The Grace children in “The Spiderwick Chronicles”

The biggest mistake a person of my age could make would be to dismiss fantasy-adventure films as a part of growing up. I almost did. I am not sure why, as they have done nothing but entertain me and captivate me for years. I am still in a certain type of awe when it comes to the ”Harry Potter” films, “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe” was exceptional, and now, The Spiderwick Chronicles is another perfect example of why I would rather not grow up anytime soon.

The key to the success of this fantasy film is that it focuses on the lives of an everyday family that we can all relate to, with the exception of their extraorinary circumstances, and in Spiderwick Chronicles we meet the Grace family. Director Mark Waters, whose hits include the remake of “Freaky Friday” and one of my all-time favourites ”Mean Girls” knows exactly how family values and family dynamics tick by now, and in Spiderwick it proves to be the backbone of the story. The Grace family, who move from New York to live in a creepy old house surrounded by a lush forest, includes divorced mom Helen (Mary-Louise Parker), her teenage daughter Mallory (Sarah Bolger), and her twin sons, Jared and Simon (both played by Freddie Highmore). They are unhappy and are full of anger, the type of anger that can only come from a broken home. They all try their best to conceal their pain, with the exception of Jared. He is hostile about the fact that his parents split up, and places all the blame on his mother. In simple terms, times are hard for the Grace family, and by moving to Spiderwick estate, owned by their great-great uncle Arthur Spiderwick, they hope to put the past aside for a while but this estate is not what it appears to be, and things only get worse for the Grace family from the very second they arrive.

The blame for certain strange occurrences, such as Helen’s keys going missing, is conveniently placed on Jared, but this time it is not his fault. One night Mallory finds a hidden dumbwaiter system but ignores what it may lead to. Jared, being the brave and inquisitive member of the family, pulls himself up and discovers a hidden study, that used to belong to Arthur and now occupied by Thimbletack (Martin Short), a hyperactive brownie with a love for honey. With the monogrammed key he found, Jared unlocks a chest, and finds a book with a warning letter attached to it. Like any child, he ignores the warning, and reads some of the book. This book, called “Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You” was written by Arthur, and holds the secrets of the estate and the world of fantastical creatures that surrounds it, both good and bad.

Besides the good creatures, such as Thimbletack and Hogsqueal the somewhat helpful hobgoblin (Seth Rogen), there are darker creatures such as the trolls who wish to make use of the Field Guide for their evil purposes, and the demonic ogre Mulgarath (Nick Nolte) leads them to the estate. Arthur found out about their evil plans, and hid the book in the chest and created a protective circle around the house that no evil creature can cross. Arthur was captured by the Sylph 80 years ago in the hopes of protecting the book, and he left his young daughter, Lucinda, behind. He promised her he would return. Now the older Lucinda, living in a mental institution, is the only one, besides the Grace children, who know the Spiderwick secret. This secret binds these two damaged families, the Grace and Spiderwick family, and the fact that the story is really about these individuals helping each other out in the a time of need is what makes it special. It is more personal and intimate than the fantasy epics like “The Golden Compass.” The message on family values is not preached or forced but delicately expressed in the way the Grace family overcome their hardships in this new world, one where reality is entwined with fantasy.

The imagery in this film is unique, and so are the creatures. Every detail is meticulous, but does not feel cold and lifeless, something “The Golden Compass” would have benefited from. The feeling that there is this whole other world living in our own is not unique, and neither is the film’s plot really, but the focus on this family in crisis pushes the film along. Believable characters are essential, and the acting in this film is unexpectedly powerful. Special mention must go to Joan Plowright who plays the much older Lucinda as well as her never-aging father played by David Strathairn, who do not miss a beat, and give genuinely heart-warming performances. Freddie Highmore seems to be breaking out of his mould and gives an enjoyable interpretation of the polar-opposite twins.  

Just when I thought this genre was becoming unoriginal and over-done, this enjoyable family fantasy adventure that offers, at the very least, an enthralling kind of escapism, came along and proved me wrong.

Fatac Rating: ***

The Spiderwick Chronicles. Directed by Mark Waters. Written by Karey Kirkpatrick, David Berenbaum and John Sayles, based on the books by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. Starring Freddie Highmore, Mary-Louise Parker, Sarah Bolger, Joan Plowright, David Strathairn, featuring the voices of Seth Rogen, Nick Nolte and Martin Short. Running Time: 97 minutes. Age Restriction: PG 10. USA 2008. Rating out of five stars.