Joey King (Horton Hears a Who!) is Ramona Quimby, an accident-prone nine year old with a predisposition for embarrassment and misunderstanding. When she isn’t humiliating her teen-age sister Beezus, Selena Gomez (Wizards of Waverly Place) she is creating house-hold disasters by enacting well-intentioned schemes. She just wants to help, but everything always goes wrong. Ramona is a character that any kid can identify with.
I was a big fan of Ramona Quimby when I was a child and I loved all of Beverly Cleary’s books. I was a little apprehensive when I heard that they were bringing this wonderful story into the 21st century, but I really liked the choices they made. This Klickitat Street is still warm, colorful, and insulated from the big, bad world. Ramona’s biggest worry is that her dad lost his job and that they may be losing their home. This is a big enough problem for any nine year old, but nothing like some children face. This is more of a Leave It To Beaver life, (also a Cleary book), with simple problems and easy solutions. It is innocent world, sweet, fun, full of loving parents and caring teachers. I came away from this film feeling refreshed.
Joey King was delightful as Ramona Quimby. I easily fell in love with her and marveled at her superb comic timing. Selena Gomez was winning and natural as Ramona’s frustrated big sister. And I especially enjoyed John Corbett (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) as Ramona’s father. Bridget Moynahan (I, Robot) played Ramona’s mother and was really strong in some of the emotional scenes. And I was completely charmed by the romance of Josh Duhamel (When In Rome) and Ginnifer Goodwin (A Single Man) who plays Ramona’s Aunt Bea and her next door neighbor Hobart. Sandra Oh (Sideways) was also excellent as Ramona’s demanding teacher.
I really enjoyed this film and any parent would be lucky to accompany their child. The performances are sincere, the tone is pitch-perfect, and it is funny without feeling forced or cliche. The cinematography is gorgeous and the colors are vibrant. And with John Corbett and Josh Duhamel to gaze at you’ll hear no mothers complaining. Eyes sparkle, hair shines, smiles warm, this is a feel good movie and a welcome escape. Thank you for this little touch of Americana. It was like having my childhood again.
Rating: First Run A little slice of Americana
About Me
- Melanie Wilson
- My Reviewer's Philosophy: I believe that every film has its audience. One man’s Citizen Kane is another man’s Texas Chain Saw Massacre. My purpose is to help you spend your entertainment dollars wisely. A bad review never kept me from going to a film I wanted to see, but a good review will sometimes get me to a film I never considered. As a movie lover I want you to go to the movies. When more people go to the movies, the more movies get made. But, I also believe that if you enjoy the films you see, you naturally will be inclined to go more often. So join me in supporting our film industry by going to a movie today. Hopefully I can steer you towards a good one. See you at the movies. Melanie Wilson
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