Tuck Everlasting (2002)

A young woman meets and falls in love with a young man who is part of a family of immortals.

Director:

Jay Russell

Writers:

Natalie Babbitt (novel), Jeffrey Lieber (screenplay)

Stars:

Alexis Bledel, Jonathan Jackson, Sissy Spacek

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alexis Bledel	...	Winnie Foster
William Hurt	...	Angus Tuck
Sissy Spacek	...	Mae Tuck
Jonathan Jackson	...	Jesse Tuck
Scott Bairstow	...	Miles Tuck
Ben Kingsley	...	Man in the Yellow Suit
Amy Irving	...	Mother Foster
Victor Garber	...	Robert Foster
Kosha Engler	...	Miles' Wife
Richard Pilcher	...	Constable
Bradley Coryell	...	Lead Mill Boy
John Badila	...	Baker
Julia Hart	...	Sally Hannaway
Naomi Kline	...	Beatrice Ruston
Kathryn Kelley	...	Mrs. Hannaway

Storyline

Winnie Foster has everything a young woman could desire. She comes from a well-bred, wealthy, and respected family. She dresses in the finest clothes and is afforded every opportunity to refine herself. But Winnie finds that the heat of summer is not nearly as stifling as her gilded cage. She longs for freedom, for adventure. She escapes one morning to explore the woods surrounding her family's home, and encounters the Tucks, a close-knit family with a mysterious past that begs the question: If you could live forever, would you? And just when Winnie believes she has answered that question for herself, a mysterious man looking to profit from the source of the Tuck's immortality that will have her question her life, her desires, and what is the right thing to do. And in the end, learns, that death is not what is to be feared, but an unlived life.

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Plot Keywords:

based on novel | woods | secret | immortality | fountain of youth | 

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Taglines:

Tuck's family drinks water from a magical spring, which allows them to live for eternity.

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Genres:

Drama | Family | Fantasy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some violence

Details

Official Sites:

Disney's Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

11 October 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Eterna juventud

Filming Locations:

Loch Raven Resevoir, Towson, Maryland, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,268,764, 13 October 2002, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$19,158,074, 2 February 2003

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures, Beacon Communications, Scholastic Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The white coat with embroidered accent, in which Alexis Bledel (Winnie Foster) plays stick ball, is the same costume worn by Kate Winslet (Rose Bukater) in Titanic (1997), except the hem is shortened, the color changed, and the closure is made double breasted.

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Goofs

When the Tucks are in jail and Winnie and the boys are going to help them escape, it shows Winnie crossing the street with all the wind blowing the dust around but the rope at the gallows is hanging still.

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Quotes

Mr. Foster: Just... what is your game, sir?
Man in the Yellow Suit: What is my game? You detect in me a playful mood?

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Crazy Credits

Featured Whistler: Dan Neufeld

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Connections

Referenced in 8 Simple Rules: Opposites Attract: Part 3: Night of the Locust (2004)

User Reviews

A Disney movie that Walt would have been proud of

This is the best adaptation of a classic children's book I've seen in a very long time. Nearly everything in this film is just right. Of all the live-action films that Walt Disney produced in his lifetime, one he was very proud of was the 1960 POLLYANNA, and TUCK EVERLASTING reminded me of POLLYANNA in several key aspects. Like POLLYANNA, TUCK has a meticulous attention to period details (it takes place in 1914). Also like POLLYANNA, it has some high-powered acting talent in peripheral roles, with the main focus of the story on younger, less well-known actors. The cinematography is beautiful, with a rich interplay of light and shadow, and to best appreciate this aspect, you should try to see it in a theater with the brightest picture available. Like another classic children's book (CHARLOTTE'S WEB) TUCK EVERLASTING explores philosophical concepts of life and death and eternity that most adult films, much less children's films, ever touch on. I hope that TUCK doesn't end up comparable to POLLYANNA in one key area: lack of box-office success. Walt was extremely disappointed when, despite the loving attention he garnished on the film, audiences for the most part stayed away. TUCK EVERLASTING deserves to be a huge success. Hollywood has come under frequent criticism for not making enough family-friendly films, but it seems that when a rich, intelligent film does come out, it's ignored. I hope and pray that this one won't be.