ELEANOR’S SECRET – SLIFF Review

It’s been said that when a child learns to read, the door to a whole new world opens up for them. This is literally the case in the delightful animated feature film ELEANOR’S SECRET ( that’s actually one of two big secrets ). The main hero of the tale is in reality a young boy named Nathaniel. He and his family ( Mom, Dad, and older sister Angelica ) are going to spend some time at the beach house they’ve inherited from their late Aunt Eleanor ( she nearly made it to 100! ). Little Nat is especially saddened because his Aunt would read to him. unfortunately he’s not been able to grasp his reading lessons at school, and his sister taunts him mercilessly about this. Their parents bring out a note just for the kids from their Aunt telling what she has left for them. Angelica gets a beloved old porcelain doll. Nathaniel gets a key to a mysterious secret room ( and its contents ). Unlocking the door, he is stunned to see a vast library filled to the brim with rare old editions. What good is this to him? That night as he endures a nightmare of letters and words, the old house suffers severe damage from a storm. The next morning they survey the damage and Dad decides that they may need to sell some of Aunt Eleanor’s things ( including the books ) to pay for the repairs. Returning to the secret room, Nathaniel is shocked to see tiny beings literally crawling out of the volumes! There’s Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf! Snow White, Peter Pan, Mowgli, and hundreds of classic literary creations ( could that be Count Dracula? ). Seems that unless he can read a magic inscription on the wall before noon, all the characters will fade away. After a few failed attempts, the bad fairy from Sleeping Beauty shrinks Nate down to their size. She won’t return him to his size until he reads the magic words. They hear a noise and scatter back into the books. It’s dad with that vulture-like antiques dealer. He boxes up the books and takes them to his store front further down the beach. Once there, Nathaniel decides to return home and read the inscription before noon. With the Ogre, the March Hare, and his beloved Alice ( from Wonderland ) they escape and embark on the perilous journey while the Hare’s pocket watch inches closer to twelve.

ELEANOR’S SECRET is a glorious, gentle adventure that may inspire youngsters to explore the library shelves ( and maybe peer through some of their family’s own, old dusty volumes ). The film is designed to resemble a modern children’s book with its angular, abstract, gently shaded characters. The classic literary heroes and villains are visualized quite differently from their established film icons ( this is not Disneyland! ). Backgrounds and vehicles are moved by the most subtle computer imagery, while all else is brought to life by the classic hand drawn style. The story builds up a sense of urgency that generates some suspense that should enthrall the young viewers, although the raging storm and escape from a determined crab may upset the very youngest. This is a sweet, whimsical escapade that should provide inspiration for many evenings ( or rainy days ) of adventures via the printed page.

Showtimes
Sunday, November 20th at 1:30pm – Washington University/Brown Auditorium