The Little Prince
Director: Mark Osborne
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Mackenzie Foy, Riley Osborne
Based on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's classic story, “The Little Prince” brings to life the story of a little girl who longs to break free from the life of stringent perfection that her mother has raised her in. When the Little Girl meets her eccentric neighbor, the Aviator, she embarks on a magical journey into a world ruled by the Little Prince; a world where her own dreams and imagination can show her how to be a child again and ultimately teach her the true meaning of love.
Memory and childhood seem to be an interesting catalyst which entwines the little girl’s journey with that of the Little Prince. They are both connected through memory…the Prince’s memory of his Rose and the Little Girl’s memory of the beautiful dream-like imagination she discovered with the Aviator.
When the Little Girl arrives at her new home, we clearly see how her character is defined. Her life is built on precision and order. While her clothing and hair is practical and proper, and her life planned out to the nano-second extreme by her mother, her world is nothing but a colorless and lonely asteroid...much like the Little Prince's world. The Little Girl’s curiosity is piqued, however, when she encounters her neighbor, the Aviator, an eccentric old man, who quite literally destroys the tightly bound order of the Little Girl’s life and gives her something new: a story about a Little Prince who lived on an asteroid that was no bigger than himself. In time, the Aviator slowly breaks through the Little Girl’s lonely, colorless world and introduces her to a new world full of vibrant color and vivid imagination and dreams. He shows her how to appreciate the beauty in small things. And as she is drawn farther into the Prince’s world, she starts to remember what it means to be a child…and in doing so, this gives her the power to remind the Little Princess of the innocent beauty of childhood as well and help him to come home again.
The Little Prince faces his own journey…that of understanding love. When he meets the Rose, they form a close bond, but over time, they begin to feel something that neither of them knows how to express: love. Afraid of these powerful emotions, and unsure of how to express them, the Prince flees from his asteroid and goes on a journey to find the truth. He soon meets a king who claims he has power over everything. When the Little Prince asks him to make a sunset, to remind the Prince of his beloved Rose, the King cannot give him this. Instead, he tells the Prince to come back in the evening and the sun would set at the proper time. Discouraged, the Prince goes on, until he meets a man who claims to be the most handsome man in the world. When the wise Prince points out that he is the only man on the planet, the man pleads with the Prince to do him a kindness and admire him anyways.
Finally the Little Prince meets the Fox. When he asks the Fox to come and play, the wise Fox refuses, saying that he is not tamed...and because he is not tamed, he has no need of the Prince. But if the Little Prince tames the good Fox, then they would have need of each other. When the Little Prince sees the other roses in the Fox’s garden, he is heartbroken to think that his Rose is not special at all. She’s just an ordinary, common rose. But the Fox reassures the Prince that his Rose is indeed very special…because she is his Rose and the time the Prince devoted to her is what makes his Rose so special...much like the Prince's friendship with the Fox. The Fox tells the Prince he must return to his Rose. But it is only after the Little Prince and the Little Girl understand the truth of love and remembering, that they can appreciate the true beauty of the Rose…and childhood, itself.
I have been a film critic for almost a decade, but I can think of only a handful of other films that have moved me in the way that this film has. The animation for this movie is absolutely stunning. The casting is on point. And the message is one that both children and adults can understand...when we are children, we believe in hope and imagination, but when we are grown up, we leave our childhood behind...or do we? There is always the memory of those childish moments and the people we love in our childhood that will endure forever.
© 2021 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Mark Osborne
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Mackenzie Foy, Riley Osborne
Based on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's classic story, “The Little Prince” brings to life the story of a little girl who longs to break free from the life of stringent perfection that her mother has raised her in. When the Little Girl meets her eccentric neighbor, the Aviator, she embarks on a magical journey into a world ruled by the Little Prince; a world where her own dreams and imagination can show her how to be a child again and ultimately teach her the true meaning of love.
Memory and childhood seem to be an interesting catalyst which entwines the little girl’s journey with that of the Little Prince. They are both connected through memory…the Prince’s memory of his Rose and the Little Girl’s memory of the beautiful dream-like imagination she discovered with the Aviator.
When the Little Girl arrives at her new home, we clearly see how her character is defined. Her life is built on precision and order. While her clothing and hair is practical and proper, and her life planned out to the nano-second extreme by her mother, her world is nothing but a colorless and lonely asteroid...much like the Little Prince's world. The Little Girl’s curiosity is piqued, however, when she encounters her neighbor, the Aviator, an eccentric old man, who quite literally destroys the tightly bound order of the Little Girl’s life and gives her something new: a story about a Little Prince who lived on an asteroid that was no bigger than himself. In time, the Aviator slowly breaks through the Little Girl’s lonely, colorless world and introduces her to a new world full of vibrant color and vivid imagination and dreams. He shows her how to appreciate the beauty in small things. And as she is drawn farther into the Prince’s world, she starts to remember what it means to be a child…and in doing so, this gives her the power to remind the Little Princess of the innocent beauty of childhood as well and help him to come home again.
The Little Prince faces his own journey…that of understanding love. When he meets the Rose, they form a close bond, but over time, they begin to feel something that neither of them knows how to express: love. Afraid of these powerful emotions, and unsure of how to express them, the Prince flees from his asteroid and goes on a journey to find the truth. He soon meets a king who claims he has power over everything. When the Little Prince asks him to make a sunset, to remind the Prince of his beloved Rose, the King cannot give him this. Instead, he tells the Prince to come back in the evening and the sun would set at the proper time. Discouraged, the Prince goes on, until he meets a man who claims to be the most handsome man in the world. When the wise Prince points out that he is the only man on the planet, the man pleads with the Prince to do him a kindness and admire him anyways.
Finally the Little Prince meets the Fox. When he asks the Fox to come and play, the wise Fox refuses, saying that he is not tamed...and because he is not tamed, he has no need of the Prince. But if the Little Prince tames the good Fox, then they would have need of each other. When the Little Prince sees the other roses in the Fox’s garden, he is heartbroken to think that his Rose is not special at all. She’s just an ordinary, common rose. But the Fox reassures the Prince that his Rose is indeed very special…because she is his Rose and the time the Prince devoted to her is what makes his Rose so special...much like the Prince's friendship with the Fox. The Fox tells the Prince he must return to his Rose. But it is only after the Little Prince and the Little Girl understand the truth of love and remembering, that they can appreciate the true beauty of the Rose…and childhood, itself.
I have been a film critic for almost a decade, but I can think of only a handful of other films that have moved me in the way that this film has. The animation for this movie is absolutely stunning. The casting is on point. And the message is one that both children and adults can understand...when we are children, we believe in hope and imagination, but when we are grown up, we leave our childhood behind...or do we? There is always the memory of those childish moments and the people we love in our childhood that will endure forever.
© 2021 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.