I just came from seeing Wrinkle in Time. If you have not seen it, please stop reading now because there will be spoilers. This film looks beautiful and is exactly what the term diverse means when it is executed with a purpose. Madeline L'Engle's novel is brought back to life for an entire generation by Ava Duverney. And already the critics have been hot and cold in their acceptance of this film. And I truly believe it is a lack of understanding of what it means to create something solely for children and teens, or that most of the critics that are usually white, do not understand what it means to be unapolegtically not white. And who can blame them when 90% of all stories look the same on the surface.
The film opens up with our main character, Meg played by Storm Reid. She has lost her father and it has been four years. Her grades continue to plummet and the bullies at the school are out for blood. The adults have no clue what she is going through and simply want her to get over it, move on. Doesn't this sound familiar? It should. Adults do it to children constantly. As if the pain and trauma from losing a parent is something to simply get over or even worse, that trauma does not become a constant that causes children and teens to build a wall of protection around them. And this is what Meg does best. She is cautious and worries about everyone, her mom and brother. When the character Calvin gives her a compliment she shuts him down because he can't possibly be telling the truth about how amazing she is.
The critics have stated that Ms. Duverney does not allow one's imagination to be used and that she trusts a child actor to do some heavy lifting referring to Deric McCabe who plays Charles Wallace. But, let me assure you that he handles that heavy emotional lifting just like a child should and that is what nearly breaks your heart as you watch the It do what it is meant to do. On one hand the critics applaud the film for not being antiquated in terms of casting but then they believe that all of the actors were not fully utilized. This is what happens when adults feel as if the movie did not speak to them. And you know what? That is what makes it perfect. Duverney creates a story for the eyes and hearts of children and teens. And we, the adults are simply lucky enough to be along for the ride. To remember what middle school felt like. To remember how cruel children can be. To remember the possibility of the impossible. Before we started paying bills and allowed our childhood to transmorph into adulthood.
The colors are beautiful and each of the Mrs's played by Mindy Kaling, Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon provide the tools for Meg, Charles and Calvin to find the father. But, more importantly it reminds us all how our children learn balance, love, strength, and compassion from what the world shows them. And it comes from the inside to the outside. And it is often messy and filled with obstacles.
Meg sees nothing as they tesser (the verb form of tesserat) and she can hardly keep her balance when they visit the medium. Her constant lack of belief in herself fueled by missing her father and dealing with bullies is always there. This movie and the book is more about the search for her missing father. It has always been a story about finding yourself and knowing that you are enough. And Ava specifically centers the film around a Black girl because in this life we are often told the opposite. We are often told that are wounds will never see the light and that we are damaged and broken. And that you never leave family behind but what happens if you do. This and this alone is why this is just as important as Black Panther.
It is more than Disney making more movies like this, it is about the storytelling that can have every Black girl stand up just like little Parker who at two-years old knew that she was enough after seeing Michelle Obama's picture in the museum. Black Panther reminded us of our flaws and strengths as a community, Wrinkle in Time teaches us how we flounder and grow as individuals through the lens of Black girl.
So go with your children, If you have no children, find some to take because this is a group experience. I took my daughter and you could hear her breath stop as she encouraged Meg to keep going. While reminding herself of her own wall that she has built to protect herself from the darkness. In the words of Mrs. Whatsit, "I give you the gift of your flaws." And from Madeline L'Engle herself, "Life, with its rules, its obligations, and freedoms, is like a sonnet. You're given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself." And most of all, light is always more powerful than the dark, and each of us hold a bit of both in us and that is what makes human. Perfection is never the goal, but humanity is.
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