TVOR goes PG

12/9/07

Enchanted
Directed by Kevin Lima

TVOR had an unusual experience recently. She went to a PG movie--a Disney movie, no less. She rarely goes to movies with people under 30 in the audience, much less actual children. She is happy to report that, based on her experience, there is at least one movie out there right now that is entertaining to both children and adults. At least this adult. And girl children. Little boys were pretty scarce in the theater where TVOR saw the movie, so she's not sure about them.

Enchanted starts out in familiar Disney territory. There's Giselle, an animated heroine, singing and working in her forest home in the kingdom of Andalasia with her little animated animal friends. We learn that there is a handsome prince in search of a bride, and his wicked stepmother is determined to make sure he doesn't find one. Then, of course, things happen, and our heroine is suddenly and rudely transported from animated Andalasia to the very real (at least, to the extent that anything is real in a Disney film) Times Square. Giselle is now played by the three-dimensional Amy Adams, and is, not surprisingly, very disoriented. Then more things happen, most of which are very entertaining. And tuneful.

Enchanted is both a celebration and a send-up of Disney-style fairy tales, and it works remarkably well. Amy Adams is wonderful as Giselle--she really makes the movie. The film falls apart a little bit at the end, but its faults are minor and forgivable. If you plan on going to the movies soon with a little girl, this is the one to see. And if you're not, you might just need to see it anyway.

Video notes:

Amy Adams was nominated for an Oscar for her supporting role in Phil Morrison's Junebug. This little film travelled the festival circuit, but wasn't widely seen in theaters and is a nice one to catch on video. In it, a Chicago art dealer travels with her new husband to the rural south to meet her in-laws. The film isn't predictable and respects all of its characters, refusing to make them caricatures. This is the first time many of us saw Amy Adams, and she was impressive.