Phoebe in Wonderland

I walked into the theater during a special screening through Boston's International Film Festival only seeing the trailer and hearing bits and pieces of the plot.

Let me be the first to say on the IMDb that the ensemble acting, plot development, and art direction is simply fantastic! In a word, the film was awesome! While a drama, there were many comedic moments through the talents of Elle Fanning and other characters, and stay tuned to a tear-jerking moment near the end that caused many of us in the theater to sniffle.

I recommend this to everyone once it hits mainstream theaters this fall.

What a brilliant film. From the art direction, to the writing and directing this was almost flawless. The acting was above-par, and somehow, the best child actress to come along in decades, Dakota Fanning, has been upstaged by her little sister, Elle. I had an awful day, full of suburban bigots and homophobes and was starting to feed into it. I randomly watched this movie and found solace in a nine year old boy overcoming the same stuff I dealt with today. Maybe that sounds pathetic, but it was the quiet reminder I needed today. Thanks to the filmmakers, not only was I thoroughly entertained, you brightened my evening.

I saw this movie at the Provincetown International Film Festival, and teared-up multiple times throughout it. Elle is an amazing little actress, who captures the spirit of Phoebe beautifully, and both Felicity Hoffman and Bill Pullman do an excellent job portraying pained and conflicted parents, trying to understand their young daughter. Daniel does an amazing job here, both as the creator of the story, and as the director, allowing the audience to see through both the eyes of the child and the eyes of the parent. He demonstrates a great deal of creative potential, and I can't wait to see what he does next.

Everyone should see this movie.

Phoebe (Elle Fanning), an outcast girl from her classmates, who wants more than anything to participate in the school play, Alice in Wonderland. With the stress of everyday life, Phoebe's behavior gets worse and worse, creating a strong pressure on her parents Hillary (Felicity Huffman) and Peter (Bill Pullman). Both try to understand and help their daughter. But Phoebe hides in her fantasies, mistaking reality for a dream. The girl will have to face a hard, painful and exciting process, going through an incredible transformation, like a caterpillar that becomes a beautiful butterfly.

There is a range of subjects that deserve attention, which can be explored by psychology students and professionals, by educators and by the medical profession. At first, the school environment is observed. Unlike Wonderland (which the girl idolizes) school is the worst place to be, due to the countless rules that have to be followed. Phoebe is a questioning child and the institution's first rule is: "Questions should only be asked when it is the right time to ask questions". What she doesn't understand, and doesn't even get the answer to, is: when is the right time to ask questions? From there arise other questions that are also not answered. This is the starting point for a series of questions, which also remain unanswered.

The following is Phoebe's family portrait: The parents spend little time with their daughters due to work. The film also explores the difficulties faced by parents, overwhelmed by their work, who cannot manage the time to dedicate themselves to raising their daughters. The mother, Hillary (Felicity Huffman), is working on the story of Alice in Wonderland (can you make a connection with Phoebe's immense desire to act in the play?), but finds it difficult to finish her thesis due to the tasks housework, and the lack of a father Peter (Bill Pullman), who does little to help raise the children. Hillary, however, is the first to notice that Phoebe's behavior is getting worse and she blames herself for it, feeling that due to her work (tiredness, stress, pressure) and spending little time with her daughters, she has somehow, affected Phoebe's behavior, causing her situation to worsen. The youngest daughter constantly complains that she can't "stand" having to do everything her sister wants, asks or expects. Olivia (Bailee Madison) feels excluded and alone, or, as she describes it: "I feel anguish", for not receiving the same attention as her sister and for having to solve the "problems" that Phoebe gets into. She is a strong, intelligent and precocious personality. She demonstrates at all times how much she is excluded from the subjects.

So, the film presents Phoebe facing the decision of whether or not to enroll in the play that will be produced by the school. In addition, the girl needs to follow her ritual of not stepping on the "crack" in the ceramics, otherwise her mother's "spine" will break. A moment is shown at school when all the children play "catch", however, Phoebe refuses to participate in the activity and, when she feels threatened, she spits on one of her classmates and utters inappropriate words. Parents are invited to attend school due to their daughter's behavior, when they are asked if there is something going on at home. Part of this arises the parents' doubts: are we doing the right thing? Decided, Hillary looks for ways to meet the needs of her daughters, dedicating more time with them.

Phoebe finally decides to participate in the play, but ends up being late because, according to her, "she has to wash her hands a lot", however, this event does not prevent her from auditioning. "If you really want something, you need to pray or do something you hate" is the advice Phoebe receives from her friend Jamie Madison (Ian Coletti), who also behaves differently from the others (according to the school). Jamie prefers to play with dolls, house and chooses to be the Queen of Hearts, so he is called by his colleague's in a depreciative way. Upon hearing this, Phoebe begins to dedicate herself to a new ritual: counting squares on the sidewalk, spinning three times, jumping up the stairs until she gets tired (gets dizzy and falls). The lines she repeats from others, the mockery and the profanity also increase in frequency, in the same way that the pressure to get the role increases.

At first, with the characteristics that the film shows in the first scenes, it is believed that Phoebe probably has obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), which is characterized by the presence of obsessions, which can be defined as mental events: thoughts, ideas, impulses and images, being experienced as invasive and uncomfortable. As they are mental products, compulsions can arise from any substratum event of the mind, which can be ideas, concerns, images, memories, music, movies, scenes, words, moments. Thus, compulsions can be defined as behaviors or mental acts that are repeated countless times, performed as a way to reduce tension, discomfort, anxiety or to prevent something that is feared from happening. It is possible that Phoebe has OCD, as she washes her hands to the point of hurting them, counts blocks and turns and if she is interrupted, she must start again (which leaves her very distressed), moves her fingers in a coordinated way (ritual to get the paper), he goes up and down stairs jumping, he doesn't step on the cracks in the tiles so as not to hurt his mother. Such behaviors cause discomfort in the child and the people around him, interfere with his studies and cause physical injuries.

But as for the rambling sentences, the inappropriate words, the vocal repetitions that Phoebe also delivers throughout the film? This is Gilles de La Tourette Syndrome, usually manifested in childhood and may include chronic stages. In addition, Phoebe has echolalia (non-significant repetition of the speech of others); palilalia (repetition of own words, syllables and sounds); coprolalia (in addition to repeating other people's phrases or sounds, she feels compelled to utter obscene words or insults, when not presented vocally, it is demonstrated as a motor tic, in Phoebe's case: spitting). The Syndrome has no cure, even if there is, in fact, the possibility of remission of symptoms over time. When Hillary hears from the psychiatrist about Phoebe's diagnosis, she initially denies that this could be happening, but later blames herself as she believes that she is not a good mother. In addition, the mother refuses to give medicine and thinks that all doctors believe that children revolve around labels and medications. How far is Hillary right? Could this be the only solution to Phoebe's problems? Despite all the inconvenience caused between her and the psychiatrist at the end of the plot, it is understood that there are other ways to go on with life, even if someone in our circle presents special behaviors.

Daniel Barnz, making his debut as a feature film writer and director after years working as a writer in Hollywood, directs with considerable confidence in both his young actors and actresses and his talented adult cast. Likewise, though a display room isn't really suited for such a visual feast. Always aided by the original score by Christophe Beck, which nicely complements the events of the film, with a beautiful mix of the melancholy and the magical, while Bobby Bukowski's camera work nicely balances the harsh reality of Phoebe's life with the more innocent world for which she escapes.

Barnz presents "Phoebe in Wonderland" with childish imagery and charming visuals that enhance the story rather than overwhelm it. Elle Fanning, younger sister of Dakota Fanning, delivers a heartwarming and moving performance as Phoebe, a young woman who struggles to maintain balance between the real and imaginary worlds. It's impossible not to adore Fanning's Phoebe, a young woman who may be more frustrated with herself than those around her. Fanning's performance is complex, multifaceted and constantly mesmerizing, showing from a young age that talent and beauty run in the Fanning family.

Patricia Clarkson plays Phoebe's quirky drama teacher, a teacher whose unusual ways defy common educational methodology and, perhaps, hint that she might recognize herself in Phoebe. The character is a fundamental piece during Phoebe's development and self-knowledge. It is during Miss Dodger's rehearsals and teachings that the child manages to stay focused and control his impulses. I also highlight that Phoebe, due to her disorder, bullying caused by classmates, castration by the school (respect the rules) and family conflicts, feels free and happy within her imagination (hallucinations). For her, living in wonderland is the only way to obtain complete happiness, because, like Alice, she also needs to signify herself at all times. A strange world surrounds her and it is difficult to deal with the problems of being different and, as such, the play is the closest thing to reality and imagination.

Felicity Huffman, as a mother who takes too much ownership of her daughter's challenges, gives a refreshingly honest and authentic voice to mothers everywhere struggling to raise a challenging child. Huffman's Hillary is a woman who has sacrificed for her children, but who is also honest about her own shortcomings and challenges. Bill Pullman beautifully portrays Phoebe's father, a man whose obsession with writing may well be his own escape from the reality of raising a daughter he doesn't understand. Only Campbell Scott, as Phoebe's school principal, disappoints a little with a performance that seems somewhat bland in relation to the complex and well-developed portrayals that surround him.

It is not just about Tourette Syndrome and OCD, but beyond this universe, the atmosphere of the film also works on the way people choose their roles, and how each one of them manages to lead their lives without this changing what actually happens.

I remember childhood as a time of striving to fit in, or despair at not fitting in, or being in limbo between the two. Sometimes a book, like Alice in Wonderland, captured my imagination, and, for a while, it didn't matter that I was different.

This movie accompanies us on a journey of discovery; showing us the bad places, the hurtful places, the thoughtless places, and the beautiful, magical, touching places that make up a life's geography. The impeccable Patricia Clarkson gently pulls our grimy, jammed-in- hands out of our pocket hiding places and shows us the beautiful truth at the center of our uniqueness.... that is, if we can identify with delightful, difficult Phoebe.

A wonderful ensemble cast of actors, notably diverse in age, experience and ethnicity, tell the story of this "misfit child" and the way such a personality churns up the water within her family. There is no escape for her loving, conflicted, and anguished mother, so beautifully portrayed by Felicity Huffman in what I believe to be her best performance to date. In large part, she and Phoebe play hide and seek throughout the journey, each fearing to hurt the other, each loving the other too much and understanding too little the myths and mysteries each must negotiate.

Bill Pullman, (does he get tired of the Everyman reference I wonder?), no less concerned about the condition of his daughter(s), or his wife, sensitively struggles to find his way to support and care for his family. It is my hope that his performance will inform fathers everywhere: be involved with your children, know them, insist on your important role and, resist letting mothers be the only experts.

Whew! I'm telling you, this movie got me thinking!

If a writer writes words on a page to move people, to touch their emotions...Danial Barnz did a wonderful job of work with me and the other people in the audience at the L.A. Film Festival. I wasn't the only one gasping at the intricate and amazing sets, laughing at the ironies and juxtapositions, or sniffling (it was a 5 tissue movie for me!) when the charming Elle Fanning bravely faced her obstacles and challenges as she wound her way through her daily rabbit hole in the crucible of grade school.

We all remember that one, but here with a principal-- played by Campbell Scott--almost sinister in his devotion to decorum and conformity. Manipulative and slightly malevolent, he sees only the problems and none of the gifts of the children in his care.

I have had "Phoebe flashbacks" daily since seeing this movie. Maybe the wonderful, fanciful costumes, or the austere demeanor and dress of Miss Dodger, or the pain on a child's face when a grown-up says something innocuous that isn't to a child, or the ballet that brings both joy and anxiety to a sensitive little girl, Dad and Mom struggling separately to achieve unity and discovering that no one can do it alone. To me, these are rich gifts and the reason I so love the movies.

It might be called a little movie, but I don't think so. It is a huge and mythic movie dressed up in a small, soft rabbit costume which you will love.

A personal thank you to everyone concerned with making this touching, big, little movie. Work well done! And, I hope it goes into wide distribution so that I can take my own family and friends on this charming, poignant journey.