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MOVIE SUMMARY

Papillon: So, can you give us a summary of the movie?

KerMETS: Well, Ella is under a curse because of a fairy named Lucinda and that is where any similarity to the book ends.
Papillon: uh oh

KerMETS: The movie the made is cute and funny and at times over the top (musical numbers, etc.), but is nothing like th book we know and love. Sir Peter is distant but likeable (gasp!). Mandy is young and tries hard but can not seem to master magic. The finishing school, Ella's skill for languages and determination are all gone! Prince Regent Edgar is Char's uncle, who is serving as king until Char is of age. Char's mother died when he was young (he is an only child) and his father was killed by ogres in recent years. To avenge his brother's death Prince Regent Edgar segregates the kingdom by banishing the elves and allowing them only to work as entertainers, enslaving the gentle giants and banishing the ogres to the forest. Ella and her best friend Areida (who only appears in the first half hour) see this as the injustice that it is. Ella and Arieda, along with Hattie (president of the Prince Char fan club!) and Olive (an idiot) attend the opening of Frell's newest mall where Char is speaking to dedicate it. Ella and Arieda are there to protest while Hattie and crew are there to swoon. Char notices Ella in the crowd because of her protest signs, and Hattie sees this and sends Ella away. Later on, Ella is wandering the forest when Char runs into her and knocks her down (he was running from Hattie and crew.) Ella does not faint or comment on his "hotness", and Char is intrigued by this girl who is so different from the rest. Ella ignores him and Hattie shows up and sends her home. Char asks Hattie to tell Ella that he will write her. Ella is forced to end her friendship with Arieda and with Mandy's guidance decides to run away and find Lucinda. Mandy gives her Benny the Book (Benny was Mandy's boyfriend. 20 years ago she accidentally turned him into a book while trying to trim his hair by magic). in the forest Ella saves an elf, Slannen, from three humans and he joins her on her trip. Slannen does not sing but wants to be a lawyer, which is against Prince Edgars laws. And the journey begins.

Papillon: Wow, that's...different. Those of you who would like to know EVERYTHING can go to the next page and finish the summary. Now, on with the interview: How would you label this movie based on your opinions? Simple? Corny? Fun, etc.

KerMETS: It's cute. Not bad to watch and really good for little kids. Some of the humor is aimed at adults and teens so any age group could probably enjoy it.

Papillon: Since you were in the test audience they must have given you an opinion card. What did you write on them to improve? Keep? What you liked, what you didn't like?

KerMETS: There were no scenes I hated. I asked them to change the title so that people wouldn't go expecting to see the book. Really all I asked them to do was play down on the association with the book

Papillon: How was the script? Was Ella's dialogue witty as it is in the book? How about the other characters?

KerMETS: Ella has had a major downgrade. She is just rather ordinary. Ella, in the book, was so self-sufficient. She didn't need to be rescued by anyone. Ella, in the movie, tries to preserve some of that feminist spirit by being an activist but she is rescued by Char, her friends, and Slannen three different times. Once or twice she does little rescuing of herself. She's intelligent but her curse makes her very helpless a lot of the time and unlike "Book Ella" she is unable to manipulate the curse and avoid complying exactly.

Papillon: Benny the book: Does he talk? If so, does he have an accent?

KerMETS: Yes, he talks. He is an encyclopedia type book. He can show pictures and maps that move, etc. He doesn't really have an accent but half the cast does (sometimes only for part of the time).

Papillon: How was the movie shot and edited? Made for TV movie or Tuck Everlasting?

KerMETS: What I saw was a rough cut but it wasn't made for TV. I didn't see Tuck so I really can't compare. It looked smooth and had very good computer animation in some parts.

Papillon: Was the plot interesting to you?

KerMETS: A little. More interesting for younger kids but the adults in the theatre who hadn't read the book LOVED the movie. It seemed as though it had been written strictly to arrive at the ending they wanted. I wondered at the characters motivations at times.

Papillon: How were the costumes?

KerMETS: Good. I thought they were believable for the most part. Lucinda looked a little like hooker-Barbie. Char wore what appeared to be leather pants for most of the movie and the Char can club looked a little too much like New Kids on the Block fans from the eighties. But the rest were fine.

Papillon: So ends this part of the summary. You can finish reading the summary by going to the next page.

SPOILERS!!!!

Major Spoilers past this page. Don't say I didnt' warn ya!

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