Year: 2015
Director: Mark Osborne
Starring: Mackenzie Foy, Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Paul Rudd, Marion Cotillard, and James Franco
Tagline: Growing up isn't the problem ... forgetting is.
Synopsis: A little girl in a very grown up world meets her eccentric neighbor, the Aviator, who tells her the tale of the Little Prince.
Tagline: Growing up isn't the problem ... forgetting is.
Synopsis: A little girl in a very grown up world meets her eccentric neighbor, the Aviator, who tells her the tale of the Little Prince.
Review
If I could only describe Antoine de Saint-Exupery's novella The Little Prince in one word it would be "important." It's an odd little tale and starts out a bit slow. But with a bit of patience it becomes something beautiful and enlightening. It is the story of the Little Prince, the Rose he loves, the Fox he tames, and the Aviator he changes. It is a story about life, love, loss, and matters of consequence.
Right now you may be wondering: "I thought this was a movie review, not a book review. And why haven't I heard of this movie?" This is a movie review, but I cannot in this instance separate the two. As for why you haven't heard of it ... that comes down to Hollywood. The film is French made (though in English) and did quite well overseas. But days before its U.S. premiere, the distributor pulled the plug. Instead, the film has been taken up by Netflix where you can now watch it. It is also in "limited" theatrical release ... which doesn't include anywhere near here.
If you are familiar with the book, this isn't simply the book on film. It is more an homage to the book, which is presented in an abridged form, rendered in beautiful stop-motion animation. Perhaps the simplest description I can give is that this film isn't about the story of The Little Prince. Rather, it is about why the story of The Little Prince is important. Once you accept that, I think you'll enjoy the film, which retains the same narrative heart.
The voice talent brought in for the film is terrific. Marion Cotillard, James Franco, Jeff Bridges, and Ricky Gervais are particularly spot on in their respective rolls.
The animation is beautiful. There is a terrific contrast between the monochromatic world of the micromanaged Little Girl, the colorful explosion that is the eccentric Aviator's home, and the paper-like stop motion animation for the actual story of the Little Prince.
The music is also quirky and fun. It is where the French-made aspect most clearly shows. (That and the fact the little girl's math book is in French).
I'll admit the film isn't perfect. There were a few missteps here and there. But a few days later I can't even remember them. All I remember is how thoughtful and cheerful it made me.
I suppose some sticklers about the book won't like the third act, which you might say creates a sequel to the Little Prince's story. At that point it has become the Little Girl's story. That whole third act is her learning to apply the lessons she has learned from the Aviator via the story of the Little Prince. What happens are her own final chapters to the story. For me, it works. It works because the novella itself ends without complete closure and in such a way as to invite the reader to write their own ending. The film becomes how the Little Girl needs the story to end.
The very best part of the book (for me) is the Fox. The lessons he teaches are the heart of the story. The very best part of the film is still the Fox. In the portion about the Little Prince, he is playful, wise, and beautifully animated. For the rest of the film, the Fox is a stuffed animal the Little Girl adopts. For the third act, when we are in the realm of her imagination, the stuffed Fox comes to life. He's still a stuffed animal though. He doesn't talk. He pantomimes. And he's adorable (especially when dropping a bowling ball).
I am undecided if it is better to read the book first and then watch the movie, or to watch the movie and be inspired to read the book. That is up to you I suppose. I heartily recommend both the book and the film. And I hope that at some point I can watch the film again, only on a giant theater screen.
*** Spoiler Section ***
Nope. No spoilers. Just watch it and read it. Or read it and watch it.
Right now you may be wondering: "I thought this was a movie review, not a book review. And why haven't I heard of this movie?" This is a movie review, but I cannot in this instance separate the two. As for why you haven't heard of it ... that comes down to Hollywood. The film is French made (though in English) and did quite well overseas. But days before its U.S. premiere, the distributor pulled the plug. Instead, the film has been taken up by Netflix where you can now watch it. It is also in "limited" theatrical release ... which doesn't include anywhere near here.
If you are familiar with the book, this isn't simply the book on film. It is more an homage to the book, which is presented in an abridged form, rendered in beautiful stop-motion animation. Perhaps the simplest description I can give is that this film isn't about the story of The Little Prince. Rather, it is about why the story of The Little Prince is important. Once you accept that, I think you'll enjoy the film, which retains the same narrative heart.
The voice talent brought in for the film is terrific. Marion Cotillard, James Franco, Jeff Bridges, and Ricky Gervais are particularly spot on in their respective rolls.
The animation is beautiful. There is a terrific contrast between the monochromatic world of the micromanaged Little Girl, the colorful explosion that is the eccentric Aviator's home, and the paper-like stop motion animation for the actual story of the Little Prince.
The music is also quirky and fun. It is where the French-made aspect most clearly shows. (That and the fact the little girl's math book is in French).
I'll admit the film isn't perfect. There were a few missteps here and there. But a few days later I can't even remember them. All I remember is how thoughtful and cheerful it made me.
I suppose some sticklers about the book won't like the third act, which you might say creates a sequel to the Little Prince's story. At that point it has become the Little Girl's story. That whole third act is her learning to apply the lessons she has learned from the Aviator via the story of the Little Prince. What happens are her own final chapters to the story. For me, it works. It works because the novella itself ends without complete closure and in such a way as to invite the reader to write their own ending. The film becomes how the Little Girl needs the story to end.
The very best part of the book (for me) is the Fox. The lessons he teaches are the heart of the story. The very best part of the film is still the Fox. In the portion about the Little Prince, he is playful, wise, and beautifully animated. For the rest of the film, the Fox is a stuffed animal the Little Girl adopts. For the third act, when we are in the realm of her imagination, the stuffed Fox comes to life. He's still a stuffed animal though. He doesn't talk. He pantomimes. And he's adorable (especially when dropping a bowling ball).
*** Spoiler Section ***
Nope. No spoilers. Just watch it and read it. Or read it and watch it.
Quotable Quotes
- "You're going to make a wonderful grownup." "Thanks, Mom." -- The Mom and the Little Girl
- "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." -- The Fox
- "How can everything that is essential fit in one book?" "It's incredibly succint ... and single spaced." -- The Little Girl and the Academy Teacher
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