The Magic Faraway Tree

[readingmakesmehappy]

We’ve just been to see it and I wish they’d stuck more closely to the books. They spent very little time actually in the magic lands. Some terrible wigs. But the kids adored it and it passed the time very happily.

Haven't seen it yet but honestly can't understand why anyone gives a monkeys about the name changes. Yes, I grew up with the Dick/Fanny/Dame Slap version but they're just names, why do people feel so attached to them? Kids will snigger at the first two and be taken out of the story. And what's do great about Slap over Snap? Think they should probably have changed the Dame part too tbh.

We enjoyed it, kids 8 and 6!

I lived it as a child and read it to my children- all 3 to my son wellover 10 times.
We have decided not to see it as we heard it was different and to keep our happy memories.

I hated it but the kids loved it. The pasta sauce plot line was ridiculous. As was the idea that any sane parent would move their kids into a barn with no water or electricity. One of the worst films I’ve ever seen.

I went today with dh and 2 teen dds, having never read the books before (whilst all 3 other family members had). I liked it but not as much as Wonka and Paddington which were by the same person(?). My dh and dd1 liked it too, but dd2 didn't. She said there was too much focus on Beth!

We went to a talk by the producer and director who spoke about how it was an independent, British movie and they self funded the movie so no big Hollywood budget for special effects, costumes and sets. The producer, the same lady who created call the midwife, has owned the rights to the book for 20 years and has been trying to get the movie made for the whole time.

My children have both read the book and enjoyed the movie, I don’t think an accurate telling of the 1930s book would have translated well on screen for today’s children. A movie with no backstory and no parents wouldn’t have translated well either I don’t think, the movie needed a more concise storyline.

That’s amazing that they didn’t have a big budget. I thought the tree was beautiful and magical and I loved the stairs up the lands

If you were a child in the 80s/90s, teacher would still hit children in schools (think UK private schools only abolished it in 1999?), but a lot of parents might not go if they had a teacher called that?
I heard they use terms like "challenging the patriarchy" (correct me if not).

But as I think Blyton was actually pro-feminism, that wouldn't bother me. I think her more subtle ways of being woke (and I think she was, for her time) registered with me more.

I’m amazed it didn’t have a big budget - it looked beautiful. I did read the books as a child, but they weren’t special favourites and I didn’t remember them very well so I wasn’t upset about changes. I thought it was sweet, and very very gentle. To my immense surprise, my DD (almost 10) cried at the ending so it clearly moved her!

I loved the books and hated the film. The "real life" storyline was stupid and boring. I suppose if it was low-budget that explains why they had too much screen time on that stuff and nowhere near enough on the actual exciting content of the book(s). I also thought life-size Silky was weird and I think Nicola Coghlan was a strange casting choice tbh. Also agree with PP that teen attitude Beth was overdone.

The only up side of taking my kids to watch the film is that they are now listening to the audiobooks and very much enjoying them.

I saw it this afternoon and loved it. Lots of nostalgia, it was my favourite book when i was a child. Slightly disappointed with the portrayal of Moonface but other than that it was lovely. A few tears may have been shed at the end!

I was disappointed. I left feeling like it was a bit 'nothing' as it was so rushed. The family storyline was really silly. Hardly any time in the tree or the lands. What was with the endless stairs? I wouldn't watch a sequel. I don't think my DC would either, they haven't mentioned the film since. I think I wasted my money.

I am a massive FAT fan and was pleased with the film, it's a loose adaption but seeing as i never thought a FAT film would happen i was happy to see it.

The lands were just as I imagined, I actually thought they would come back to Take What You Want and have Franny get trapped. Knowing it was low budget made sense with the number of lands. The sets/scenery were brilliant and perfect. The adult human storyline was unnecessary but im ok with it. I would have preferred more focus on the folk of the FAT.

I quite liked Dame Slap/Snap but she didnt present any real danger. I can overlook moonface being wrong and liked NC as Silky

I'd just seen it and found it to be very disappointing and boring. They tried their best to modernise it and weave a new storyline through it, but the new storyline dominated, despite not being particularly interesting. I was bored waiting for the movie to actually get to the Magic Faraway Tree Part. I found the parents to be too saccharin and obvious and wasn't particularly drawn to any of the children as characters, with the exception of Fran. I didn't enjoy the representation of Silkie. There was insufficient time spent in the actual lands and some peculiar choices made. There was nothing joyful in the Land of Birthdays, yet conversely Dame Slaps school was treated in a light-hearted way. There were the usual banal dance breaks shoehorned into the production for no particular reason. The one thing that they did get spot on, however, was the cinematography of the tree. It was true to the book and extremely well done. I didn't mind that the ladder was very exaggerated as the shots from it were dramatic and fantastical. It's such a shame that they couldn't just have stuck more closely to the book. Even my 9 year old daughter was disappointed with that aspect. Approximately half of the film was completely new and made up.

Good points: beautiful cinematography

Bad points: both female children portrayed as surly & unlikeable, whilst the son was mostly happy & likeable, even when disappointed at the lack of WiFi.

Andrew Garfield’s wardrobe: WTAF. No man is procreating multiple offspring wearing that get up.

The “family song”; we cringed ourselves inside out during the Land of Spells scene.

Wouldn’t recommend and I’d been very much looking forward to it.

Agree with all your points.

Seems this one’s a bit of a Marmite film, but I absolutely loved it

From the brilliant cast and memorable characters to the stunning setting and the sheer fun of the magical lands, it completely drew me in. I can’t remember all the details from the books, but for me it really captured that sense of wonder—of imagination running wild and the magic of growing up.

Plus, the clever, modern comedic touches made it feel fresh without losing its charm. Loved it

same here. I did take my three children to see it and they delivered a series of blistering criticisms throughout the film, a film that was a total pile of shite.
I especially hated Andrew Garfield’s character. and the frankly ludicrous pasta sauce plot. The marshmallow scene was also pilloried by them.

Thank, I don’t think I will watch it when it streams.

I dunno so much 😏

[Edited to add - clearly am not being serious, in case anyone is tempted to tell me off for advocating violence against children]

I mean, I resented having forked out for cinema tickets, but it's probably worth watching on the tv at home just so you can decide for yourself how disappointing it is

the frankly ludicrous pasta sauce plot

Still haven't seen it, but this is possibly the best sentence I have ever seen in a film review.

I'd agree. It's one to see with children, but I thought they did quite well with it.

The truth is the books didn't really HAVE a plot: it was just lots of lands, which probably reads ok in a book for 8 year olds, but I think on screen would become a bit of a whirlwind. I thought tying it into a family background worked quite well, and made a point pitched at child level about following the herd unthinkingly and taking your own path. Without that, the books didn't really say much, they were just diversion.

Looks awful, nothing like the books. I’m angry, I hate when they mess with good things. Luckily my DS has seen the trailer and said pretty much the same thing!

I went to see this with DS at the weekend, we both enjoyed it.

Yes the pasta sauce storyline was overegged and the grandma was silly (a bit too Roald Dahl maybe), but the books didn't really have a storyline, things just happened, so some change was needed.

I did feel their recovery from tech addiction was too fast! A friend's DD has selective mutism and the level of treatment and support she needs is huge, whereas Fran went from silent to pretty chatty literally overnight.

I'm going to reread the originals now but cautiously - I've found a lot of Blyton doesn't stand up to rereading.