Film on Friday #57 - A Wrinkle in Time

©2018 Disney

A Wrinkle in Time is the award winning first book in Madeleine L'Engle's Time Quintet series. Walt Disney Studios has just released A Wrinkle in Time on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital format for home viewing. (This viewer received a copy free of charge from Walt Disney Studios in return for an honest review.)

As an avid reader, I had of course read the book many times - by myself and later on with my children. The adventure and the unknown was what I remembered the most.

The cast is star studded. Reese Witherspoon was perhaps my favourite of the 'Mrs.'s. She was warm and funny. Mindy Kaling has incredibly expressive eyes and facial expressions. Oprah Winfrey rounded out the three. I found it hard to separate Oprah's 'real life' persona from this role. I just kept seeing and hearing Oprah, despite the elaborate costumes and make up.Which were excellent by the way, and conveyed the magic of the beings. Storm Reid turned in a great job as Meg. Deric McCabe as Charles Wallace gave us a precocious performance. He is a talented young actor. I did find it hard to hear what he was saying sometimes as he talked quickly and his voice is young and high pitched. Levi Miller as Calvin ended up being my favourite player though. His understated performance was believable, touching and memorable.

The movie has a PG rating. Guidance is needed for some parts - notably when they are battling the evil IT. It may be too frightening for younger children, both visually, audibly and the event itself. Some of the bullying that happens to Meg at school is truly awful and should hopefully trigger some discussion if watching with children.

The special effects were  spectacular. I have to say the the living flowers were my favourite bit.

Did I find that sense of adventure in this movie version? Yes, I did. There were some additions and subtractions from the original book. Most were minor, some are larger. Mrs. Which is only a voice in the books. It is Meg who trusts the Mrs.'s, instead of Calvin and The Happy Medium is a bit different. The biggest bit not included in the movie was the section after they find Dad and before they return home.

This latest Disney screen version of A Wrinkle in Time, was good but not great for this viewer. I think every age bracket will take away something different. One with the universe as a concept will also need to be discussed with younger viewers. Check out the official Walt Disney Studio trailer below. See what others thought on Twitter using the hash tag #WrinkleInTime.

Film on Friday #42 - Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Impossible Dream

Do you ever have a bad day and all you want to do when you get up is cuddle up and watch a good movie - one that will chase away that bad day?

Yes, chocolate will do the trick, but for me it's Hallmark movies. My latest favourite series is Signed, Sealed, Delivered.

The latest - Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Impossible Dream premieres Sunday October 4 9/8c on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries.

In today's world of electronic communication, it's becoming increasingly rare to receive letters. But the four characters of this series have a dedication to the written letter. They're US postal employees who work in the Dead Letter Office. Think of them as postal detectives (POstables), dedicated to "tracking down intended recipients of deliverable mail. Their missions take them out of the office and into an unpredictable world where redirected letters and packages can save lives, solve crimes, reunite old loves and change futures by arriving late but somehow always on time."

The Impossible Dream picks right up where the last movie (Truth Be Told) left off. The Postables 'work against the clock decoding a letter to rescue a soldier in Afghanistan and reunite her with her family'. There's a huge sense of urgency as the window to rescue the soldier is very small. But along with the serious tone, there's some fun as well. Rita is competing for the title of National Miss Special Delivery.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered stars Eric Mabius (Oliver), Kristin Booth (Shane), Crystal Lowe (Rita) and Geoff Gustafson (Norman). The four have great chemistry between them. But, there's an added bit of chemistry between two pairs. I thoroughly enjoy watching their genuinely caring relationships evolve. Shane's past plays a large part in The Impossible Dream. And Rita and Norman's relationship moves forward.

The Impossible Dream is a family friendly movie that explores family, faith, hope, love and patriotism in a wholesome, inspirational manner that can't help but lift your spirits.

The Impossible Dream was the perfect antidote for my not so great day. Get a sneak peek - watch the trailer below.

You can keep up with the cast on Twitter: @HallmarkMovie, @Eric_Mabius, @kristintbooth, @RealCrystalLowe, @geoffgustafson,  #POstables

Film on Friday #41 - Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Truth Be Told (and a giveaway!)

Nothing warms you up like a feel good movie on a rainy day. And Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Truth Be Told is guaranteed to warm your heart.

I had a chance to have a sneak peek, but don't worry, you haven't missed it - it premieres on Sunday, September 13th at 9pm E/PT /8C on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries.

In today's world of electronic communication, it's becoming increasingly rare to receive letters. But the four characters of this series have a dedication to the written letter. They're US postal employees who work in the Dead Letter Office. Think of them as postal detectives (POstables), dedicated to "tracking down intended recipients of deliverable mail. Their missions take them out of the office and into an unpredictable world where redirected letters and packages can save lives, solve crimes, reunite old loves and change futures by arriving late but somehow always on time."

This time it's a partially burned letter with only fragments left to piece together and some grains of sand. The team manage to find the recipient, but take things a bit further when they're asked to find the sender. As Norman says "Some letters deserve special attention."

Signed, Sealed, Delivered stars Eric Mabius (Oliver), Kristin Booth (Shane), Crystal Lowe (Rita) and Geoff Gustafson (Norman). The four have great chemistry between them. But, there's an added bit of chemistry between two pairs. I thoroughly enjoy watching the budding, genuinely caring relationships evolving. The personal lives of the characters often have tie-ins to the letters. This time, it's Oliver's life - his father returns after a fifteen year estrangement. Family, fatherhood and faith - and unconditional love are all explored in this timely, inspiring, uplifting movie.

I love the Dead Letter office set itself - I think I'd love working there, piecing together clues and making those connections happen.

Hallmark movies just make me wish the world could be like this - especially today, September 11th. If you're looking for a family friendly movie with lots wholesome, inspirational themes and values - this series is for you.

You can keep up with the cast on Twitter: @HallmarkMovie, @Eric_Mabius, @kristintbooth, @RealCrystalLowe, @geoffgustafson, @TheRealGregoryH, @MarthaMoonWater, #POstables

This series will remind you of Touched By An Angel. And that's because Martha Williamson is the executive producer of both series! And thanks to Martha, I have some swag from Touched By An Angel to giveaway to a fan. *A small silver picture frame that was given as a gift by Martha to the Touched By An Angel crew during the series’ production *A vintage novel based on the series *Classic Touched By An Angel themed greeting cards that include a CD single of a song from the show *A Touched By An Angel logo pen. Enter using the Rafflecopter form below.

Watch a preview of Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Truth Be Told below. And watch for the next movie with the POstables - Signed Sealed Delivered: The Impossible Dream will air on Sunday, October 4 at 9pm ET/PT, 8C on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. (I'll be watching!)

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