Production Company:
Paramount Pictures
Director: Mark Waters
Cast: Freddie Highmore, Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Nolte, Joan Plowright, David Strathairn, Seth Rogen, Martin Short
Rating: PG for fantasy action and some frightening sequences.
By Gregg Tubbs
(UMC.org)—Have you ever wondered if there was a wondrous, unseen world around us? As people of faith, we believe in a Creator whose presence, though unseen, is all around us. Many believe we are surrounded by and protected by guardian angels and the spirits of deceased loved ones.
In The Spiderwick Chronicles, the door to a hidden realm is accidentally opened and its secrets, wonders and dangers are revealed in the light of day. Though aimed at children, this sprightly and imaginative fantasy will keep parents more than engaged while delving ever so lightly into the concepts of faith, family and the courage to do what’s right.
The Graces are a family in transition. Helen (Mary-Louise Parker), her older daughter Mallory (Sarah Bolger), and her twin boys, stormy Jared and bookish Simon (both played by Freddie Highmore), are forced to leave New York City and move to the country. The Grace marriage has hit the skids, and Helen moves with the kids to the dilapidated, isolated family mansion once owned by her eccentric great uncle Arthur Spiderwick (David Strathairn). Feisty Jared is most distraught by this unwelcome move and not only blames his mother for the situation, but also holds out the hope that his father will return to take him away.
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Mallory (SARAH BOLGER) and her brothers Jared and Simon (both FREDDIE HIGHMORE) move into their great-great-uncle Arthur Spiderwick's secluded old house. Copyright © 2008 Paramount Pictures.
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They soon discover that Spiderwick manor is a house of secrets. From the moment the Grace family moves in, things begin to disappear and odd rustling noises are heard in the walls. The rest of the family blames rebellious Jared for the mischief—even for tying his sister’s hair to the bedposts while she slept! But Jared is innocent and suspects something magical is at work.
There are family rumors that Uncle Arthur, an amateur naturalist, became obsessed with the unseen in his later years. His only daughter Lucinda—now 80 years old—has been institutionalized for years because she insisted she saw goblins. In his explorations, Jared discovers a hidden dumbwaiter that leads to Uncle Arthur’s secret study and finds "The Spiderwick Chronicles," his Uncle’s long lost book of notes containing his notes and observations about the surrounding unseen world. This fantastical world is inhabited by faeries and goblins, ravenous moll trolls and helpful house brownies. But perhaps most dangerous of these creatures is the deadly shape-shifting ogre, Mulgarath.
Ignoring the warning on the book’s cover, Jared breaks the seal and reawakens Mulgarath. The book contains knowledge about how to rule the faerie world and offers great power to anyone able to unlock its secrets. For Jared, it’s now a race against time to undo what he has done and foil Mulgarath's plans to seize the book and gain its power. But Jared must first convince his family that the creatures only he can see really do exist; he is neither crazy nor simply stirring up trouble:
The Spiderwick Chronicles
follows on the heels of many films that seem intent on capturing their share of the box office magic conjured up by
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. So far, other films such as
The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising and the controversial
Golden Compass have failed to find a widespread audience. But while we wait for the arrival of the second Narnia film,
Prince Caspian, later this summer, I hope that
Spiderwick gets a fair chance. Its story moves along briskly, without self-importance or excessive heaviness, is filled with delightful, fantastical characters and contains just enough peril to make the outcome matter. The special effects are particularly beautiful, most likely because the film also runs in IMAX, where the visual standards are particularly demanding.
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Jared Grace (FREDDIE HIGHMORE) discovers a forbidden manuscript written by his great-great-uncle Arthur Spiderwick. Copyright © 2008 Paramount Pictures.
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Spiderwick may also succeed because it doesn’t try to duplicate
Narnia’s grand themes and Christian metaphors, but stays in the smaller, more whimsical world of faerie tales. The film gently explores the concept of faith, of believing in things unseen, and the existence of a wondrous world beyond our own. Its battle of good against evil provides a nice vehicle to show the strength of family, of believing in and trusting one another. Jared, the presumed troublemaker, redeems himself in the eyes of his family and more importantly, reconciles with his mother. Lastly, the story probes the power and responsibility that comes with knowledge, which is symbolized by the secrets found in the book.
Although The Spiderwick Chronicles isn’t the next Narnia, the movie succeeds as a delightful 98 minutes of family-friendly fantasy and is filled with stunning visuals, ample excitement and a surprising world where more exists than first meets the eye. Grab the kids and check it out.
Study Questions
- Do you believe there is more to the world than meets the eye? What evidence do you see of the presence of God around you? (See Rom. 1:20, Col. 1:15ff.)
- Where do you see the unseen hand of God in nature? What about in the lives of people?
- Have you read any of the Spiderwick books? How did the film stack up? How well did it capture the themes of the books?
- Have you ever felt that you, like Jared, were being blamed for things you didn’t do? How did you deal with the misunderstanding?
- What does the film have to say about faith? In what way is faith about believing in things unseen?
- Jared has trouble convincing his family the goblins and other creatures are real. How is this similar to describing faith in God to a nonbeliever?
- In the film, the book seems to represent knowledge. What does the film have to say about knowledge? Can it be used for right, as well as wrong? Can you see parallels between the sealed book, its warning and the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden? (See Gen. 3:1-21.)
- The film touches on the concept of faith. What does Jesus say about faith? (See Matthew 17:20.)
- How did the Grace family’s faith in each other help them overcome Mulgarath? Who do you have faith in?
- How does the Bible define faith? How do you define it in your life? (See Heb. 11:1.)
Related Links
Official The Spiderwick Chronicles site
Theatrical Trailer
