Movie Reviews #66…
The House with a Clock in Its Walls. Eli Roth, dir. Based on the classic 1973 book by John Bellairs (1938-1991). Do you have Harry Potter withdrawal symptoms? Looking for a magical movie that’s fantastic fun and not full of dark, adult-level angst? Trying to find a movie based on a good book that was a fun read? Then this movie is an answer to all three questions.
Lewis Barnavelt (Owen Vaccaro) loses his parents in a traffic accident and goes to live with his uncle Jonathan (Jack Black) in Michigan. The uncle is a warlock; his neighbor Florence (Cate Blanchett) is a witch who lost most of her powers. The boy wants to be like his uncle, but he becomes a bit too eager to try some magic.
There’s not a slow moment in this movie that’s perfect to get you in the spirit for Halloween—a good time will be had by all kids from 9 to 90 (it might be a bit frightening for the wee ones, though). Although Owen overacts in spots, Black and Blanchett do a great job, as do some of the little kids at Lewis’s school. The special effects are what you might expect in a film where pumpkins and a lion topiary come to life, and the music was just right.
Before and during the writing of the first edition of The Secret Lab (A. B. Carolan rewrote and reedited the second edition), I studied many young adult books. This book was one of those, and I thought it was decades ahead and much better than Rowling’s verbose Harry Potter series that becomes pedantic with all the spells and encantations. My research covered most of the YA genres—sci-fi, fantasy, horror, mystery, and thrillers (but no romance)—yet The Secret Lab was more inspired by Heinlein’s Podkayne of Mars. Still, I think I owe some of the flavors in my book to the ones I perused, and I remember this one. Even if you haven’t read it, see the movie. You’ll be delighted.
As an aside, will I have to wait until I’m dead to have Hollywood make a movie based on one of my books? Just askin’. Bellairs, who was born in Michigan and died in my beloved Massachusetts, left this world nearly three decades ago. And it’s interesting that Disney’s Mary Poppins sequel is being made after both Walt Disney (1901-1966) and P. L. Travers (1899-1996) are dead. The duo, who developed such a good rapport, if you believe the movie Saving Mr. Banks, now have no say about the sequel! And did Lee Child really approve of Tom Cruise taking the role of Jack Reacher?
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Comments are welcome!
A. B. Carolan, The Secret Lab and The Secret of the Urns. Both these YA sci-fi mysteries are set millennia apart in the same fictional universe as my Chaos Chronicles Trilogy Collection and Rogue Planet. The first book is A. B.’s rewriting and editing of my original novel. The second book is all his great work. These are excellent holiday gifts for the young adults in your family…or yourself, because we’re all young at heart!
In libris libertas!
October 15th, 2018 at 10:54 am
According to the Disney bios I’ve read, Walt charmed Travers into letting Disney do the original, but then changed it considerably and she was not pleased. She didn’t like the music, the dancing, the animation, or the modifications to the story that needed to be made in order to bring it to theaters. They weren’t getting along that well and she withheld approval to make any sequels or do anything else with the property.
She apparently okayed the Broadway version only after being told that certain scenes would be redone. The focus of the musical is different from that of the movie. I don’t know what her response to it was. I do know that the movie made her well-off, but she never liked it. SAVING MR BANKS makes it seem like in the end she was okay with it, but that isn’t true. They apparently fought the entire time they were doing the movie and did not have too good a relationship during or after.
I also read something where Lee Child stated that he was okay with Cruise playing Reacher because Reacher’s size was a metaphor for strength of character or presence or something like that and not really about physical size. I still haven’t seen that movie. (It was an interview with Child so it was a direct quote where he said he was okay with Cruise.)
Hope all is well!
October 15th, 2018 at 11:28 am
Thanks for adding this.
Inre Mary Poppins: I was talking about the sequel to the movie, not the Broadway show. I didn’t think the Banks movie told the whole story, hence my comment.
Inre Jack Reacher: I read that same interview where Child said he was OK with Cruise in the role. I don’t remember him saying anything about a size metaphor. For me, that makes it worse! Child is just trying to weasel out, methinks! I can’t believe he approves.
Don’t see the movie, by the way.
All is well…and take care!
r/Steve