FRIDAY Entertainment MARCH 9, 2018 MCMINNVILLE, TENNESSEE 4C ARLO AND JANIS® by Jimmy Johnson AT THE MOVIES 'Wrinkle in Time' is visually gorgeous (AP) -- Go ahead, pick your favorite In any case, soon Meg, Charles young, villain-vanquishing fantasy Wallace and friend Calvin (Levi heroine. Meg Murry probably came Miller), whose quirky character has ® first. sadly been turned into a blandly FRANK & ERNEST by Bob Thaves Katniss Everdeen? She arrived in handsome nothing, will be on their 2001. Hermione Granger? That was journey, via a time travel concept 1997. Elphaba, the green girl from called a tesseract, to find Dr. Murry. “Wicked”? 2003. But Meg, the reluc- Accompanying them on this peril- tant, bespectacled heroine of ous quest, at various stages, is a trium- Madeleine L’Engle’s classic “A virate of very entertaining older Wrinkle in Time,” has been with us, women, er, celestial beings — Mrs. and on the shelves of middle-school- Whatsit (Witherspoon), Mrs. Who ers, since 1962. (Mindy Kaling) and Mrs. Which Enter Ava DuVernay, tapped by (Winfrey). Witherspoon is the most Disney to put her own spin on this tale engaging of the bunch — ditzy and of self-discovery across the space-time charming and, at 2,379,152,497 years continuum. And the talented “Selma” of age, the youngest of the group. director does not shy away from the Winfrey’s Mrs. Who is the grande ® task of adapting the story to the 21st dame, imposing with dramatic white THE GRIZZWELLS by Bill Schorr century. With the help of a terrifically hair, sparkling lips and eyes in various diverse cast hues, and gems anchored by the across her fore- sweet — but too head, exhorting sweet, here — Meg to be a war- newcomer Storm rior in tones that Reid, and A-listers recall the late poet like Oprah Maya Angelou. Winfrey and Reese Kaling’s character Witherspoon, DuVernay has made a is the least compelling, maybe because film that is unabashedly — some she’s “evolved past language” and might say relentlessly — of the thus only allowed to spout quotes moment. Hip-hop quotes, eating dis- from others, a diverse bunch that ® orders, a “Hamilton” reference? Yup, includes Buddha, OutKast, Kahlil BIG NATE by Lincoln Peirce yup, yup. Gibran, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. It’s also all over the map, in every After an initial stay on the ravishing way possible. It’s visually gorgeous at planet Uriel, and a visit to the Happy times but then boring to behold at Medium, the kids end up on the others, emotionally poignant at times frightening planet of Camazotz, ruled but stunningly cloying at others. It’s by the dark force called It. Their time also confusing. Mostly, it’s just a frus- here is the most visually interesting of trating whole comprised of some pret- the film, especially the scene of scarily ty promising parts. alike children bouncing the same balls We begin, as “Wrinkle” fans surely at the same moment outside the same know, with that “dark and stormy houses. night.” It’s been four years since Meg’s In case you haven’t read the book, beloved father, a physicist, disap- we won’t get more specific. But if you peared mysteriously. Dad had been have, beware that some elements — exploring serious issues involving including a pretty major plot twist ALLEY OOP by Jack and Carole Bender time travel. And now he’s gone, leav- involving Meg’s road to heroism — ing Meg (Reid), her mom (Gugu are either compressed beyond recog- Mbatha-Raw) and precocious little nition or deleted altogether. brother Charles Wallace (Deric While the faults of this film decid- McCabe) wondering if they will ever edly do not make it stronger, maybe see him again. its well-meaning spirit will be enough The outside world is dismissive, to appeal to a new generation of Meg including the school principal,. Meg Murry fans. has problems at school — she’s said to “A Wrinkle in Time,” a Walt Disney be aggressive and troublesome, Studios release, has been rated PG by the although frankly, this is hard to see Motion Picture Association of America from Reid’s appealingly thoughtful, “for thematic elements and some peril.” sweet demeanor. Running time: 109 minutes. SOUP TO NUTZ by Rick Stromoski CROSSWORDS THE BORN LOSER™ by Art & Chip Sansom HERMAN® by Jim Unger REALITY CHECK® by Dave Whamond.