The British sensibility has a way of combining poignant childhood memories with troubling larger events, producing movies that bite far deeper than your average cartoon.
“Fairy Tale: A True Story” (1997) is a great example, in the tradition of “The Little Princess,” “The Secret Garden,” or “The Chronicles of Narnia.”
“Fairy Tale” recounts the tale of young cousins Elsie and Frances in World War I-era Britain, circa 1917. To escape their family demons – Elsie has lost a little brother, and Frances’ father is missing on the front – they would research fairy stories and act out elaborate fantasies in their garden.
They soon encounter what they believe to be real fairies, and take a photograph that becomes the talk of all England. Is it a miracle, or a hoax? Big names of the times weigh in on either side, with Peter O’Toole as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Harvey Keitel as Houdini.
Without turning maudlin or preachy, “Fairy Tale” feels steeped in real emotions: fear, optimism, loss, hope. Perhaps the girls have made something up – but the adults around them seem to be making up stories all the time to insulate the girls and each other from the war. Whose truths or falsehoods hurt the most? Is there such a thing as too much fantasy?
Or is reality overrated?
Each Tuesday, Michael Booth uncovers a movie gem for families in search of rewarding entertainment. Reach him at mbooth@denverpost.com; find the “Screen Team” blog at denverpostbloghouse.com.
