Disney Brings Home A WRINKLE IN TIME

Jeri Jacquin

Coming soon to Bluray-DVD and Digital Code in a Multi-Screen Edition is from director Ava DuVernay and Disney is a search for A WRINKLE IN TIME.

Meg (Storm Reid) is a young girl having a difficult time. Since her scientist father Murray’s (Chris Pine), she feels the only connection to her life are Mom (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and little brother Charles Wallace (Dedric McCabe).

Hearing talk around school on the anniversary of her father’s disappearance, both Meg and Charles Wallace find themselves in trouble at school. Later that same night, the Murray family is visited by Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon) leading to a cryptic message about her father’s work on time travel.

The next day Charles Wallace recruits Meg’s friend Calvin (Levi Miller) and they meet Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling) who takes them to meet Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey). She explains to the children that they came because of a call for help.

In order to find her father, Meg is told about The It. Woven through the universe, it is a bad energy that always wants something more. Meg just wants to find her father and it’s up to the three kids to discover where he is and get out before The It can work its worse on them all.

This is how warriors are born!

Reid is lovely as Meg, a young girl that has enough going on without the added pressures of being a bully’s target. Knowing her father is out there somewhere gives her strength to search no matter what it takes, She is also a pretty cool big sister who knows her brother is quite special. Reid gives her character soul and strength wrapped up in such a small girl with a big heart.

McCabe as Charles Wallace almost steals the film half way through. Watching the amazing energy he puts out to try and change the course of Meg’s journey. I was gob smacked at his small stature taking center stage in a pivotal moment and making his small size mean nothing – just wow!

Miller as Calvin wants to help Meg and she eventually learns that she isn’t alone in the life she leads. Calvin has a few secrets of his own to keep hidden inside himself. A strong side-kick to have if you are going to be time travelling.

Winfrey as Mrs. Which is the mother figure of the unusual trio. She wants Meg to find her own strength in being exactly who she is. Kaling as Mrs. Who is lovely and supportive. Witherspoon as Mrs. Whatsit is scatter brained and delightful but all with a purpose.

Pine as Mr. Murray doesn’t realize what his scientific obsession would cost him or his family until it is too late. Mbatha-Raw as Mrs. Murray keeps the family together and the hope alive for her husbands return.

Other cast include: Zach Galifianakis as Happy Medium, Michael Pena as Red, Andre Holland as Principal Jenkins, Rowan Blanchard as Veronica Kiley, Bellamy Young as Camzotz and David Oyelowo as The It.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment began distributing under its own label in 1980 and continues to bring quality programming to kids and kids at heart. Home of the most beloved animated features including SNOW WHITE, PINOCCHIO and SLEEPING BEAUTY to name a few is what keeps families coming back for more. To see what is currently available to add to your own family library please visit. www.movies.disney.com for their At Home titles!

The Bluray/DVD of A WRINKLE IN TIME includes Bloopers, Deleted Scenes, A Journey Through Time: Director Ava DuVernay, Oprah Winfrey and Some of the Cast and Crew Give an Up-Close Look at the Making of This Extraordinary Film, Music Videos: ‘I Believe’ by DJ Khaled Featuring Demi Lovato, ‘Warrior’ by Chloe x Halle and Audio Commentary with Director Ava DuVernay, Producer Jim Whitaker, Co-Writer Jennifer Lee and some of the Production Crew.

A WRINKLE IN TIME is a beautiful story of childhood that includes secret pain and the issue of bullying, keeping a family together and never giving up hope. That’s what Meg does, although she turns away from people to hide her feelings, the one thing she will stand up brazenly for is her family.

The film is also filled with grand imagination, special effects that set the tone for the story being told and stunning imagery. There is certainly nothing wrong with having a film that not only can be enjoyed by the whole family but is filled with such intense life lessons. Sometimes it only takes a good movie to get the family talking.

In the end – be a warrior!

THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS Tells a Family History on Bluray

Jeri Jacquin

This week on Bluray from director George C. Wolfe and HBO Home Entertainment is an Original Film that tells the story of cells from THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS.

Rebecca Skloot (Rose Byrne) is a young woman on a mission, to discover the story of Henrietta Lacks (Renee Goldsberry). An African-American woman who became the medical breakthrough as the first human cell line in the 1950’s.

She reaches out to Deborah Lacks (Oprah Winfrey) and immediately stonewalled and told the men in the family would have to agree. Rebecca meets with several members including Sonny (Rocky Carroll), Lawrence (John Thompson), Day (Roger Robinson) and Barbara (Adriane Lenox), only to discover there is a hostility about the way the cells were obtained and who is profiting.

It is different with Deborah who only wants the truth to be told about her mother. Rebecca meets a woman who is has idiosyncrasies and doesn’t care what the other family members want or need. Deborah begins to tell her side of things and listens to what Rebecca has to say. Learning that her mother has had a literal hand in all things medical keeps Deborah on her toes.

So much so that she trusts no one and has a short fuse. Yet the next day Deborah introduces Rebecca to Zakariyya (Reg Cathey) who shares his anger with Dr. George Gey (Reed Birney). Taking a trip, Deborah takes her to meet Henrietta’s sister Gladys (Andrea Frye) and Sadie (Leslie Uggams) who shared the fun side of life.

That puts Rebecca into high working with Deborah and other family members to put a life with the cells. That angers her brothers who want Deborah to stop. The story Sir Lord Keenan Kester Cofield (Courtney B. Vance) is told and more family secrets are revealed and what has brought Deborah to her mental place.

As their journey together goes deeper and deeper, Deborah falls deeper into a dark place trying to make sense of the life she knew and the one she is trying to live now.

Winfrey as Deborah plays a very complex character. She wants to learn all the details of what has happened to her family but her mind goes into scary places the more she remembers. There are moments of sheer panic followed by the intensity of mistrust and the tears of a child who is confused about the mother she lost as a child. That’s a difficult character to navigate but Winfrey does so eloquently.

Byrne as Rebecca is a woman who has no idea what she is getting into. Thinking that writing a story about a woman’s life and cells is one thing but when it becomes clear that Henrietta is so much more she takes a different path. Forming a friendship with Deborah is more than she could ever have imagined and it changes her moment by moment as the words of the story form.

Cathey as Zakariyya has the same issues of anger and bad memories as Deborah and leans on her to take the family journey together. His moment of seeing his mother’s cells is childlike and loving.

Beasley as Cliff is a man who sees the pain that Deborah is in and brings his spirituality to guide her and its amazing. Uggams as Sadie is the keeper of happier times with Henrietta and also their eventual protector.

Other cast includes Byron Jennings as Dr. Victor McKusick, Leon Lamar as Cootie, Ruben Santiago-Hudson as Dr. Roland Pattillo, and Karen Reynolds as Mrs. Gey.

HBO Home Entertainment has an extensive array of critically-acclaimed and groundbreaking programs found on Bluray, DVD and Digital HD. They have provided viewers with some of the most amazing programs with huge fan bases that include the shows True Blood, Sex and the City, The Sopranos, True Detectives, The Wire, Entourage and Game of Thrones. Launched in 1984, HBO is world wide in viewed entertainment in more than 70 territories around the world! For more of what they have to offer please visit www.hbo.com.

The Bluray includes the Bonus Features of Oprah Winfrey and Rose Byrne, along with writer/director George C. Wolfe and members of the Lacks Family, discuss the legacy of Henrietta Lacks in this compelling Family Featurette.

THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS is based on the book by Rebecca Skloot. The film comes full circle with an ending that tugs at the heart. The story is one of family, secrets, pain and the immortality of one woman for all of mankind.

The relationship between Rebecca and Deborah is tumultuous at best and a journey neither one of them could ever have expected. Learning to trust one another and wanting Henrietta’s story to be told truthfully, good and bad, makes this story even more moving and intense.

Break out the tissue because this story, from beginning to end, will bring out every emotion.

In the end – discover what we are all made of!