Phoebe in Wonderland (DVD)

Phoebe in Wonderland

PHOEBE is the fantastical tale of a little girl (Elle Fanning) who won't, or can't, follow the rules. Confounded by her clashes with the rule-obsessed world around her, Phoebe seeks enlightenment from her unconventional drama teacher (Clarkson), even as her brilliant but anguished mother (Huffman) looks to Phoebe herself for inspiration.

The movie tells a story of a 9 year old girl, Phoebe (Elle Fanning) and her mother (Felicity Huffman). Phoebe seeks a role in her school's play, ''Alice In Wonderland'', directed by her teacher, Miss Dodger (Patricia Clarkson). While her mother supports her for the role, Phoebe is nervous and lacks self-confidence. The film follows Phoebe through the ups and downs of trying out, getting the role and being the "oddball" kid. [D-Man2010]

Felicity Huffman, Elle Fanning, and Patricia Clarkson star in director/screenwriter Daniel Barnz's illuminating tale of parenting and growth concernining an exceptional young girl whose troubling retreat into fantasy draws the concern of both her dejected mother and her unusually perceptive drama teacher. Phoebe (Fanning) is a talented young student who longs to take part in the school production of Alice in Wonderland, but whose bizarre behavior sets her well apart from her carefree classmates. Her mother (Huffman) is an aspiring academic who is beginning to feel like she has not only failed in her professional career, but as a parent as well. Though Phoebe's gifted drama teacher (Clarkson) has no doubts about the young girl's talent and capacity for learning, the frustration of seeing such a promising student slowly slip ever further away from reality soon becomes a growing concern both at home and at school. [D-Man2010]