Ramona et Beezus

This movie, based on the books (already this will eliminate 90% of the movie-going audience) by Beverly Cleary, has no explosions, no talking dogs, no cutesy kids who sass their parents and display a maturity rivaling most 30 year olds nor a child with preternatural smarts who ends up preventing nuclear war etc. What it does have is a smart mom, a cool dad, a disaffected teenage sister, a baby, a cool auntie and some normal children. It's a story about a family who struggle with unemployment, job dissatisfaction, marital discord, self esteem, and bad sprinklers, as seen through the eyes of a nine year old girl whose idea of a bad word is "guts".

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If you enjoy movies like Iron Giant and quality children's entertainment-you will LOVE this movie. Sadly, the people who complain the loudest about the film industry and the shallow values they encompass will probably miss this one-don't be among them. Take everybody. When I attended, everyone in the audience was clapping and crying at the end of the film , children and adults alike. Yes, it's a "little film"-meaning there are no blue aliens, no 3d stun shots, no cartoon characters passing off moral pablum as deep though. What it is a sweet story about real people. I wish there had been more people of color in the film, but I'll settle for some fantastic actors and a lovely message. See it and tell all your friends.

I was expecting a poor movie but my friend and I both thoroughly enjoyed the film. The storyline of the misunderstood kid has been done before and this as it is designed does tug at my heartstrings. Joey King is a natural and plays her role very well easily gaining my sympathy.I liked the role Sierra McCormic played. When I watch this kind of film I don't feel comfortable with an overly aggressive villain. The relationship between Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Spevack was feel good but for an adult viewer it may make the movie a tad too feel good. Into every life a little rain must fall. All in all the cast did a good job pulling together a familiar plot. The special effects worked well. It was easy to relate to the drawn out magic that a child feels when having fun. Lauri Craig's direction showed no flaws, the movie flowed smoothly. I would have liked a bit more time devoted to the commercial contest to see how it fit into the story.

Ramona Quimby (Joey King) lives in a typical middle class neighborhood on the west coast. Her family consists of Father Robert (John Corbett), Mother Dorothy (Bridget Moynahan), big Sister Beatrice, er, Beezus (Selena Gomez) and a new baby sister. Also close to the Quimbys is their mother's sibling, Aunt Bea (Ginnifer Goodwin). Unlike Beezus, who is an excellent student and very mature for a budding teenager, Ramona struggles at school, especially with her no-nonsense teacher (Sandra Oh). The instructor doesn't have much patience with Ramona's penchant to coin new words, among other issues. Life at the house, also, takes a strange turn, when in the middle of home-remodeling project, Dad loses his job. Soon, Mom is working part time at her old job and Pop becomes the lunch packer and house-husband, while sending out a large amount of resumes. Aunt Bea's life, too, receives a curveball when old flame, Hobart (Josh Duhamel) moves back to his original home next to the Quimbys. Happily recovered from the long ago heartbreak of Hobart's abandonment, Bea is startled to find him lavishing attention on her once again. What's a girl to do? Beezus has love trouble, too, when a relationship with longtime pal, Henry Huggins, may turn into a romance. Ramona continues to weather storms, such as the day an egg breaks on her head, minutes ahead of the school pictures! But, biggest problem of all is the fact that they may have to move, if Dad doesn't find a job in town. What will the future bring for the Quimbys? This is very fine family flick, with plenty of humor and energy without any objectionable material. In fact, it is a shining example of how successful a movie can be without sex or bad language. Then, too, the actors do a great job, with King leading the way. What a wholesome and realistic young actress she is! Gomez, too, is a winning and lovely young thespian while Corbett, Moynahan, Oh, Goodwin, Duhamel and all of the others are lively, all-too-human and flat-out fun. The west coast setting is lovely, as are the costumes, script and all other film amenities while the direction is secure and confident. All in all, this film is one every family should have on hand, for repeated viewings, I predict, will never grow old.

Ramona and Beezus is a 2010 film adaptation based on the book Ramona Forever. Joey King plays Ramona and Selena Gomez plays Beezus. I thought the film was actually quite good and it didn't disappoint me at all. Now a lot of people are going out to see this film because Selena Gomez plays in it. But the real person whom truly shines in this film has to be Joey King. She steals the show from her co-stars and plays Ramona really vividly. This movie is a very fun family movie, and if you have a younger brother or sister, you'd connect right away. I hope IMDb users don't just give this film a 1, because its a children's movie and I hope they see it before they judge.

Ramona and Beezus is a small summer flick, that stands short, but proudly with Huge Summer Blockbusters. Highly recommended 8/10

It seemed like a too good to be true of a movie, I thought it wouldn't be as good as advertised. Mainly I wanted to watch it b/c Selena Gomez is in it, but I love it for reasons beyond her! I could also relate to her because she was closer to my age. It surprised me and got to my heart. It is definitely a feel good family type of movie. I really like the dynamic between Ramona and Beezus, and how we see them bond and their relationship develop & improve. If I see it on TV once in a while, I'm glad to watch it again. It also keeps pretty lightweight most of the time while dealing with struggles and problems. I recommend this!