Tuck Everlasting

Rating:
Summary: A Sip That Lasts Forever
Review: I had to laugh the guy who placed the review on this site, claiming that "Tuck Everlasting" is a boring movie that put him to sleep. Following the link to see the rest of his reviews, he has given "Jackass" a four-star rating and "The Hot Chick" five stars. Guess some people find any movie that takes some gray-matter to be a little to slow for their taste!

This is a wonderful movie. It is actually too bad that it is being marketed incorrectly. This is not just a children's movie, but a first class film through and through. Ben Kingsley, Alexis Bledel, William Hurt and Sissy Spacek shine. Ms. Bledel may prove to be one of the finest actresses of our current time if she keeps it up.

One of the first things that struck me about this movie was that it didn't appear to be a product of its time. There is no vile language, no potty humor, and the story actually makes the viewer contemplate whether they, themselves, would want to be immortal.

The DVD transfer is beautiful, quite a change from most Disney DVD's. The extras are rather limited, but who cares. This is a great movie, and can stand on its own.

Rating:
Summary: If you could choose to live forever, would you?
Review: Despite the impressive cast of adult actors assembled for the 2002 film version of "Tuck Everlasting," this adaptation of Natalie Babbit's novel is clearly geared for adolescents. By that I mean that older viewers can easily get caught up in identifying problems with the story from an adult perspective, while younger viewers will be focused on imagining what it would be like to be confronted with the choice that faces Winnie Foster (Alexis Bledel), the only child of a wealthy family living in a town in upstate New York on the even of the First World War. Winnie wants to be a tomboy, or at least a normal young girl, but her life is as strictly controlled as her body is by the corset her mother (Amy Irving) insists she wear. One day she is told by her father (Victor Garber) that she will be sent away to a boarding school, so Winnie runs away, deep into the woods where she meets handsome young Jesse Tuck (Jonathan Jackson).

Unfortunately, the Tuck family is hiding out in the deep woods, and they cannot afford to have anybody know where they are, even young Winnie. So she is brought back to the family home, where Jesse lives with his parents, Mae (Sissy Spacek) and Angus (William Hurt), and his brother, Miles (Scott Bairstow). In good time she learns the family secret: a century ago the Tucks discovered a small spring in the woods. They drank from the sweet waters and found out that they no longer aged and had become invulnerable. In other words, they are immortals. But there is someone out there, a strange man wearing a yellow suit (Ben Kingsley), who has been on their trail and is obviously interested in the magic waters that make life everlasting. With everyone looking for the missing Winnie, the life the Tuck family has been living might be coming to an end, even if their lives do not.

The choice for Winnie is whether she should drink from the spring and stay young forever with Jeese, who is really 104, or live a mortal life. Miles thinks it is a bad idea. He fell in love once, married, and had two children. But when his wife learned his secret she became convinced he had made a pact with the devil and left Miles, taking his children. Would Miles have shared the water with them at some point? What point would he have picked? Miles is planning to enlist when the Great War begins because he longs to die, even though he knows he cannot be killed.

This is where the adult mind, weaned on countless horror films, takes over and comes up with lots of ways of granting Miles his wish (none of which I will share with you here). But "Tuck Everlasting" is not about the real world, even if that is where Babbitt sets her tale, and the point here is not about looking backwards, but looking forward. It is Angus Tuck who makes the most important points to young Winnie. Angus knows that people will do just about anything not to die, but finds it more important that "they'll do anythng to keep from living their life." More importantly, he does not consider what the Tucks have to be called "living," comparing it to being "like rocks, stuck at the side of a stream." In the end, Angus' sage advice is for her not be afraid of death, but to "Be afraid of the unlived life."

Again, the adult is quick to point out that Angus does not have to be living in a home in the woods. He can go disappear in the teaming cities of America or anywhere else in the world, moving from place to place often enough for no one to suspect the truth (that is what his sons do). But the kids are looking at this one from the perspective of Winnie and Jesse. After all, Jesse not only looks like he is 17 but acts like it as well (Is this the first time he has been in love or is Winnie special? Only adults will care). I wonder what Mae thinks about the life she is living, but no one ever bothers to ask her.

"Tuck Everlasting" is sweetly romantic. The kissing is fairly chaste and the most romantic moment has the winsome Bledel as the young Winnie dancing by firelight. The screenplay of Babbitt's novel is by Jeffrey Lieber, creator of this year's new television series "Lost," and James V. Hart, who did the screenplay for "Bram Stoker's Dracula," and I am told that the romantic elements are more developed here than in the novel. Still, the innocent romance seems in keeping with the rest of the story. The fate of the Tucks becomes the focal point of the film's climax, but the resolution still has to do with Winnie's choice.

If young viewers are still not clear about the point of this film, then they can avail themselves of the "Lessons Of Tuck" feature on the DVD. This special viewing mode allows kids to switch from the film to special segments that explore the themes and issues of the movie with actor Jonathan Jackson, other cast members, and some regular kids. Other DVD features include a pair of commentary tracks, the first with director Jay Russell and screenwriter James V. Hart and the second with Russell and the three young cast members, Jackson, Bledel and Bairstow. Finally there is a featurette that visits with author Natalie Babbitt, which looks more at her entire career as a writer and artist of children's literature and not "Tuck Everlasting" in particular.

Rating:
Summary: has to be one of the most beautiful movies ever filmed
Review: I read the book by Natalie Babbitt and loved it, but was wary about watching the movie. After reading some amazon.com reviews I decided to give it a try. I'm very glad I did. It has the feel and plot of the book, which I was pleased to see. The main change was Winnie and Jesse's romance. I think Disney did well in adding this, because I don't think an eleven-year-old Winnie would've worked as well. Besides, they would have had to get someone else to play her and Alexis Bledel is just too perfect for words. I think the two best scenes were the one where she and Tuck are rowing in a boat on the pond and the one with her and Jesse in the water. The story is very simply and beautifully told and the music is lovely. The point of the movie is, what it would be like to live forever? Would it be worth it? Or would it be better to "just live"? This movie will make you taste life more and see things differently. It was funny at times, and heartrending at others. If you haven't seen it yet you have to. A simple, beautiful, powerful film.

Rating:
Summary: Just Beautiful!
Review: This is a wonderful story. THe production, casting, everything about this is absolutely perfect. There is nothing that could have been done to make this better. A good family film, teaching an important value, I highly recommend this film.


Rating:
Summary: Boring
Review: Family films have to be able to hold the attention of both young children and grown adults; Tuck Everlasting put me to sleep three times. The movie tries to feed off the enchanting idea of being able to live forever and remain forever young. Unfortunately Disney could not pull off the magic touch on this slacker.

Almost the entire movie takes place in the woods, and while there was some great cinematography, there were almost no scenery changes. Most of this movie tried to be a period piece and hanging out in the woods all day long is a cheesy way to skip out on a budget. Disney has more than enough money to invest into something that could have been truly fantastic but instead produced a disappointment.

Young teenagers might find the love story half way romantic and some people might get caught up in the forest bit, but I had difficulties staying awake and would not recommend this to anyone.


Rating:
Summary: Love this movie
Review: The cast is big, as is the story. The real problem is I see Bledal's character like her character on Gilmore Girls. Jackson's is a little to arrogant and not enjoyable.