Monday, August 29, 2016

Pete's Dragon

When I was in elementary school there was a summer movie program.  At the end of the school year the PTA ladies sold passes to see a movie every Saturday during the summer and my Mom always bought them for us.  Every Saturday she would send us to the local movie theater with $1.00 (to buy a small popcorn, a small drink, and a licorice rope) to see movies like Pippi Longstocking, Swiss Family Robinson, Freaky Friday, and Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, just to name a few.  One of the movies I distinctly remember watching on a Saturday morning is Pete's Dragon so, when I heard that Disney was filming a remake, I really wanted to see it.  I saw it Saturday night and I thought it was absolutely charming. After surviving a car crash which killed his parents, Pete (Oakes Fegley) is left alone in a remote forested area.  He is rescued by a dragon, whom he names Elliot, and lives in the forest under Elliot's protection for six years.  He and Elliot are discovered when a logging crew begins cutting down their part of the forest and he meets Natalie (Oona Laurence), the daughter of the foreman.  He is immediately taken in by Natalie's father Jack (Wes Bentley) and his girlfriend Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard), a park ranger whose father (Robert Redford) has always told stories of seeing a dragon in the forest.  Elliot is worried about Pete and visits the town looking for him but returns to the forest when he sees that Pete is happy.  Unfortunately, Jack's brother Gavin (Karl Urban) has seen Elliot and wants to capture him leading to a big showdown in the forest.  I loved so many things about this movie.  I really loved how Elliot is portrayed.  He is so protective of Pete and his facial expressions and vocalizations are so endearing.  He looks more like a big, furry dog with wings and a long tail that a scary reptilian monster with scales.  There were moments when I was almost in tears when the loggers were trying to capture him.  I loved that the children are portrayed as ordinary kids rather than fashion models.  Fegley and Laurence give really affecting performances and I thought they were adorable, crooked teeth and all.  I loved Robert Redford's performance as an old man who still believes in magic.  Even as a grizzled octogenarian he is still so handsome!  I loved the beautiful forest scenery (It was filmed in New Zealand!).  I also really loved the soundtrack, especially the song "Something on Your Mind" by St. Vincent.  This is a sweet and old-fashioned movie that hearkens back to the ones I spent Saturday mornings watching with my sisters.

Note:  Do they still have the summer movie program?  Sometimes I think that today's kids are missing out!

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