Madeleine L'Engle Movies
One of the most widely cherished and unique scribes of her generation, Madeleine L'Engle authored a body of novels that drew generation after generation of readers and swept up a hefty amount of critical acclaim. At least half of L'Engle's works were youth-oriented; many, such as her 1962 masterpiece A Wrinkle in Time and its follow-ups -- A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet and Many Waters -- began amid a banal domestic environment before suddenly and abruptly segueing into vividly conceived extraterrestrial worlds. Throughout, L'Engle worked into her material gentle, ever-present philosophical and spiritual undercurrents that pooled Biblical entities and concepts (via the author's Episcopalian background), classicist mythology, and contemporary scientific knowledge with stunning dexterity. Largely because the novels are so difficult to film adroitly, the preponderance of L'Engle's oeuvre has never received cinematization, though a Canadian feature adaptation of Wrinkle finally appeared in 2003. L'Engle died of natural causes in September 2007 at age 89. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
A pair of misfit siblings travel across time and space to save their father from enslavement in this made-for-TV adaptation of the classic children's novel by Madeleine L'Engle. Meg Murry (Katie Stuart), a tomboy who fits in with neither the kids nor the teachers at her New England middle school, feels bereft when her scientist father vanishes, leading to unsavory speculation from small-town gossips. But thanks to Charles Wallace (David Dorfman), her gifted but idiosyncratic younger brother, Meg befriends Mrs. Who (Alison Elliott), Mrs. Whatsit (Alfre Woodard), and Mrs. Which (Kate Nelligan) -- three cosmic beings who lead Meg, Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O'Keefe (Gregory Smith) on a journey to the sinister planet Camazotz, where Dr. Murry (Chris Potter) has been captured by the coercive power known as IT. Afflicted by hubris and naïveté, young Charles Wallace falls under IT's thrall, forcing Meg, Calvin, and their allies on a dangerous flight across time and space. But thanks to the healing touch of a kindly monster known as Aunt Beast (Ellen Dubin), Meg is able to face her own insecurities and attempt a final rescue of her loved ones. Originally broadcast May 10, 2004, on ABC, A Wrinkle in Time was released as an installment of the long-running Wonderful World of Disney. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Katie Stuart
- 2002
Vacationing on Seven Bay Island in the summer of her 16th year, budding poet Victoria "Vicky" Austin (Mischa Barton) is faced with the approaching death of her beloved grandfather (James Whitmore), who is suffering from leukemia. In hopes of briefly forgetting her troubles, Vicky begins assisting a handsome young researcher named Adam (Ryan Merriman) who is working with sea mammals. In this capacity, Vicky discovers that she possesses the unique gift of being able to communicate with dolphins -- and also finds herself romantically torn between Adam and a wealthy suitor named Zach (Jared Padalecki). Suspense enters the picture when the dolphins "tell" Vicky of an illegal driftnet fishing operation. Based on the 1981 novel by Madeleine L'Engle and location-filmed in Australia, A Ring of Endless Light made its cable-TV premiere over the Disney Channel on August 23, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mischa Barton, James Whitmore, (more)
