Given
the chance, would you want to live forever? I mean, truly
live for ever and ever? It's an interesting question so
think about it for a little bit. Note your answer now,
then see if it's the same after you read this review or see this
movie.
"Tuck Everlasting" is a movie about choices and life--
living and dying. The story focuses an a young girl named
Winnie Foster. Winnie is not your average young girl, she
is the daughter to a very rich man and in the early 1900's that
not something to be taken lightly. Because of her family's
status Winnie really never gets to enjoy her childhood.
Her household is very stifling and strict. Winnie isn't
even allowed to leave the confines of their yard.
Winnie longs for something, she has fire in her heart.
When her parents tell her that they want to send her away to a strict
school for girls-- so she can learn how to be a lady-- Winnie is distraught.
She decides to disobey her parents and leaves the yard-- she
wanders into the woods. Winnie enjoys the lush greenery
and teaming life that surrounds her....but she wanders a little
too far and ends up becoming lost. Luckily though, she
meets up with a boy in the woods whom she finds drinking from a
spring by a large tree. The boy, Jesse Tuck, is
startled to see her and demands that she leaves. Winnie's
parents own the woods so she refuses-- plus she is lost
anyway. An other boy, Miles- Jesse's brother, meets up
with them and is angered to see that Jesse has allowed someone
to know their "secret". Winnie has no idea what
Miles is talking about but Miles decides that she must be
"taken care of" so he snatches her up and takes her
back to their house. Winnie has been kidnapped.
Winnie is taken to the house of the Tucks. A simple people
whom she ends up enjoying. She loved staying with them in their
earthy and loving house-- so unlike the cold, strict home she
knew. She soon comes to love the family, especially
Jesse. But there is trouble brewing....Winnie's parents
are searching for her and a strange and sinister man in a yellow
suit is after the Tucks. People begin to track them down.
I'm not sure if I should let the secret out....so if you don't
want to know I'd suggest you refrain from reading the next two
paragraphs. So, stop....now. Otherwise, here it
goes: when the Tucks drank from the spring they became
immortal. They do not age, they can't get hurt, and they
can't die-- ever. They have eternal life. Some
people think that is a wonderful gift-- the man in yellow wants
to track them down and use the spring for profit. Others,
like the Tucks, realize that living forever isn't all that it's
cracked up to be. Times are constantly changing yet they
remain unchanged, much like rocks on the edge of a pond. Everyone they know and love dies but
them-- they do not really live-- they just are.
Without
giving more of the story away I will tell you this-- Jesse asks
Winnie to drink from the spring so they can be together
forever. Winnie must make a choice-- does she want eternal
life? Is living forever really better than living your
life and then dying-- fulfilling the circle or wheel of
life as Tuck puts it? See the movie and find out-- or
better yet-- read the novel by Natalie Babbit.
I
really enjoyed seeing this film. On a personal note-- I
was a background actor in the town scenes so it was really fun
to looks for my nanosecond and usually blurry appearances.
Ohwell. It was fun anyway. Just for reference, the
movie "Runaway Bride" was filmed in the same
town. The hotel, the Atlantic Hotel, is the same hotel
that was used in the movie so check it out if you remember.
Besides my own personal reasons, "Tuck Everlasting" is
still a very enjoyable film. The cinematography is
absolutely beautiful and the story is downright touching and
though provoking. Though my fiancée really put up a fight
to see this obvious "chick-flick", in the end he
appreciated the beauty of the film and story as well (to my
surprise). So, if you're in the mood for a beautiful, old
fashioned, fairytale, "Tuck" is for you.
