A Wrinkle in Time Movie Review & Family Discussion

If you’ve never read one of my movie reviews, just remember, this isn’t about cinematography and the director. Nor is it about how many shootings or cuss words. It’s more about using movies to have God-conversations with your kids. It’s also about judging if you want your kids to spend an hour and a half meditating on the message of this movie. See more here.

 

I get excited about book movies. I don’t know why, as I never ever think they are as good as the book but…well, I guess there’s always the hope that some of the magic of the book will come through the silver screen, right?

I’m just going to go ahead and say it: I didn’t love A Wrinkle in Time. 

I wanted to! Oh, I wanted to! I just listened to the audio a few months ago and was surprised at how much I liked the book as an adult after reading it as a kid. Especially because fantasy is not my go-to genre. There was a lot of Scripture quoted in the book, lots to say about a Creator God and Light versus Dark.

How great if a movie could give a bit of that Truth! Well…

Let’s see…why don’t we start with the good stuff first, ok?

Why you WILL want to see A Wrinkle in Time

The costumes were ridiculously amazing. Mindy Kaling, Oprah and Reese Witherspoon were just breathtaking in every scene. (My 12 year old said all the costumes were cool but looked really uncomfortable, “like wearing a camel!”)

It was beautiful. As Meg and her friends travel through space, the different places they land–and even the inbetween were gorgeous. Charles Wallace said it best, “Luminescent!”

The story focused on familial love. The whole thing was about the love between a daughter and father, and brother and sister. I love seeing kids and parents fight for each other! I want to see brothers and sisters stick up for one another instead of being annoyed by them.

The boy-girl relationship is friendly. Meg and Calvin eventually (SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVEN’T READ ALL THE BOOKS) get married. Their relationship begins here. There was much looking into each other’s eyes and shyly taking hands, but it was more in an exploratory, what-is-going-on way. Not so much obvious romance. And when the time came where I thought there was going to be a kiss, it ended in a hug.

It was fantastical. If you are into fantasy–crazy characters, new worlds, time/space/physics, strange occurrences and even scary places and villains, then this is the story for you. I really can’t think of a kids’ movie this full on fantasy. I’m not talking fairy tale or animals-who-talk, I mean real true fantasy on the sci-fi side.

Meg. Our protagonist is as awkward as she is fierce. I thought Storm Reid played her perfectly. (My daughter said she wanted Meg to be uglier and more unkempt, though!)

The diversity. This was not a milky white cast. There was different races in marriage, adoption of other races and generally a beautiful rainbow of faces.

Why you might NOT want to see A Wrinkle in Time

If you are a book purist, it just doesn’t stick to it! Calvin is a juvenile shadow of himself, Sandy and Dennys along with Aunt Beast don’t exist and Mrs. Whatsit does not have rainbow wings at all. (My kids said she looked like a flying cabbage.)

It was scary. Honestly, at one point (because I had to sit separately from the kids in the crowded theatre), I thought, “I wonder if I should walk down there and check on them?” It literally felt like a creepy horror movie. There was the villain with the red eyes, a life-sized marionette, the kids were dragged through all kinds of dark tunnels and sterile workrooms. I know that stuff is in the book, but they really showed it to you in the movie. I think the scariest part was (SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE BOOK ALREADY) was Charles Wallace being “possessed” by IT. There’s something about seeing that sweet little boy acting so evil that was jarring.

{Did you see Dr. Strange? Remember when he puts himself on a time loop or something to defeat the villain? Remember how they were on that like ashy, lava-land? The ending of this movie felt like that. Creepy.}

There were no great God moments. I was hoping for at least one Biblical quote from Mrs. Who. Instead, we got Outkast! (Which was, actually, hilarious.) It felt very look-inside-yourself and become-one-with-the-universe type of stuff. It reminds me of a post I wrote over TEN years ago, incidentally about Oprah–the main idea is that our culture has chosen to worship the creation and not the Creator. We’ve chosen to “put it out into the Universe” and hope it comes back to us instead of relying on the God of the universe who desires to “to accomplish infinitely more [within us] than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). Sigh. Go back and read that post. You’ll see what I mean.

CONCLUSION

If you like fantasy, your kids have read the book and you’re ready to talk about it, then go see the movie.

If your kids are young (lower elementary and below), don’t be sucked into “well, it’s a book!” and take them. I really think it was too scary.

Overall, it didn’t have the sweeping heart-squeeze of many other kids’ and Disney movies. It was fine and visually stunning. But I just wasn’t in love with it.

And now a word from my family who saw it with me:

my 9 year old son: “I liked it but it was scary. I liked the talking flowers.”

my 12 year old daughter: “I liked it! It was kinda scary. Don’t see it in the movie theatre because it was really loud. I liked Meg.”

my husband: I don’t have an exact quote but he thought it felt like a TV movie and not at all like a Disney movie. He was not a fan.

 

/// \\\///\\\///

 

FAMILY DISCUSSION TOPICS

I think there are 2 main themes in this movie (and book):

First. Love your family.

1 John 4:7-21 is all about God’s love. Really, it’s about how God is love.

Talk about Meg’s love for her father (willing to travel through space to get him!) and for Charles Wallace (loving him when she seemed to be evil and far away from her).

How does God show His perfect love to us? (verse 9)

How can we show God’s love to others? (verse 11, verse 21–especially for siblings!)

Second. Light and Dark.

In the book Mrs. Who quotes, “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” (John 1:5)

Ask your kids about the darkness shown in the movie versus the darkness in our own world and hearts. (In the movie they showed a girl struggling with her appearance, a dad yelling at his son and some hoodlums messing with a poor man.)

What light, or rather Who is the Light that can defeat that darkness? Read John 1:1-18 and John 8:12.

How can we also be a light in the dark places? See Matthew 5:14-16.

 

Bonus. I asked the kids if they saw anything in the movie that reminded them of God or the Bible. My daughter said when Mrs. Which was telling Meg that there were a million choices that led to Meg’s creation.

Meg felt like a wreck because she had so many flaws. She didn’t recognize the strength and beauty of who she was.

God planned great works for us before the creation of the world (Ephesians 2:10).

He knit us together in our mothers’ wombs (Psalm 139:13).

Even if we don’t feel as good as the people around us, we need to recognize that God has a plan for us and everything we do can be for His glory.

OK. That’s all I’ve got!

Actually.

Just kidding.

I have about 500 more words for you about the book(s).

So, read on if you’re into the book part of this…

I read A Wrinkle in Time and the rest of the series when I was a kid.

When I was in college and a newlywed, we went to school right across the street from the public library. I read the first three Harry Potter books at that library. I also read every Madeleine L’Engle book they owned.

One of those books I had to stop reading. The other two, I probably should have.

It takes a lot for me to stop reading a book. But these books had storylines and beliefs that were so incredibly opposite of what I believe the Bible teaches–about love and relationships.

I say all that to say, if you are reading A Wrinkle in Time because you think it’s akin to The Chronicles of Narnia or has some hidden allegorical Christian messages—well, it’s possible. But don’t think all of Madeleine L’Engle’s books will be the same. I highly DO NOT recommend many of them.

If your kids get into A Wrinkle in Time, please (as with any book!) preview it first! It’s easy–just read the one-star Amazon reviews and you’ll know all there is about the inappropriate words/attitudes/activities in the book! 

Here’s what I’ve read by Madeleine L’Engle just so you know I’m not just saying all this as a freaked-out parent who doesn’t know what she’s talking about:

MIDDLE GRADE (meaning publisher and Amazon and probably your school librarian deems these appropriate for 8-12 year old kids)

A Wrinkle in Time // read this as a kid and also listened to it last summer. It’s a completely fantastical book with much to say about light vs. dark. There is definitely some new-age-universalist feel to it, but as a Christian, there’s so much about God the Creator and that light-vs-dark theme. At the same time, there were some spots that I felt like she was equating Jesus to Ghandi and the like. Appropriate for middle school.

A Wind in the Door // read as a kid. All I remember is that they go into someone’s mitochondria.

A Swiftly Tilting Planet // read as a kid. I remember there was some “kything” which is entering each other’s thoughts and mind.

Many Waters // read in Middle School and recently a few years ago. I love this book because it’s fantasy/Biblical fiction. Two boys back in time to Noah’s days and see him struggle with hearing God and building the ark. They fall in love (first crush type stuff) with Noah’s daughter!!!! See? It’s weird, cool and ultimately makes you think–not question– about God and the real people of the Bible. Weird Note: the girls in this book are topless. Recommend for Young Adult readers.

The Arm of a Starfish // Dragons in the Water // A House Like a Lotus // This is a series about Meg’s daughter, Poly. These are the ones I read in college. I can’t remember all of it, but in A House Like a Lotus, she is a teenager and has sex with an older man. I remember being shocked when I read it–the guy’s words, her thoughts, the conclusion, all of it. Do not recommend.

The Joys of Love // I read this a few years ago. My quick review. Recommend for Young Adult readers.

Most of the Austin series // Read these as a kid but just can’t remember ’em…

ADULT FICTION

A Winter’s Love // Gah. This is the one I had to stop reading. It was about a woman struggling in her marriage who reconnects with an old guy friend. Of course, I don’t know how it ended–it could have had a great ending, but just reading the main character’s feelings, I knew I couldn’t keep reading because it was something I didn’t want in my own heart towards my husband. Do not recommend.

A Live Coal in the Sea // I read this in college and can’t remember all of it. But the part I do remember is about a pastor/priest having an affair with his male organist. It was glossed over in one way, explicit in another and then also had a bit of redemption on the other hand. It was just so weird. Do not recommend.

The Other Side of the Sun // I actually loved this one. It’s about a British bride who goes to live with her husband’s family in South Carolina while he’s away in World War I. There’s a bit of literal voodoo in it–but it also had a very big nod toward Elijah and the prophets of Baal. It has stuck with me. Recommended for adults who are not faint of heart.

A Severed Wasp // I read this on in college and I cannot remember it, but the Amazon reviews reveal a lot.

Whew. OK! That is for real the end!

///\\\

All photos property of the Walt Disney Company. I attended this movie screening as a member of the media. All thoughts and words my own. Affiliate links included.