It’s pretty easy to see why Ava DuVernay was attracted to A Wrinkle in Time. She must have read that novel as a young girl, loving science fiction, and actually overjoyed that there was a story with a female teenage protagonist at its center. Using all her movie cred because of her amazing first 2 efforts, DuVernay convinced Disney to give her the keys to this property that touches kids and young adults everywhere. At least DuVernay knows her audience; if I were 14 years old and a girl, I would LOVE this movie, it would be one of the best things I’ve seen. As an over 30 year old boy, I can see enough botched execution that I consider A Wrinkle in Time a well-intentioned miss for a woman who out of the gate created a perfect story about Martin Luther King Jr.
Mr. (Chris Pine) and Mrs. (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) Murry are scientists who are looking for a way to connect with and travel across the universe. While researching, Mr. Murry goes missing, leaving Mrs. Murry to raise her daughter Meg (Storm Reid) and genius son Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe). Meg wishes she could see her dad again, and she maybe gets that chance, when out of nowhere, 3 celestial beings, Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling) and Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey), arrive at Meg’s house and tell her that her dad might be alive, and traversing the universe. So the 3 beings take Charles Wallace, Meg, and Meg’s crush Calvin (Levi Miller) through the wrinkles to find and reunite Mr. Murry with his family.
A Wrinkle in Time is squarely aimed at kids. On the surface, there’s nothing wrong with that, however, Ava DuVernay slowly finds that there are trappings in kids movies that can quickly ruin the credibility of your story. Charles Wallace, as fun as he can be, flirts dangerously with the “too cute and precocious” line. I get that he’s a genius, but yikes, does he know exactly what to say all the time. Also, how DuVernay uses him in the third act is too rushed to leave any lasting impact, limiting the emotional impact of Meg’s journey. A Monster Calls handled a scenario like this much, much better. This movie is also pretty darn preachy. Most of the preachiness is actually kind of amusing, because it is coming out of Oprah’s mouth, as if Meg is on her talk show with her and Oprah’s trying to make her life better. But boy, does Oprah say a lot of sayings, as do all the celestial beings. And Calvin. And Charles Wallace. As much as I’m rooting for Meg, quoting one liners to her over and over again is irritating, because the statements get very repetitive and eventually pretty grating to listen to.
Ok, did I piss off all the teenagers yet? Sorry. That’s just half the story of A Wrinkle in Time though. This movie is spectacular to look at, with scenes rivaling Avatar in terms of grandeur and playing with the imagination. I too find it refreshing that a 13 year old girl of color who excels in science is the heroine of a story, and not only that, that she has to use her science to get her out of jams, instead of just hitting something. The best parts of A Wrinkle in Time take place on the dark planet, where Meg and the kids are tested without adult supervision. There’s well pitched levels of creepy scenes and shape shifting tests where Meg shows how prepared and resourceful she is in times of crisis. The lessons Meg learns are based on what we know about her, and watching her rise to the occasion is very satisfying, even moreso than any potential reunions with her family. Though not executed well, as is expected, Mr. Murry shows up at some point, and Chris Pine and Storm Reid to really sell how meaningful that moment is, and very subtly, how Mr. Murry might be less equipped than his daughter to handle the darkness. Realizing the fallibility of a parent, or a seemingly perfect school rival (Rowan Blanchard) is part of the teenage experience, and though not perfect, is explored quite well in A Wrinkle in Time.
Perhaps Ava DuVernay is too close to this material. She was probably very attached to certain characters and the message of A Wrinkle in Time that her desire to get that point across led her movie to be frustratingly tosseling between amazing and irritating. At least DuVernay did one thing right. She found the role Oprah has been building her life to become: a 50 foot tall celestial being of light. “You get a celestial guide! And YOU get a celestial guide!! And YOU get a celestial guide!!!”