“Have I gone Mad?”
“I’m afraid so. You’re entirely bonkers. But I will tell you a secret, all the best people are.”
One of Disney‘s earliest forays into remaking its animated catalog as live-action movies was the 2010 adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. Unlike subsequent live-action remakes, this film did not seek to replicate the original animated version released in 1951. Instead, it chose to delve deeper into the storyline derived from Lewis Carroll‘s classic literary works, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1872). Disney made the bold choice of enlisting the renowned director Tim Burton to helm the project, bringing his unique vision and style to the beloved tale.
Plot Summary
One evening, Alice’s father is having a meeting with some colleagues about their next voyage. Little Alice interrupts them because she’s had a bad dream, one that she seems to have quite often. As her father puts her back, he jokingly comforts her with the fact that even though she may be going insane, there’s nothing wrong with her either.
Jump ten years later, and Alice (Mia Wasikowska) and her mother Helen are on their way to a party hosted by the Ascots and their son Hamish. It isn’t until after they arrive that Alice is informed that this isn’t a regular party but one that has been cleverly disguised as a wedding coronation, as Hamish intends to ask Alice for her hand in marriage.
Upon conversing with a few of the guests, Alice is convinced that she keeps seeing a White Rabbit and decides to chase after it. Being continuously eluded by the White Rabbit, Alice accidentally finds herself in the presence of all the guests who have gathered around to witness the proposal. However, Alice has no interest in marrying Hamish and runs away, chasing the White Rabbit once again. She finds herself in front of a large hole near the base of a lone tree and as she pokes her head in, she ultimately ends up falling down into it.
In Underland, Alice is greeted by The White Rabbit, the Doormouse, and Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum. They argue about whether she’s the “real” Alice and decide to bring her to the Blue Caterpillar for confirmation. She learns about the Oraculum and her destiny to slay the Jabberwocky. Alice had previously believed her time in “Wonderland” was just a dream, but now she is slowly coming to the realization it had been real this whole time.
The group gets ambushed by Stayne – Knave of Hearts (Crispin Glover), while most of them get captured, Alice is able to escape his grasp. Stayne takes the Oraculum to the Queen of Hearts (Helena Bonham Carter), who demands Alice be brought to her at once.
As night falls, Alice meets the Cheshire Cat, who takes her to The Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) and The March Hare. After a doubt of nonsense with the two, Stayne crashes their party looking for Alice, but Hatter hides her in a teapot. Hatter decides to help Alice get closer to The Red Queen’s castle so she can find a way to acquire the Vorpal Sword.
Alice, with the help of a hound named Bayard, quickly arrives at the castle. She finds herself in the courtyard where the Red Queen is playing a game of croquet. The White Rabbit finds her, but because she is still too small from drinking a potion when she first arrived in Underland, he gives her some cake that will make her grow. However, she eats too much and grows too tall. The Red Queen fails to recognize Alice now that she has grown up.
As Alice quietly infiltrates the Red Queen’s castle, she discovers that the Hatter has been captured and locked in the dungeon. As she searches for the Volpor Sword, she finds that it’s being guarded by the Bandersnatch. With a little help from the White Rabbit, Alice is able to sneak past the Bandersnatch, and the Volpor Sword is finally hers. By this time, it’s time for the Hatter’s execution, but he and the Cheshire Cat have devised a plan and by cleverly using the Hatter’s hat to their advantage, he is able to escape certain death.
During all the commotion, Alice is discovered when the Dormouse utters her real name. Stayne is furious that she has been under his nose the whole time. Alice has befriended the Bandersnatch, who comes to her rescue and whisks her off to The White Queen’s (Anne Hathaway) castle. There, The White Queen shrinks Alice back down to her regular size and insists that Alice needs to be the one who slays the Jabberwocky. However, Alice doesn’t believe in herself enough to do it. After a pep talk with the Blue Caterpillar about whether or not she is the “real” Alice, she finally agrees to be The White Queen’s champion.
Both the White Queen and the Red Queen come face to face with each other. The White Queen wants to resolve their differences, but the Red Queen refuses to give up the crown. They both declare their champions: Alice and the Jabberwocky. Alice is hesitant about whether she will be able to slay the Jabberwocky but finds inspiration from her father’s saying, “sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”
This leads to a battle on both sides, with Alice ultimately cutting off the head of the Jabberwocky and the White Queen acquiring the crown, becoming the new Queen of Underland and she banishes both the Red Queen and Stayne into exile together.
Alice eventually returns to the real world, where everybody is still gathered in the garden at the Ascot’s, waiting for her to come back as if no time had passed at all. Alice rejects Hamish’s wedding proposal, as she has no interest in being his wife and would rather follow in her father’s footsteps, embracing her adventurous spirit. Shortly afterward, Alice climbs aboard her father’s ship as she prepares to set out on a voyage of her own.
Alice Kingsleigh
The decision to portray Alice as a young adult on the verge of marriage, rather than the familiar child character, was a bold and thought-provoking choice in bringing her to the big screen for a new generation. This new portrayal offers a fresh perspective on the beloved character, presenting her coming-of-age journey in a compelling and relatable manner.
Despite her advancing age, Alice remains the familiar and beloved character she has always been. Her portrayal continues to challenge the societal norms of her time, where young women were expected to conform to early marriage and domesticity. Alice’s steadfast determination to live life on her own terms not only provided her with a sense of autonomy but also demonstrated her practical wisdom.
Mia Wasikowska’s portrayal of a mature Alice is praiseworthy, especially considering the enduring legacy of the character in pop culture. While not entirely capturing the essence of Alice, her portrayal is relatable and endearing, which is a commendable achievement.
Her character’s journey closely aligns with the Hero’s Journey, and the plot points are effectively presented. However, the story’s reliance on established characters from the original tales limits the opportunity to introduce new characters that could enrich the narrative with essential tropes. This restriction hinders the story’s potential for full development and impact when hitting certain beats to make her journey come full circle.
It seems that although she may have appeared to outgrow her childlike sense of wonder, her curiosity and adventurous spirit are still very much intact. These qualities are just as important when it comes to recapturing the magic and embarking on a new adventure for her in Wonderland all these years later, making it difficult to determine whether casting a young Alice or simply remaking the animated movie would have been the better decision.
Source Material
The movie chose to continue Alice’s story from the original books, which is a very good idea. It came out at a time when originality in film was still a top priority in Hollywood, and that’s exactly what it chose to do. It has its fair share of callbacks and homages to the books and the original animated film, but it chose to do it in a way that didn’t directly rip it off. Instead, it acknowledged them in a way that could be appreciated by die-hard fans and those who were truly paying attention.
Understandably, Disney’s decision to continue the storyline from the books instead of creating a shot-for-shot remake was a challenging one. For those who are only aware of Alice’s journey in Wonderland from only having watched the animated film, it must have been tough for the audience to connect with the inclusion of Through the Looking-Glass, especially if they were unfamiliar with the plot points of the rivalry between the Red Queen and the White Queen, and the inclusion of the Jabberwocky. Coupled with Tim Burton‘s signature dark aesthetic, it’s clear that the movie may have missed the mark in delivering the same sense of wonder that the original animated movie had once provided.
Although the film was a financial success the film received a negative impact. This decision might not fully capture the essence of the story, as much of its charm stems from the idea of Alice as a child with childlike thoughts. While the film can still convey the magic of Wonderland, it’s Alice’s childlike sense of wonder that truly propels the story and gives depth to her journey throughout Wonderland. Therefore, portraying her as an adult, who has supposedly gained more wisdom, may not effectively deliver the same enchantment.
Final Thoughts
To say that I was hesitant to rewatch this film wouldn’t exactly be an understatement but I realized that I had allowed negativity and outside perspectives to affect my judgment about my enthusiasm or whether I even wanted to rewatch it at all. However, I’m glad I decided to push myself to give it another chance after all these years as I thoroughly enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting. It’s interesting how this movie became so polarizing as I feel that the movie did so many things right that it’s hard to pinpoint what exactly it did wrong.
Given the fact that modern female protagonists in film are going through a fundamental change in Hollywood, Alice in Wonderland introduced us to a hero we didn’t know we needed, or rather have seemingly chosen to forget about entirely. Much of what appears to be lacking in female characters today, Alice provided us at a time when we weren’t paying attention. The adventure in this story presents us with a main character with internal flaws and external obstacles, allowing for her own personal growth and a sense of identity.
I’ve always felt that the world of Wonderland embodies everything we love about movies. It offers an escape when we need to disconnect from reality and teaches us the importance of balancing the two. The fact that it was one of the first movies to gross one billion dollars doesn’t necessarily mean it should be hailed as one of the greatest movies ever made. The reception and reputation it has garnered over the years should not be the sole indicators of the film’s quality, but rather a testament to just how much the timeless classic of the story of Alice in Wonderland truly is. Much of the movie’s lack of recognition can be attributed to early nostalgia not being a trend during its release. If nostalgia had been a trend at that time, it might have received more praise and acceptance from both critics and audiences.
This isn’t a perfect film, and it does not demand to be rewatched, but it’s one that not only deserves to be given a second chance but it’s also one that should be revisited by those who felt let down at the time of its release. When it comes to Disney’s live-action remakes and strong female protagonists, Alice in Wonderland (2010) provides us with a story with more meaning and depth on a level that far outweighs that of simple nostalgia, as well as delivers a tale of wonder that had been taken for granted by so many all those years ago.