in setting, with respect to the release date of each. The novel, published in 1962, is impossible to date chronologically (the author asserts that it is set in "Kairos
Kairos
Kairos is an ancient Greek word meaning the right or opportune moment . The ancient Greeks had two words for time, chronos and kairos. While the former refers to chronological or sequential time, the latter signifies a time in between, a moment of indeterminate time in which something special...
", which she defines in the front of the Many Waters hardback as "real time, pure numbers with no measurement"), but seems to be set in the 1960s or very early 1970s. The TV movie, based on clothing styles, technology, etc., has a present day timeframe, sometime around 2001 or later.
Meg is given a more contemporary and attractive look in the film than in the novel, with neither glasses nor braces, and only a passing indication that she believes herself to be "ugly". Calvin, too, is visually different, with brown hair instead of red. Charles Wallace has brown hair and eyes, as opposed to blond and blue respectively in the novel. Even IT is significantly different, a room-sized writhing mass resembling a human cerebrum as opposed to the book's "oversized brain, just enough larger than normal to be completely revolting and terrifying."
Significantly, religious elements of the novel are largely omitted. For example, the name of Jesus is not mentioned as one who fought against evil; and when Mrs. Whatsit asks Charles Wallace to translate the song of the centaur-like creatures on Uriel (which in the book is essentially a psalm
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
), he simply says "it's about joy".
L'Engle's review
In a Q&A with MSNBC/Newsweek Entertainment reporter Melinda Henneberger, L'Engle said of the film "I have glimpsed it... I expected it to be bad, and it is."Release history
A Wrinkle in Time was premiered at the Toronto Children's Film Festival in 2003. There it won the festival's 2003 Best Feature Film Award, as chosen "by Sprockets audiences".Originally produced as a television miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
, A Wrinkle in Time was at one point intended to air on two nights in February 2002. It was postponed, however, rescheduled for February 2003, postponed again, cut to 128 minutes, and aired in a single three-hour block on May 10, 2004.
The film was released on DVD, on November 16, 2004, ISBN 0-7888-4336-2. The special features included deleted scenes, a "behind the scenes" segment, and a "very rare" interview with Madeleine L'Engle who discusses the novel.