One of those movies is Madeline, the screen adaptation of the famous children's book. The screenplay was written by E2 producer Mark Levin and his wife Jennifer Flackett - writer and story editor for E2. Now, most children's movies leave me cold. Madeline, however, was a pleasant surprise.
The story, for those of you who aren't familiar with the book, takes place in the Paris mansion of the British Lord Covington, where a kindly nun, Miss Clavelle, runs a boarding school for girls. Little girls being little girls, they always find ways to get into trouble - especially the youngest, Madeline, an orphan and ward of the Church. Her spunkiness makes her life a continuous miniature adventure. This in turn makes Miss Clavelle's life a major adventure! But Madeline is just a bundle of energy who can't get enough of the world. She's no Dennis the Menace.
That honor goes to Pepito, the ten year old son of the Spanish Ambassador.
Maybe nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition, but we get it from him, and
his parents are too busy with affairs of state to
notice. Pepito is a spoiled little brat who rides his Vespa scooter
around the yard, bedevils the girls, and is fascinated with ghouls, skulls,
spiders, snakes, and anything he could put down a little girl's
back. Sounds like a future Goth to me! All of the schoolgirls think
he's cute, except for Madeline. She doesn't like him.
In the whirlwind plot, Madeline meets the school's benefactor, the Lady Covington, the night she dies (offscreen). When the Lord Covington decides to close the school and sell the house, Madeline and her friends sabotage the house during a showing (think Home Alone!) to save the school -- conning Pepito into helping them. After a dog saves Madeline from drowning, she hides her at the Covington mansion -- which is strictly prohibited. At the same time, Madeline discovers what may be an abduction plot against Pepito, but that's all right with her ... until she winds up abducted with him. She finds out he's not so bad, he finds out she's clever beyond her years, and they escape with the whole world at their heels.
Frances McDormand of Fargo plays Miss Clavelle, and a young girl
named Hattie Jones plays Madeline. Ironically, you see Madeline chasing
her wayward straw hat down the street as the actress' name comes across
the screen. But, for the part that we're concerned about, the writing is
great. The plot of the movie is very complex, but children will be
able to follow it. It all seems very realistic - you get the sense that
this story could happen in real life. Madeline and the rest of the children
were normal, not sickeningly sweet. You can tell that Levin and Flackett
are used to writing for and about children. Both the kids in The Wonder
Years and Earth 2 were very realistic. Hopefully, Madeline
will be the success that they deserve.
Best line:
Miss Clavelle: "You're giving me gray hair."
Madeline: "Can
I see?"
Miss Clavelle: "No!"
Second best line:
Every other line in the movie.
In conclusion, I give Madeline five straw hats out of five for
a wonderful, heartwarming, and entertaining film for both children and
adults.