Major critics have panned Phoebe in Wonderland for being a sub par children’s version of A Beautiful Mind. They have questioned its narrative structure and pooh-poohed its tendency to preach. In spite of these mostly true assessments of the film, what they fail to mention is that it’s actually quite enjoyable. Elle Fanning is truly brilliant as Phoebe and even though Patricia Clarkson‘s Miss Dodger is the reincarnation of Dagmar from Lars and the Real Girl, I was happy to receive an encore performance because the character is undeniably enthralling.
Phoebe in Wonderland is a wonder in that writer/director Daniel Barnz doesn’t let his relatively small budget or difficult subject matter distract him from creating a film with interesting, heartfelt characters who struggle to give and receive grace in a messy world far from the magic of Alice’s Wonderland. The film tackles a challenging issue and does so with honesty, courage, and creativity. Does it try too hard? Yes. But, as I’ve said before, I’ll gladly take a film that tries too hard over a movie with no heart that’s phoned-in by the parties involved.
For the acting alone, Phoebe in Wonderland is worth 100 minutes of your time. If you’re questioning whether this is the particular rabbit hole for you, in the words of Miss Dodger, let me encourage you to . . . jump.
