Jump.
Yes, you read correctly – Phoebe in Wonderland. Not to be confused with another girl named Alice. From the beginning, I was expecting it to be some twisted bastardization or re-imagining of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, but was delighted it was not. Instead, we are introduced to a young girl named Phoebe Lichten (Elle Fanning – yes, Dakota’s sister) who has no compunction about questioning school rules about proper question asking etiquette every year she attends.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Soon enough you find that Phoebe is very different from most of the other children in her school – a trait her mother Hillary Lichten (Felicity Huffman) finds endearing enough to nurture and fight tooth and nail for. Phoebe’s behavioral differences, however, soon become problems for teachers and students alike and when there doesn’t seem to be any answer for it, enter the new, if not a bit eccentric, drama teacher, Ms. Dodger (Patricia Clarkson), who is recruiting for the school’s production of Alice in Wonderland. Phoebe’s behavior problems all but disappear while rehearsing for the play as the lead, Alice.
I found myself rather enjoying this film. Elle Fanning was stellar as Phoebe and made me think that there’s something in the Fanning gene pool that produces solid acting talent. Felicity Huffman made me believe that Mrs. Lichten’s love for her daughter was pure and unconditional. The way Mrs. Lichten deals with the shrink’s assessment is probably not much different from many parents today, and I felt in total agreement throughout. When you find out what’s at the root of Phoebe’s behavioral problems, it’s easier to understand why she’s the way she is, and why she’s able to control herself in the confines of Miss Dodger’s tutelage.
I want to mention Bill Pullman, who played Peter Lichten, but his role in the story was unremarkable, though his acting was solid enough as the slightly detached and busy father. Don’t be fooled, Phoebe in Wonderland was about the dynamic between the mother, teacher and child and the trio of Huffman, Clarkson, and Fanning pulled it off beautifully.
Catch this one if you can. It’s limited in its showing and only Cocowalk in Miami is hosting it down in the tip of Florida. Also, catch Rick Swift interviewing Miss Dodger herself, Patricia Clarkson
