The latest in the terrific series of American Girls movies is the story of Saige (Sidney Fullmer), a talented artist and a horse-lover. She is devastated to learn that due to budget cuts, there will be no more art class in her school. Just as painful, her lifetime best friend seems to like a new friend better. Everything she thought she understood and everyone she thought understood her seem to be changing.
Then it gets worse. Her adored grandmother (Jane Seymour), an accomplished artist and Saige’s role model, is hurt in an accident.
Saige has to learn some new skills and develop her understanding and courage in this heartwarming story of friendship, problem-solving, and making change work for you.
Interview with Ryan Simpkins of “Space Warriors” (and a Chance to Win A Trip to Space Camp)
Posted on May 30, 2013 at 12:00 pm
Space Warriors is the story of a group of extraordinary teens recruited for Space Camp, who battle for their chance to win a seat in the next shuttle to space, and learn the importance of teamwork, dedication and friendship when they get called in to save some stranded astronauts. It stars Thomas Horn (Extremely Loud Incredibly Close), Booboo Stewart (Twilight), Grayson Russell (Diary of a Wimpy Kid), Savannah Jayde (Big Time Rush) and Ryan Simpkins (A Single Man, Revolutionary Road). The movie premieres on Friday, May 31st at 8/7c on the Hallmark Channel. I am proud to present an exclusive clip.
I interviewed Ryan Simpkins about making the movie.
What’s the scariest part of Space Camp?
Well space camp isn’t really that scary, because everything is super safe and there are people there to help you no matter what. That being said, there was this one simulator that spun you around in a huge circle and it would slowly get faster and faster. It would come to a point where you couldn’t even lift your arms or open your mouth! The only fear I had was the fear of throwing up, and that was just because it was so hot in there.
What’s the most fun?
I really liked the scuba diving. It really feels like you’re just flying or floating. We played basketball with a bowling ball (I accidentally dropped it on Michael’s head, but he didn’t even feel it)! I also lifted a two ton ball above my own head down there. We were doing flips and flying around- it was amazing. I also quite liked our jumpsuits. We didn’t have pockets to put our hands in, so we just held them at our collar as if we were Bane from The Dark Night Rises. We also looked like we were in Starfleet Academy cadets from Star Trek. That was nice.
If you were an astronaut, which job would you want?
I would probably want to be in charge of the robots. I don’t know why, it just seems cool. I have a lot of friends who build robots in school and then go to competitions and compete, and they absolutely love it.
What are the most important things an astronaut has to know?
I think they really have to know how to work together as a team. There is one part of the film where the Warriors get in a huge fight and completely blow a mission. They failed and they had to pay for it. There is another part where the astronauts are making an extremely important decision and they have to draw straws. They don’t fight about who wins the game of straws, or say that it was unfair, they just work together to keep each other safe.
What are the most important qualities an astronaut has to have?
They have to stay humble and know how to work together, or else their egos will get in the way of getting the job done and doing it right.
What surprised you the most in what you learned about the space program?
I had no idea that they had moon buggy races. It wasn’t in the original script and it hadn’t been written in until about half way through the shoot, and no one ever mentioned it because they just assumed everyone knew. It’s actually a huge part of space camp training. I was lucky enough to actually go and see some of the races when I went back for the premiere. It’s pretty intense stuff.
What did you and the other kids do to have fun while you were making the movie?
We did lots of things. Every night after filming, we wouldd go up to the fifth floor where they served food and we would play games like Janga or Uno and watch the Olympics together. When we were done we’d head down to the pool and swim for hours; playing Marco Polo, Football, or just throwing a penny into the pool and searching for it. We all went to see The Dark Night Rises in the Imax Space Center Theater, and I forced them all to see The Avengers (it was my 7th time seeing it. I love that movie). We also went to this Safari that you could drive through and the animals would come right up to your car. On the night of the premiere we had this giant sleepover and stayed up till three in the morning watching The Hobbit, some of the behind the scenes footage, having pillow fights, and eating junk food. We also watched LOTS of Netflix. I love that cast more than anything.
What’s the best advice you ever got about acting?
Acting is always a challenge. A great man told me that. It’s never going to be easy, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t go for it.
What makes you laugh?
Bad puns. I’ll go back and watch Avatar: The Last Airbender and Sokka will tell a joke that I thought was the dumbest thing when I was little but I’ll die from laughter watching it now. I don’t know why but bad jokes just make me cry from laughing. Also Edgar Wright movies. I will laugh the entire time while watching one of those.
She has the face of a flower and she still believes that the world is an enchanted place that cannot hurt her. She does not understand what is going on around her, but we do.
Her name is Maisie (the exquisite Onata Aprile). She is seven and she lives in New York with her parents, a fading rock star named Susanna (Julianne Moore) and a British art dealer named Beale (Steve Coogan). They are self-centered and feckless, and she does not yet realize that their hugs are more about themselves than about her. They split up, and then, incapable of being alone and primarily to reassure themselves and spite each other, immediately take on new, very unwise partners. Beale begins a romance with Maisie’s nanny, Margo (Joanna Vanderham). And Susanna, feeling doubly betrayed, one-ups him by impetuously marrying a bartender named Lincoln (Alexander Skarsgård). This comes out when Lincoln, who Maisie has never really met, appears at her school to pick her up. “I’m sort of like Maisie’s…stepfather,” he sheepishly tells the teacher.
Maisie’s clothes often have fantasy elements, like a tiara, showing the gloss of fantasy she brings to her world — and the casual indulgence of the adults in her life. Moore’s neediness, as a woman who is losing her career, her romantic partner, and her child, is raw and affecting. Coogan gets a rare chance to show what a fine serious actor he can be. In one scene, he impetuously invites Maisie to go to England with him, and then immediately changes his mind. We see every thought on his face, including his chagrin at recognizing that he is betraying the daughter still young enough to believe in him.
This movie feels very much of this moment and has a very specific sense of place in its shabby chic New York settings. But it is based on a book by Henry James written more than a century ago. Directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel have a delicacy and sensitivity that gives their superb cast the chance to create complicated characters. They are not afraid to mix moments of humor with selfishness, heart-wrenching loss, and tragic choices.
Parents should know that this movie deals with themes of parental neglect and family dysfunction. It includes sexual references and non-explicit situations, drinking, strong language, and many poor choices.
Family discussion: What will happen to Maisie? What will she think of her parents when she gets to be a teenager? A grown-up? What has changed since Henry James wrote the book?
If you like this, try: “Careful, He Might Hear You”
The animated films from Japan’s Studio Ghibli are adored by many American families for their lush and intricate hand-drawn animation and imaginative story lines. But others, like me, find many of them uneven and inaccessible. The latest, from Goro Miyazaki, son of legendary writer/director/animator Hayao Miyazaki (“Spirited Away,” “My Neighbor Totoro,” “Princess Mononoke”), has the gorgeous settings we expect from Ghibli, inspired as much by European fairy tales as by the mid-century Japanese seaside town where the story takes place. But it also has the inexpressive faces and oddly un-family-friendly storyline of some of the studio’s other productions. It seems more than a little off that a large part of the plot concerns a disturbing issue of possible paternity, a questionable theme for a movie about and intended to be seen by children.
Hayao Miyazaki co-wrote the film, based on a popular manga comic. Like many of the Studio Ghibli films, it is the story of a young girl who has had to take on a lot of responsibility. It is set in the Umi (voice of Sarah Bolger of “In America”), a quiet, respectful girl. She lives with her grandmother, who runs a boarding house above in the port city of Yokohama. Umi’s father was lost at sea fighting in the Korean War. Her mother is studying in America. Every day, Umi hoists a “safe voyage” signal flag for all the boats. In her heart, it is also a message to the father she still dreams will someday come back to her.
One day, she meets the outgoing, impulsive Shun (Anton Yelchin). As she works with him to help restore a dilapidated house Shun and his friends are using for their club meetings. They hope to persuade local officials not to knock it down. They never speak about their feelings but it is delicately shown that they are drawn to one another. And then they discover >they may be siblings. “I guess we stop feeling how we feel,” Shun says, and they agree to stay friends. Fortunately, they find a kind and reassuring answer to their question.
It is strange to see so much focus on the details of the backgrounds, which are exquisitely rendered, when there is so little attention to the expressiveness of the characters. The fluttering of a signal flag conveys more emotion than the impassive faces and delivery of the characters. The resonance of the story’s context in the years between Japan’s defeat in WWII and its hosting of the 1964 Olympics 20 years later will be lost on today’s children, which leaves the thin storyline inadequate to sustain our interest to the end.
Parents should know that this movie includes references to sad parental losses and separation and war and a discussion about how the two young teens who have romantic feelings for each other might be siblings.
Family discussion: What did Umi and Shun like about each other? Why was the house important to the kids?
Charlie: A Toy Story will be out next week, but I have an early copy to give away. It’s the story of 10 year-old Caden and his best friend Charlie, a golden retriever. They visit Caden’s father Jack at his Wonder Toy Store where they discover his newest and greatest invention Wondermation, a little science mixed with a little imagination that’s the most amazing toy in the world. Unfortunately Caden’s rivals, the bumbling town bullies, want to steal Wondermation and keep it for themselves. There is a wild escapade with a lot of humor for families to enjoy together. To enter, send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with Charlie in the subject line and tell me your favorite pet. Don’t forget your address! (US addresses only). I’ll pick a winner at random on April 1. Good luck!
The latest in the terrific series of American Girls movies is the story of Saige (Sidney Fullmer), a talented artist and a horse-lover. She is devastated to learn that due to budget cuts, there will be no more art class in her school. Just as painful, her lifetime best friend seems to like a new friend better. Everything she thought she understood and everyone she thought understood her seem to be changing.
will be out next week, but I have an early copy to give away. It’s the story of 10 year-old Caden and his best friend Charlie, a golden retriever. They visit Caden’s father Jack at his Wonder Toy Store where they discover his newest and greatest invention Wondermation, a little science mixed with a little imagination that’s the most amazing toy in the world. Unfortunately Caden’s rivals, the bumbling town bullies, want to steal Wondermation and keep it for themselves. There is a wild escapade with a lot of humor for families to enjoy together. To enter, send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with Charlie in the subject line and tell me your favorite pet. Don’t forget your address! (US addresses only). I’ll pick a winner at random on April 1. Good luck!