Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is as blissfully cheery and tirelessly optimistic as the title would suggest. It is a light fantasy firmly targeted at the younger set, and perhaps at those who are just young at heart.
This marks Zach Helm's first foray away from the keyboard and into the director's chair, taking up the reins of his own script. Last year he made a splash with his fantastic script for Marc Forster's Stranger Than Fiction, which put Helm's imagination on display and made one wonder just what he could come up with next. However, despite his considerable ability, and as delightfully smile-inducing as Magorium is, the Emporium's doors never completely open to the possibilities. When the film ended and the lights came up I was left liking what I saw, but wondering just where the focus had been. Yes, there was a single overriding thread, but there were enough frayed ends left over that it felt unfinished and left me unfulfilled.
Dustin Hoffman stars as the title character, curator of the most curious of toy shops. It is no Kay-Bee or Toys 'R Us, oh no. The Wonder Emporium is filled front to back and top to bottom with toys that move as if they have lives of their own. These curiosities are not arranged in sterile, narrow rows; rather there is a flow that encourages children to play with the toys and use their imaginations. Moving with the endless curiosity of a child, Mr. Magorium makes his way around the fixtures, taking the time to listen to the kids and play with his creations; however, his is not the story of central importance.
The primary thread belongs to Natalie Portman's Molly Mahoney, who manages the store's day-to-day operations. That's something the 243-year-old Magorium could never do; his life is one of curiosity and creative inspiration, not cash transactions and inventories. However, as glorious as working in this shop would seem, it does not quite have the magical upside that Mahoney (who is only referred to by her last name) is looking for. You see, Mahoney was a piano prodigy at a young age, whose potential was never realized. She struggles with writing her music, and feels trapped in a dead-end position at the store. She lacks the necessary confidence to move to the next level, despite her obvious skills. Funny, reminds me of someone else I know... But I digress.
As the movie starts, Mr. Magorium has a surprise for Mahoney. It starts with his cheerful optimism about the wonders the next stage of his life will bring. His death is approaching, and his final wish is to turn over the stores's ownership to young Mahoney. However, Mahoney's lack of confidence will not allow her to take the big step.
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Article comments
1 - catholicdad
All six of us saw this latest release from Walden Media yesterday, and we were all disappointed. I spent most of my time in the theater trying to figure out why a movie that seemed to have so much going for it could seem so empty. I think the reason is the folks at Walden media, or at least the ones responsible for this movie, don't actually believe in God. Instead, they believe in believing. In fact, the publicity for the movie says "you've got to believe it to see it." If you believe (in yourself, in others, in magic--it doesn't seem to matter), apparently you get to see the animated toys, confetti, and glittery lights. The problem is, if that's all there is, it isn't nearly enough.
Emblematic of the spiritual tone-deafness of this film are two incidents that seemed to trivialize Christianity (and Judaism for that matter). In one, Mr Magorium is asked about why his business records show that he is doing business with imaginary characters like the King of Planet Yahweh. Mr. Magorium replies, "Oh, he's not imaginary. He was never a king, and Planet Yahweh doesn't exist, but he's real." What exactly does he mean? "Yes, Virgina, there is a God," but only in our hearts and minds, like Santa Claus? I found this use of God's proper name offensive, and I can imagine that a lot of other people, especially including Orthodox Jews, feel the same way. In another telling scene, when a boy explains that Magorium is going to die by saying that he's "going to heaven," Magorium responds to the effect that he's either going there, or the Happy Hunting Grounds, or Shangri-la, or "I may return as a bumblebee." In other words, it doesn't really matter. If it doesn't matter whether we go to heaven or come back as bumblebees, I'd like to know what does.
2 - Mary K. Williams
Dad, you make some interesting points, but remember, this isn't a newscaster saying these words as fact. They're spoken by a character in a fantasy. Not everyone believes in the same kind of afterlife that you or I may believe it.