A Wrinkle in Time: My take on the movie starring Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling & Storm Reid #book2movies [review]

A Wrinkle in Time isn’t for everyone. I didn’t think it was going to be for me. As much as I appreciated parts of the novel, as I said in my take on the book, some of Madeleine L’Engle’s overt Christianity just wasn’t for me.

The Christian overtones didn’t quite make it to the script by Jennifer Lee and Jeff Stockwell although what remains is spiritual and encompasses the power of love and understanding that’s supposed to be at the heart of Christianity anyway. 

I thought it was—as we said back in my day—far out. I’ve rarely seen such a glorious visual feast on screen and I’m no spring chicken. I can only imagine how blown away any child, boy or girl, would be by the sight of the Mrs. in their dazzling costumes by Paco Delgado—at one point Reese Witherspoon’s Mrs. Whatsit character changes costume—magically—from a colorful, out of this world swirl of color, into a giant, flying leaf (Romaine?) upon which she takes the children through the air like a vegan dream of a flying carpet. It’s truly spectacular. There are talking flowers and fields so green, sky so blue it left me wishing I could go along for the journey. A shout out to production designer Naomi Shohan & cinematographer Tobias A. Schliessler for bringing director Ava DuVernay’s colorful, imaginative vision alive.

Oprah Winfrey Brings her Personal Power to Mrs. Which

Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon & Mindy Kaling must have had a blast playing the three Mrs, and to the reviewer who said Oprah as Mrs. Which was too big, too overpowering, I ask did you read the book? Because that is who Mrs. Which issss. She’s as mighty and all-powerful as the Wizard of Oz (without the need of a curtain) and Oprah, bringing her own personal power to the role, was the perfect person to play her. Reese Witherspoon brought her comic bones to Mrs. Whatsit—I’d forgotten how good she is at that, while Mindy Kaling could have been given a bit more to do, but still you can’t have it all.

Young Storm Reid—bespectacled as I’ve been since the age of five so I can relate—is lovely as Meg. I was happy to see her skin color isn’t what makes her feel like an outsider—her school is filled with diverse faces and most if not all of the girls who make fun of her aren’t white—it’s her own inner demons, her insecurities and fears that make her maintain her aloneness. 

The Mean Girls of A Wrinkle in Time

Storm Reid as Meg with Levi Miller as Calvin

Levi Miller is quite perfect as Calvin—handsome but shy—brave but ultimately trusting in Meg’s ability to lead over his own. Young Derec McCabe brings Meg’s adopted 6 year old brother, the advanced Charles Wallace to life as only a 9 year can do. Just kidding, but the kid is a real pro. Chris Pine and Gugu Mbatha-Raw plays Meg’s parents movingly.

A Wrinkle in Time may not be for everyone but if I were a child, anywhere between 8ish and 16ish demographic that DuVernay surely made it for primarily, it would be for me. My imagination would be on fire while I’d feel empowered to take on the world. To, as the movie is pushing, #BeAWarrior 

As you know I don’t do stars but I’d give A Wrinkle in Time 4 1/2 Oprah Winfreys out of 5.