Elle Fanning, Felicity Huffman, Patricia Clarkson

PHOEBE is the fantastical tale of a little girl (Elle Fanning) who won't - or can't - follow the rules. Confounded by her clashes with the rule-obsessed world around her, Phoebe seeks enlightenment fr...( read more  read more... )om her unconventional drama teacher (Clarkson), even as her brilliant but anguished mother (Huffman) looks to Phoebe herself for inspiration.

Flixster Users

66% liked it

30,324 ratings

Critics

58% liked it

48 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 36 min.

Directed by: Daniel Barnz

Release Date: March 6, 2009

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DVD Release Date: June 23, 2009

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Stats: 408 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (408)


  • August 12, 2009
    A bright little girl with a debilitating condition finds strength and solace in her school's production of "Alice in Wonderland". Director Daniel Barnz does a commendable job with an outstanding cast but, instead of engaging us (his audience), all his efforts seem focused toward...( read more) enlightening us. The result is a film that's pleasant but preachy.
  • August 12, 2009
    Phoebe In Wonderland is a Brilliant tale of a 9 year old girl, that suffers from Tourettes Syndrome. She is very familiar with the story of Alice, since her mother is writing a book on Wonderland. So when the school's new drama teacher decides to put on the play, Phoebe is very a...( read more)nxious to join the tea party. As Alice, she can escape into a world where she feels comfortable with friends she has known her whole life.
    I thought this was a wonderful film, one of the best films I have seen in awhile.It explores the need for escape into an alternate reality and the denial every family goes through when faced with a problem.
    Elle Fanning is absolutely adorable and she was nothing short of amazing as Phoebe. Felicity Huffman is a phenomenal actress and played the part of Hillary Lichten to a t. As a mom, I felt her pain. I am a super fan of Patricia Clarkson, ever since she was Sarah on Six Feet Under. With everything she puts herself into, she just seems to pull you in as well and take you along for the ride. I thought she was outstanding as the eccentric Mrs. Dodger.
    I am a huge fan of Alice In Wonderland, it is my favorite book and I can find myself easily lost in Looking Glass Land as well. So, I was quickly able to identify with Phoebe, and fall in love with this film.
  • August 9, 2009
    Very odd, but so well done that you keep watching to see what was going to happen next. Excellent cast and well put together.
  • July 9, 2009
    Unexpectedly good. A very beautiful, original, suave and inspiring story. It definitely touched me. Fanning's performance is phenomenal - especially with the depth and weight of the character she had to portray. All characters are perfectly developed and highly sophisticated, and...( read more) the movie is worked down to the very last detail. A story of love, acceptance and overcoming hardships. You don't get to see movies like this every day, so don't pass the chance to. And despite the fact that it wasn't the masterpiece it could have been and that in times it got you slightly lost, it's a film I'd suggest to everyone.
  • April 23, 2009
    A little girl cursed with an obsessive behavior disorder (which causes her to spit on her classmates, among other things) finds she can soothe her demons by acting in the school production of "Alice in Wonderland." This feelgood/ tearjerker drama has a very predictable narrative...( read more) arc, but it's an actor's movie with great performances by Felicity Huffman, Bill Pullman, Patricia Clarkson, and especially young Elle Fanning, whose every bit as good as her sister.
  • November 17, 2009
    i love this movie it is the best movie ever
  • November 11, 2009
    wow love the soundtrack- imagine... gonna watch it
  • October 24, 2009
    I loved this movie, it was a great twist on alice, the story was so good and keeps you into it! I need to buy this one.
  • October 19, 2009
    Really nice movie! elle fanning is brilliant and so natural! i like her better than her sister. a very perfect movie that can really help people understand more about torrets!
  • October 18, 2009
    Elle Fanning is absolutely extraordinary!

Critic Reviews


March 6, 2009
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Let Clarkson and Fanning take you to the rabbit hole of seductive enchantment that defines this movie. full review

March 6, 2009
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

It's a rare thing when a labor of love turns out to be worth both the labor and the love. full review

March 6, 2009
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

The screenplay is unusual in its reliance on children for many of the scenes, and its understanding of the drama in the heart of a troubled 9-year-old. full review

March 6, 2009
Claudia Puig, USA Today

An uneven, unfocused amalgamation of ideas and moods that is at times deeply moving nonetheless. full review

March 6, 2009
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

It's that kind of movie, full of therapeutic notions paraded as poetry and scenes that seem to carry explanatory labels. full review

March 5, 2009
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

Phoebe in Wonderland gradually loses its grip on tone and believability, climaxing with a show-must-go-on moment that's just plain silly. Thankfully, Barnz knows exactly where to end his film: on the ... full review

View more Phoebe in Wonderland reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • courtnie102
    January 11, 2008
    bailee is so cute i can't wait to see the movie

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