Should I Jump in the Rabbit Hole?

Should I jump in the Rabbit Hole?
A Movie Review of Phoebe in Wonderland
By: Luciana Paz

“Gilles de la Tourette syndrome. It’s a beautiful name I think. It gets worse before it gets better. My shoulders, my fingers, and imitating.Spitting. It’s a voice in your head that makes you do the opposite of what you’re supposed to. It makes you break rules. But sometimes breaking rules is good. So I like to think of it in that way.”

Phoebe Lichten (Elle Fanning) is a very imaginative little girl, but no one really understands her, she is not like any other kid in her school but she doesn’t really care because she has “Alice” by her side. Her mom (Fellcity Huffman) tries to help her but she is too scared to admit that her daughter has Tourette syndrome. Her dad (Bill Bullman) is also trying to help but he thinks she is too much to handle. Her sister (Bailee Madison) feels that Phoebe is getting more attention than her, and everyone else think she just too weird or crazy, or unruly until she meets Mrs. Doger (Patricia Clarkson) the new drama teacher.

“Welcome to Wonderland!” Mrs. Doger said. Phoebe feels different up on the stage playing Alice, the part she was hoping to get. That is the only place Phoebe can be free and does not have to live with rules. She can do whatever she wants, not like in the real world where there are too many rules and things beyond Phoebe's control.

This movie is not only about the suffering of a young girl that has Tourette syndrome, but it’s different, creative and most of all magical. It brings two worlds together, the magical world of wonderland and the real rule driven existace that keep children from begin children. The director (Daniel Banz) shows this is in a very unique and creative way because he took a classic story of songs, queens, cards, rabbits with pocket watches and tea parties and transformed and reflected it as Phoebe’s escape from her problematic life.

The message the director wants to convey is wrapped up with the lines from the school play when Phoebe says, “I knew who I was when I got up this morning but I must have changed a million since then. I can’t understand myself really but begin so many sizes in a day is confusing. When you have to turn in to a chrysalis and then into a beautiful butterfly I think you would feel a little odd. Your feeling may be different, all I know it will feel very strange to me.” This movie was filled with many special moments; I liked it very much I would recommend to all ages.