I clicked on this thinking it was going to be another Foodfight! (after all, the animation is nothing to write home about). Boy, was I pleasantly surprised.
This film, of course, is based on the very first book of the classic Boxcar Children series. Here is the premise: Convinced that their grandfather hates them, four orphan siblings run away and find a boxcar sitting deep in the woods and make it into a home. Eventually, to ensure their survival, the eldest sibling goes into town to find work and begins helping an elderly couple with outdoor chores, and later enters a race for the chance to win a cash prize. The heart of the movie is the bond between the four siblings (Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny) and the things they experience together as a family.
This movie did a wonderful job of keeping the charm and likability of the novel intact. The main characters are all likable and have distinct, relatable personalities. As with 1973's Charlotte's Web, a couple of liberties were taken, but overall, the film remained faithful to the book. I remember smiling when Benny found his cracked pink cup. That's a little touch many would remember from the book, and it is a cute scene.
The voice work is quite good, especially the kids who played the Alden children. An added bonus is the great JK Simmons in the role of the doctor who employs Henry. Not to be outdone, Illeana Douglas as the doctor's wife and Martin Sheen as Grandfather Alden round out the voice cast quite nicely.
It's always a breath of fresh air to find movies like this that are timeless and don't try to modernize our childhood with adult jokes, trendy catchphrases or scatological humor; they just try to tell a great, simple story that's easy to invest in, with characters you find yourself caring about... just as you did when you read these books in your youth. If you did read the books, or at least the first one, and it's a thing of nostalgia for you, you'll definitely like this movie. If not, I'd still recommend giving it a watch anyway, especially if you have little ones. It's not an epic blockbuster; just a sweet little film that deserves more views.
This film, of course, is based on the very first book of the classic Boxcar Children series. Here is the premise: Convinced that their grandfather hates them, four orphan siblings run away and find a boxcar sitting deep in the woods and make it into a home. Eventually, to ensure their survival, the eldest sibling goes into town to find work and begins helping an elderly couple with outdoor chores, and later enters a race for the chance to win a cash prize. The heart of the movie is the bond between the four siblings (Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny) and the things they experience together as a family.
This movie did a wonderful job of keeping the charm and likability of the novel intact. The main characters are all likable and have distinct, relatable personalities. As with 1973's Charlotte's Web, a couple of liberties were taken, but overall, the film remained faithful to the book. I remember smiling when Benny found his cracked pink cup. That's a little touch many would remember from the book, and it is a cute scene.
The voice work is quite good, especially the kids who played the Alden children. An added bonus is the great JK Simmons in the role of the doctor who employs Henry. Not to be outdone, Illeana Douglas as the doctor's wife and Martin Sheen as Grandfather Alden round out the voice cast quite nicely.
It's always a breath of fresh air to find movies like this that are timeless and don't try to modernize our childhood with adult jokes, trendy catchphrases or scatological humor; they just try to tell a great, simple story that's easy to invest in, with characters you find yourself caring about... just as you did when you read these books in your youth. If you did read the books, or at least the first one, and it's a thing of nostalgia for you, you'll definitely like this movie. If not, I'd still recommend giving it a watch anyway, especially if you have little ones. It's not an epic blockbuster; just a sweet little film that deserves more views.