I really wanted to like A Wrinkle in Time more than I did. I gave it my best shot, but in the end, the only thing I can honestly say was that it had lots of great colors. Perhaps it was my high expectations for a Disney film, plus Oprah Winfrey and Mindy Kaling that set me up for disappointment, but regardless, I was left feeling let down in a film that I knew practically nothing about. I have never read the 1962 Madeleine L’Engle novel, so I honestly had no clue what the plot was but whatever, it’s Disney, it’s gonna be good. Well…
If you have children, you can go see this movie and not want to stab yourself in the face with sharp objects. That is the best and most glowing review I can give. Storm Reid, who plays Meg Murray, does a great job in the film. Her character is angry and sad, because her father disappeared four years ago and the wound has not healed. Kids at school tease her and her self-esteem is at an all-time low as we mark the fourth anniversary of his disappearance. Her scientist father is played by Chris Pine, who the audience knows has gone missing due to an accident in “tessering,” which is crossing into another part of our universe by wrinkling time. Meg plays opposite her genius brother, Charles Wallace (played by Deric McCabe), who is a true delight. I enjoyed his character quite a bit and thought his acting skills overshadowed all of the adults onscreen (yeah, even Oprah).
One evening a strange woman shows up in their home and Charles Wallace is a bit surprised. He tells them he asked her to come help and she introduces herself as Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon). She briefly mentions her friends, Mrs. Which (Oprah) and Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling). Soon enough Charles Wallace has recruited a boy from Meg’s class, Calvin (Levi Miller), to come with them on the journey to search for their dad. Against Meg’s better judgment, they follow the three Missus across time and into another universe by way of tessering.
The journey to find their father is filled with new worlds and a battle of good vs. evil. Along the way there are concepts that are heartfelt and at times inspiring. It touches on being yourself, embracing your faults, love triumphing over hate, good over evil, family, and sticking together. There are moments where you think man, this is a great moment. But they are fleeting and often drowned out by the music or the fast paced changes between foreign worlds. I found some scenes to be a bit scary for kids, mainly because they were nerve racking for me.
The costumes were lovely, the colors were beautiful but it mostly felt like an elaborate Apple desktop background as opposed to a movie that I was enjoying. I am not a huge sci-fi lover so the entire plot was hard for me to wrap my mind around. If you can see it for free- maybe go see it. If you have kids, you can definitely stomach this and there’s no harm in the messages it’s pushing. If you are a group of adults, skip list as it was just a bit too wrinkled for my likes.