Madeline L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle in time was asked about the first filmic iteration of her novel, a 2003 made for tv movie. She said she knew it was going to be bad- and that it was. If Madeline were with us today, I'd be willing to bet she'd really dislike this terrible new version of her fantasy. There are a number of reasons for the truly awful viewing experience this film turns out to be, prime among them the fatal miscasting of almost every character in the book. This is especially true of Charles Wallace and Meg, the main protagonists of the story. Important scenes from the book have been omitted and the film's leaden pacing all but obliterates the suspense that made the novel so memorable. What really sinks A Wrinkle in Time is the fact that the book's sense of wonder, it's raison d'etre, if you will, is missing. Instead, we're subjected to overblown special effects sequences, stunt casting and bad acting. The irony is that the 2003 film that Madeline disliked comes closer to the heart of her story than this stinker.
Review of A Wrinkle in Time
