Anything Goes : Just saw A Wrinkle in Time........REALLY?!? by Ingrid Goldberg

Uh, I think you're right. Checked out the trailer. Like someone trying to get you to to step into his van and promising there's ice-cream in his needle.

Ava Duvernay will learn from this experience and move on to the next project. Everybody fails. Guy Ritchie directed a King Arthur dud and Disney awarded him with a bigger budget, Mulan.

It's one film. Not the industry as a whole. Lol! :) Plus movie making is a team effort. Many many people affect a script from paper to screen—the studio, execs, producers, the director, actors, etc, they all add to it and change it, for better or for worse. To place blame upon screenwriting itself or the screenwriters is rather unfair and misplaced—who knows how many drafts were written or what those first drafts looked like? If you read about the film's production you'll see it had a few bumps along the way. It started with a budget of $35 million, had a different writer, Jeff Stockwell, who wrote the first draft. Then they announced Jennifer Lee to take over. Then Ava DuVernay came on board. The budget jumped to $100 million. Then Oprah joined the cast, and the rest... The producers on the film are James Whitaker and Catherine Hand. Anyway, it sounds like it made a huge, sharp creative turn away from what it was originally conceived to be after new people joined the project. But as Dan M said, everyone and every studio will make a dud and move on. What's great about this film is kids will enjoy it! And Ava DuVernay is the first woman of color to direct a live-action film with a production budget over $100 million. How inspiring for little girls! ;)

I am not familiar with the original book but based on the very passionate audience comments on Rotten Tomatoes they took a story that a lot of people are attached to and Disney-fied it to the point where it was hard to recognize. With Marvel Comics Universe you can seemingly get away with virtually anything. But with a classic children's book that has a loyal but much more limited audience I'm not sure you have the same margin for error.

Beth. I do not think anything that takes down the standard or depth and richness of creativity is going to inspire anyone in the right way.

Ingrid, my point about Ava DuVerney being an inspiration is about breaking job barriers. Not about subjective, creative personal opinion on what may or what may not be considered "standard." You didn't like it. Others did, particularly younger audiences—the film's intention. DuVerney herself said the film was a love letter to little black girls, not to critics or cynics. DuVerney's career is inspiring for many girls and women who wish to be filmmakers. There's a saying: "If you can't see it, it's hard to be it." So the more women are seen in powerful positions—certainly in this industry—the more little girls will picture themselves one day as being filmmakers or cinematographers or producers or directors or screenwriters. More girls and women will enter those fields—and we need them! Perhaps view her other independent films. Her documentary 13TH is incredible, heartbreaking, and infuriating—a truly powerful movie. ;)

I distinctly remember reading this book when I was a kid... I thought it to be bizarre! I don't remember really liking it or disliking it. Just "Okay?" What did I just read? It's about weirdness, scientific brilliance, and creativity. But Madeleine L’Engle’s weirdness is also ugly and unsettling at times. The language of the book is strange and wacky too. I can see why Disney did its typical thing "Disneyfying" it, to soften its harder, darker themes and action—not saying I agree with it. But... then they (Disney) pushed the wackiness to extremes here. Hey, little ones do love wacky! Lol! ;)

Maybe you need to read the book again. The book you are describing is not the book I know and love and read to my son. Disney nor anyone has a right to decide to demean a brilliant search for truth. But then again, look what they did to the Hunchback of Nortre, Dome! Little ones also thirst for greatness in spirit and artistry. Don't belittle them with what YOU think is too dark. Being wacky is fine.....being EMPTY is a nightmare!

I'm not belittling anything. Physical abuse is a dark subject, is it not? As you pointed out they (Disney) tend to soften or remove such things in all their films—and it is their film. The book does have odd jargon in it—that's part of its language and allure. Wasn't there some TV movie version that was made too? In 2003? To be honest, in my opinion, I think this story is better as a book. It's better to use your own imagination. My kids have read it too. ;)

Disney, unfortunately, is developing some bad habits when transferring/adapting amazing litterary work to the big screen. Is it groundbreaking and innovative? I think not. But that´s just me, I could be wrong, as always. A Wrinkle In Time - the movie, was a disappointment to me personally although I really enjoyed watching Oprah in this one. I don´t know much about Ava DuVernay but I sure hope studios give her more work away from Disney.

Zlatan, yeah, Disney sure does its "thing." I too am looking forward to seeing more from DuVernay. A Wrinkle in Time is extremely different from her other films. Her documentary work is amazing. 13TH is on Netflix. ;)

Peace Beth, I don't think we will see eye to eye on some things....that's okay. In the end I think the screenplay itself was miserable besides other things like the acting in most cases. I don't think I'll ever have the chance of being in the position of arguing these points with Disney any time soon. It just hurts when I see so many brilliant and wonderful writers clamoring for just a slight chance of seeing their work done and getting hit in the face with such a low caliber work being presented. In the end it really doesn't matter....does it.

Hey Beth! Yeah, from a director´s point of view, if you look at the film from that perspective, she sure did an amazing job. I can only imagine the pressure she must have been under working on a hundred million Dollar movie. I sure am gonna take a look at 13TH :) Thanks for the tip! :)

Sorry the film upset you, Ingrid. Truly. As far as screenwriting, this particular project was done in a studio vacuum, so to speak. I personally don't see Disney as representing ALL film and ALL opportunities. No way! Look at Independent film! Look at the great work that recently won Oscars!—The Shape of Water, Get Out, Three Billboards! Ava DuVerney sure as hell didn't wait for permission, she just started making movies, did her own thing! So hang in there, Ingrid! Watch something that rekindles your love of movies and writing! Keep the faith! :))))

Of course, I do not believe that Disney is the All. I need to clarify. I do not go to see movies in the Theater because I cannot afford it. When I reach into my pocket to see something it is because it fascinates my imagination. I went because I love A Wrinkle in Time.....I was excited and will have to go without some things this month because I bought those tickets for my son and I. This is one reason why it affected me more strongly than it should have. I have certainly lived long enough to know that Disney isn't an absolute. God forbid!!!!! I will continue to write no matter what.....because I cannot stop. Love and Strength to All.

Sure thing, Ingrid! You had me worried there! Haha! Again, sorry this one disappointed. Happy writing to you! Best wishes too. :))))

You can’t reply directly to a comment on this platform which is annoying, but to Dan MaXxX’s comment about Guy Richie’s King Arthur, that film wasn’t a bad film, it was the circumstances/marketing/belief from the studio, why that film yanked at the box office. I’ll go on record as saying this, in fifteen years, when the game has completely changed and Guy Ritchie is doing his thing, King Arthur will be looked back on as one of his better films. Just my two cents!

Did anyone read the script?