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Tuck Everlasting 2002 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Jay Russell
PG, 90 min. (mature themes) |
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Starring: Jonathan Jackson, Alexis Bledel, Ben Kingsley, Sissy Spacek, William Hurt, Scott Bairstow, Amy Irving, Victor Garber
Producers: Marc Abraham, Jane Startz
Screenplay: Jeffrey Lieber, James V. Hart
Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures
Released: 10/11/02 (Wide) |
Rating:
 (out of ) |
The idea of a fountain of youth has spurned many intriguing storylines, both in print and on the big screen. The ultimate
question: Would you want to live forever if you could? That's the conundrum that faces young Winnie Foster (Alexis Bledel),
who has stumbled upon a boy, Jesse (Jonathan Jackson), who drinks from a spring of eternal life at the base of a large oak tree. She has a choice, and a very
difficult one at that. In exchange for her silence, she can drink and live with her newfound love forever; she'll never age
and never die. Of course, leave it to the wise father, Angus (William Hurt), to point out the fact that eternal life is "like a rock
stuck in a riverbed watching life go by all around you." Disney's latest effort, Tuck Everlasting, explores the issue of
eternal life on this earth with a weight that is absent most of their previous endeavors. It's a thought-provoking picture
that is both heart-warming and reaffirming of how precious the cycle of life really is.
The Tuck family unknowingly drank from this fountain of youth a century ago while traveling West to settle. It wasn't long
before they realized they weren't aging - the parents, Angus and Mae (Sissy Spacek), remained middle-aged, and
their children, Jesse and Miles (Scott Bairstow), remained young. The revelation came too late for Miles, who had married
and had children of his own, only to tragically lose them when his wife learned of his immortality. Now, one-hundred
years later, the Tucks have returned to live in the forest where the spring is located. One day a precocious teenager,
Winnie, happens upon Jesse, thereby discovering the Tucks long-held secret. Her parents (Victor Garber and Amy Irving)
will do anything to find her, and when a mysterious tracker (Ben Kingsley), who has been searching for the Tucks for years,
offers to help locate Winnie, the chase is on. Time is running out for both the Tucks and Winnie, who must decide how she
will live the rest of her life - as mortal or immortal.
Some would consider the gift of eternal life a curse. Everyone you ever knew would die in front of your eyes, as generations
of family members and friends run the course of life while you remain ageless. The pain of broken bonds time and again
would be too much for most to endure. But, on the other hand, if you had a companion on your ageless journey it may be
a little more bearable - thus Jesse's pleas for Winnie's companionship.
Jay Russell, who also directed the pleasant My Dog Skip, floods the viewer with lush greens and vivid colors that
evoke thoughts of the Bible's Garden of Eden. His direction is intelligent enough to allow the viewer to form their own
opinion without judging one course of action best, thereby bringing a level of maturity to an otherwise teenage love story
specifically aimed at teenage girls. He covers a lot of ground quickly - the movie clocks in at a mere 90 minutes - for
a story that needs a long running length to provoke genuine emotions from the audience. Although at times the film
lags, his wrap-up is almost too convenient and simplistic. I actually would have preferred a little more time to fully
grasp the ramifications of such an opportunity as a fountain of youth.
The Tuck family is plausibly split in their feelings about their immortality. While Angus and the bitter Miles are fervently
against anyone living forever, Mae and the lonely Jesse aren't so sure. They believe that eternal life can also offer many
positives, especially since they don't have a choice at this stage anyway. And Jesse's love for Winnie is like a revelation
or a new chapter in his long life. However, his love is strong enough to understand why Winnie may choose not to join him
in eternity. Winnie's heart and mind struggle between short and long-term happiness, and her eventual decision comes
as no surprise for those who see the film.
The cast, especially Bledel, does an admirable job of presenting their characters with conviction, which is critical to accept the storyline.
Tuck Everlasting will certainly find a large audience, either at the theater or the video store, and is one of the more
clean-cut family films to come along in a good while. It's especially refreshing to see innocent love portrayed on screen -
no nudity or sex, just the simple pleasures of first time love (holding hands, kissing). Of course, for a boy aged 104 years
it's probably a good bet he's known many women, but that's beside the point. Visceral and touching, Tuck Everlasting
is a highly enjoyable motion picture that's sure to please all audiences.
© 2002 Jonathan Cornwell
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 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
 | Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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