Jane Eyre

JANE EYRE (Film Adaptation) directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga; Starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender. Based on the novel by Charlotte Bronte. (Focus Features, 2011).
GENRE: Romance (Gothic) / Historical
HONORS: LA Film Critic's Assoc. Award for Best Actor (Michael Fassbender - won); National Board of Review Spotlight Award (Michael Fassbender - won); British Independent Film Best Actress Award (Mia Wasikowska - nominated)

REVIEW: Few films capture the tone and feel of a classic as well as Fukunaga's 2011 adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Orphaned Jane goes to work for the mysterious Mr. Rochester as a governess. Before long, she begins to notice odd things in the expansive house - strange noises, sudden fires and unexplained injuries. All the while, Jane becomes increasingly fascinated by her mercurial, challenging employer. But though Jane may look small and pale, she is strong, stronger than anyone else in the house, with a moral and ethical core that renders her integrity stunning in it's unshakability. As in the novel, Wasikowska's Jane knows her own mind, and though she is humble, she knows her own value and will not compromise it. Fassbender's Rochester is a haunted, complicated man, with an edge that wavers just to one side of dangerous. The production itself is lovely with light dreamlike expanses contrasting starkly with the dark, sinister interior of Rochester's home. Taut and intense, Jane Eyre is not a movie to watch while texting or playing an app. Luckily, it's appealing enough that even the most tech savvy tween won't want to.

OPINION: Jane Eyre is a classic with much to offer adolescent readers. However, it's also a title that tends to intimidate or simply not interest modern tweens. This adaptation, though faithfully adapted from Bronte's original, renders the story far more accessible by concentrating primarily on Jane's growth, and on her romance with Rochester, in all it's complicated, gothic glory. Darker than all of the perennially popular Jane Austen's work combined, Jane Eyre is a great suggestion for tweens looking for something a touch more gothic, and Fukunaga's film adaptation is a wonderful way to introduce them to the story and pique their interest.

IDEAS: A must-have for any display featuring the classics, it would also be an unexpected inclusion in a display with a romance or historical theme. Also a nice suggestion for fans of the book and for tweens, particularly girls, interested in classical literature / stories, but unsure where to start.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lighting Thief

PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTENING THIEF. Film adaptation. (Directed by Chris Columbus. Starring Logan Lerhman. Based on the novels by Rick Riorden)

GENRE: Action / Adventure

HONORS: None

REVIEW: The film adaptation of Rick Riorden’s best-selling series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, moves at an efficient pace while maintaining the essence of what makes the books so appealing – Percy’s struggle to manage himself in the wider world. Lehrman plays Percy, demigod and son of Poseiden, with modern flair, mixing enough defiance into Percy’s geekiness to make him an appealing underdog with plenty of fight. Grover, his satyr "protector", grounds Percy’s quest in contextual gravity while providing comic relief, while Annabeth, the battle-ready daughter of Athena is a nice foil for Percy, who is literally dropped into his new reality when a Fury accosts him. Upon learning of his true heritage, Percy rises to the challenge and proves himself to be a natural hero with what seems to be, at times, convenient ease.

OPINION: The emotional core of Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief rang hollow at times and it lacks the world-building creativity of other series adaptations, but it is still a satisfying ride that will no doubt appeal to fans of the books.

IDEAS: A strong addition to any unit on Greek mythology or hero quests. Show the film and talk about parallels between Percy’s quest and the mythological quests it draws from (Odysseus and the lotus-eaters, Perseus and Medusa, Orpheus in Hades, etc.). There is also an inherent appeal for kids with dyslexia and ADHD as Percy struggles with these conditions before discovering that he is a hero.

Princess Diaries

 THE PRINCESS DIARIES. Film adaptation. (Directed by Garry Marshall. Starring Anne Hathaway. Based on the novel by Meg Cabot)

GENRE: Humor

HONORS: None

REVIEW: Awkward, geeky Mia Thermopolis meets her estranged grandmother and finds out that she isthe heir apparent to the throne of a small European country called Genovia. While most girls would be thrilled at the news, Mia is dismayed. She can’t see herself leading anything, let alone a whole country. What follows is Mia’s physical and emotional transformation as she learns to accept her royal role. Though simplistic at times, Marshall’s adaptation of the Cabot novel is charming, touching and funny by turns, while Hathaway’s Mia is a heroine with substance and depth.

OPINION: Although The Princess Diaries sticks closely its Cinderella / Disney formula, Mia is a refreshing take on the ugly duckling. She is intelligent, sensitive and self-possessed, and while her physical make-over is fun, one gets the sense that this is a girl with enough perspective to rise to the challenge of ruling. 

IDEAS: The movie is a good introduction to the tween romance genre, as well as to fairy tale adaptations. If a girls like it, recommend Meg Cabot’s Princess Diaries series, Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine and Robin McKinley’s Rose Daughter (for slightly older tweens).