A Wrinkle in Time

Director: Ava DuVernay Ava DuVernay

Overview

After her astrophysicist father (Chris Pine) goes missing, 13-year-old Meg (Storm Reid) meets three supernatural beings named Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling), and Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey). They transport her, her friend Calvin (Levi Miller), and her brother Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe) through the universe, where they must traverse strange new planets and unlock the power inside themselves to rescue her dad. Based on Madeleine L'Engle's novel of the same name, the first in a five-book series. Directed by Ava DuVernay. Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Zach Galifianakis, Bellamy Young, and Michael Pe?a co-star.

Product Details

Release Date:	06/05/2018
UPC:	0786936856422
Original Release:	2018
Rating:	PG
Source:	Walt Disney Video
Region Code:	1
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:55:00

Special Features

Music Videos:; "I Believe" by DJ Khaled (featuring Demi Lovato); "Warrior" by Chloe x Halle

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Storm Reid	Meg Murray
Oprah Winfrey	Mrs. Which
Reese Witherspoon	Mrs. Whatsit
Mindy Kaling	Mrs. Who
Zach Galifianakis	The Happy Medium
Chris Pine	Dr. Alex Murry
Gugu Mbatha-Raw	Dr. Kate Murry
Levi Miller	Calvin
Michael Peña	Red
Bellamy Young	Actor
Deric McCabe	Actor
Andre Holland	Actor
Rowan Blanchard	Actor
David Oyelowo	Actor
Conrad Roberts	Actor
Yvette Cason	Actor
Will McCormack	Actor
Daniel MacPherson	Actor
Akemi Look	Actor
Tim Kang	Actor
Lyric Wilson	Actor
Michele Norris	Actor
Claire Montwill	Actor
Easton Tath	Actor
Giselle Paredes	Actor
Ramin Djawadi	Composer

Technical Credits

Jennifer Lee

Ava DuVernay	Director
Catherine Hand	Producer
James Whitaker	Producer
Jennifer Lee	Screenwriter
Doug Merrifield	Executive Producer,Executive Producer,Producer
Adam Borba	Executive Producer,Producer
Romulo Adriano Jr.	Special Effects
Willie D. Burton	Sound Effects,Sound Mixer
Douglas Shamburger	Sound Effects
Aisha Coley	Casting
Gene Martin	Sound Mixer
Al Nelson	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Director Ava DuVernay (Selma) has teamed up with writers Jennifer Lee (Frozen) and Jeff Stockwell (Children of the Machine) to bring us a visually stunning, albeit narratively unsound, adaptation of the 1962 Newbery Medal-winning novel A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. Meg (Storm Reid) and her brother Charles (Deric McCabe) are outcasts at their school. Seen as odd by both their fellow students and even their teachers, they have not been able to fit in since the disappearance of their scientist father (Chris Pine) four years prior. Suddenly, three unusual women appear and tell them that their father is alive, then convince Meg, Charles, and their new friend Calvin (Levi Miller) that they must go on a quest through time and space in order to save him. They encounter strange worlds and beings along the way, climaxing in an attempt to rescue their dad from a malevolent presence known as the It. While all this sounds like an interesting journey in which the children learn that freedom is more important than conformity, that it's possible to overcome one's weaknesses and turn them into strengths, and that love is the ultimate power in the universe, these messages are mired in a script that seems incredibly stunted -- or perhaps it's more apt to say that it's folded in upon itself. The story starts a little slowly, and given how truncated the later scenes are, the setup feels overlong. However, once the tale unfolds each moment seems rushed -- as though there wasn't enough time to devote to the development of the plot. Instead, the characters frequently resort to telling us things rather than showing us, then moving on. The meat of the film is so thin that the closure at the end seems drawn out by comparison. Aside from the script, everything else is magnificent. The songs and score fit perfectly with the action, and the cinematography and special effects are beyond stunning. The actors and the excellent direction they are given are the truest joys of the film. Each actor is perfectly cast and fills his or her role as well as the script allows. DuVernay knows how to get the most from her performers. Mindy Kaling, Oprah Winfrey, and Reese Witherspoon epitomize their characters, providing great examples of strong female leads. Zach Galifianakis is delightful as the Happy Medium. But the most memorable performance in the film is from the youngest thespian. At only nine years old, Deric McCabe stands out during every moment he is onscreen. It is unfortunate that the writers were unable to adapt such groundbreaking source material into a well-paced script. Perhaps at 109 minutes, the time limitations constrained their ability to tell the story in a more organic manner; the movie likely would have benefitted from adding another 30 or even 45 more minutes to its runtime. As it stands, though, A Wrinkle in Time is little more than an annoying crease.