A wonderfully cast fantasy, with Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy, brings Enid Blyton’s beloved magical world to the big screen.
By James Verniere/Boston Movie News
Arriving completely under the radar with little to no fanfare is “The Magic Faraway Tree,” a totally delightful children’s film based on a book by the prolific, late English writer Enid Blyton. Born just in time to be influenced by the likes of J.M. Barrie, Lewis Carroll and L. Frank Baum and to share some interests and themes with C. S. Lewis, Blyton published “The Faraway Tree” in 1943. It was the second of four “Faraway Tree” novels. Adapted by director Ben Gregor of the 2018 documentary/songwriting fusion “Fatherhood” and screenwriter Simon Barnaby, one of the creators of the comedy sensation known as the British TV show “Ghosts” (and as an actor plays a hilariously incoherent country bumpkin in this film), “The Magic Faraway Tree” begins by introducing us to the young Thompson family.
Father Tim (Andrew Garfield) is a stay-at-home dad, taking a strong hand in raising three children, making his “famous” pasta sauce and pretending to be Italian and speaking some of the language in Garfield’s funny, squeaky voice. Mother Polly (former screen Liz’s Elizabeth II and Lisbeth Salander Claire Foy) comes home from work annoyed, complaining that the corporation that employs her and for which she designed a refrigerator has betrayed her by making the fridges spies and giving them eyes and a voice (Judi Dench’s, no less). “Have some wine,” Polly’s fridge suggests. Tim and Polly decide to uproot their screen-addicted children—youngest Fran (a fine Billie Gadsdon, “Cruella”), whose name is short for Francesca and who hardly speaks, middle brother Joe (a likable Phoenix Laroche), who lives inside some cyber-visor-world, and the rebellious teen Beth (the hugely talented Delilah Bennett-Cardy)—and themselves and move to the country, where the WiFi is construed to be some variation of the word, “wife.” “Have we gone back in time?” one of the children asks. Yes, you have.
As they stroll along a road in the woods, Fran, who has been reading up on pixies and fairies, spies a green wallet and returns it to its fairy owner, making a new friend. The fairy is named Silky (the wonderful Nicola Coughlan, “Bridgerton”), and she lives inside the tree of the title with such magical creatures as Saucepan Man (Dustin Demri-Burns)—a first cousin to Baum’s Tin Man, I believe—Angry Pixie (Hiran Abeysekera) and a mustachioed braggart named Moonface (the towering Nonso Anozie, whose voice recalls Rex Ingram’s Djinn of “The Thief of Bagdad”). The latter wears a white bouffant coiffure shaped like a crescent moon. Dame Washalot (Jessica Gunning) has a spinning wheel that directs the children to different lands in the sky. The first one is a kind of Candyland. In a nod to the legendary Jack of English folklore, one of the lands is populated by giants.
“The Magic Faraway Tree” often comes across as some variant of Sidney Lumet’s “The Wiz” (1978), complete with song and dance. Anyone also reminded of “Alice in Wonderland” and “Peter Pan” should happily hang on for the fun ride, which will include a toy-based airplane that flies our friends to a Jonathan Swift-evoking World of “Know Alls” that will include former Monty Python member Michael Palin, sharing a Terry Gilliam-esque giant beard with his fellow not-so-wise men.
While their children have magical adventures, Tim and Polly raise tomatoes, build a greenhouse, design irrigation and plan to market Tim’s pasta sauce. They also have a visit from Polly’s evil, witch-like, Germanic-sounding mother Freda (the inimitable Jennifer Saunders).
Near the end of this ridiculously well-cast fantasy, the children and their friends end up in the land of the notably Wicked Witch-like Dame Snap (a hilarious Rebecca Ferguson), who wears a twisted version of the Wicked Witch’s voluminous pointed hat. One theme of “The Magic Faraway Tree” is that human children grow up and forget the magic of their childhoods. Those of us who haven’t forgotten and still yearn for it will adore this instant cult favorite.
‘The Magic Faraway Tree’
Rating: Rated PG for some rude humor, mild action and brief language.
Cast: Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Billie Gadsdon
Director: Ben Gregor
Writers: Simon Farnaby
Running time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Where to watch: In theaters
Grade: A-
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