Screen-Specific
Audio Commentaries, "Lessons of Tuck" Branching
Feature, Featurettes, Video Trailers
Having never read the book, I had no
idea what this movie was about, and it turned out to be a pleasant
surprise. A period movie with fantasy and romance rolled into one,
accompanied with likeable performances make this movie better than one
might expect.
It is about Winnie Foster, a young girl played by Alexis Bledel who
stumbles upon a family that lives in her rich father's vast forest.
The girl ends up falling in love with the 'youngest' son in the family
( I use the word youngest as a pun) and soon finds out that his family
has a big secret that they are trying to desperately keep.
Part of the success of the movie has to do with it's opening scene. It
begins by foreshadowing a possible ending. As the movie unfolds, you
recall this opening scene and in turn, keeping your interest right up
until the roll of the credits. Highly entertaining if you have a spot
for fantasy.
When considering the audio and visual qualities of the DVD, they are
average. Movies like this don't rely on sound and picture quality to
succeed. But I guess DVD quality is good no matter what movie you
watch.
The special features is where this DVD shines. First, there are two
audio commentaries offered - the one with director Jay Russell, Joshua
Jackson, Bledel and Scott Bairstow is more lively. Second, the
featurette about the book's author, Natalie Babbitt, is a little dry,
but the "Lessons of Tuck" feature is interesting and unique.
With this function on while watching the movie, it periodically
interrupts when there is a lesson to be learned or when a character is
in conflict. These short segments hosted by Jackson, pop up and deal
with themes ranging anywhere from growing up, life and death, perfect
love and the validity of keeping certain secrets. There are teenagers
being interviewed as well, expressing their opinions on such topics.
This special feature is an excellent resource material for any parent
or teacher covering these growing-up experiences. Consequently, the
book is recommended in the curriculum of some elementary schools in
Canada.
