Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007)

Molly Mahoney is the awkward and insecure manager of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, the strangest, most fantastic, most wonderful toy store in the world. But when Mr. Magorium, the 243 year-old eccentric who owns the store, bequeaths the store to her, a dark and ominous change begins to take over the once remarkable Emporium.

Director:

Zach Helm

Writer:

Zach Helm

Stars:

Ted Ludzik, Natalie Portman, Dustin Hoffman

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ted Ludzik	...	Bellini, the Bookbuilder
Natalie Portman	...	Molly Mahoney, the Composer
Zach Mills	...	Eric Applebaum, the Hat Collector
Dustin Hoffman	...	Mr. Edward Magorium, Avid Shoe-Wearer
Madalena Brancatella	...	Jessica, Who Got a Cowboy Hat
Paula Boudreau	...	Brenda, Who Wants a Mobile
Mike Realba	...	Dave Wolf, Who's an Engineer
Steve Whitmire	...	Kermit the Frog (voice)
Liam Powley-Webster	...	Andy, the Boy Who Likes to Color
Marcia Bennett	...	Lora, Who Wants a Fire Engine
Jason Bateman	...	Henry Weston, the Mutant
Oliver Masuda	...	Jordan, Who Said Hi
Samantha Harvey	...	Cassie, the Girl Chased by a Goose
Jesse Bostick	...	Derek, Who Opened the Door
Isaac Durnford	...	Jason, Who's a Little Too Curious

Storyline

Molly Mahoney is the manager of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, the awesome toy store owned by Mr. Edward Magorium. Molly was a promising composer and piano player when she was a girl, and now she is a twenty-three year-old insecure woman that feels stuck in her job. Among the costumers of the Emporium is the lonely hat collector, Eric Applebaum, who has only Molly and Mr. Magorium for friends. When the last pair of shoes that Mr. Magorium bought in Toscana is worn, he hires the accountant, Henry Weston to adjust the accounts of the Emporium. Furthermore, he claims that he is two hundred and forty-three years old and his time to go has come; he gives a block of wood called Congreve cube to Molly and asks Henry to transfer the Emporium to her name. Molly tries to convince Mr. Magorium to stay in his magical toy store instead of "going".

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Plot Keywords:

toy store | composer | hat | accountant | piano | 

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Taglines:

You have to believe it to see it.

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

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Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

Metropolitan Films [fr] Official site [de]

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 November 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Loja Mágica de Brinquedos

Filming Locations:

Cinespace Film Studios, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£459,734 (UK) (14 December 2007)

Gross:

$32,059,442 (USA) (7 March 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mandate Pictures, Walden Media, FilmColony

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Release prints were delivered to theaters with the fake title 'Magic Shop'.

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Goofs

While in the hospital, Molly and Henry are talking in the hallway while Eric is in the background rolling back and forth on his 'wheelie' shoes. Henry begins to walk away from the camera as Molly takes a seat at the front right of the frame, he pauses and beyond him at 47:24 Eric starts to roll from the right side of the hall to the left as Henry starts to turn around. At 47:25 when Eric has rolled about halfway across the hall from right to left, the shot cuts to a narrower shot of only Henry with Eric beyond him where Eric is on the left side of the hall starting to roll to the right side.

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Quotes

Mr. Edward Magorium: Most of these are important papers...and some of them might be doodles I never had framed...I can't tell the difference in them.

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Crazy Credits

Near the end of the credits, Mr. Magorium appears painting a picture with a little boy watching him.

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Connections

References The Muppet Show (1976)

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Soundtracks

"Don't Be Shy"
Written by Cat Stevens (as Yusuf Islam)
Performed by Cat Stevens
Courtesy of Universal-Island Records Ltd.
Under License from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

NOT just for kids! I was uplifted, and found my own SPARKLE!

I expected a "kid" movie. And an insipid one at that. Treacly and dumb. So why did I go? Well, I'd seen everything else, and I really like Dustin Hoffman and Natalie Portman. I like Jason Bateman, too. So I took a chance. And it was really GOOD! True, kids will like this movie. But the theme of belief in one's self, and "possibilities," and all that metaphysical stuff appeals to me. Granted, the story line was about a toy store, but the real story underneath that, and which came shining through the juvenile aspects, was one of TRUE magic and possibility for all of us. The cast played their parts well, and the mechanics of the movie were good--- nice colours, nice sets. The animation, or puppets, or whatever the moving toys were, was believable.

At one point, Natalie Portman asks Jason Bateman if he sees "sparkle" in her. He has to say "no." But later, after the plot unfolds, admittedly predictably, the sparkle finally shows up. It showed up in me, too! The SPARKLE was there throughout the movie.

Whether you have kids or not, if you are in the mood for something light yet meaningful, check this out. It has the wonder of a Harry Potter movie, without the vapid and stupid plot of those films. This movie is brave enough to be simple, and true enough to be.... well, true. I feel better having sen it. And that's a worthy accomplishment for ANY movie!