The Man in the Yellow Suit, played well by the versatile Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Sexy Beast), is a tangible antagonist as a stranger who has come to the area in search of the Tucks because he knows what their secret is, and he wants to share in it an control it for personal gain.

With shades of Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray, this film touches on themes as old as the Garden of Eden. One character declares that immortality is a curse in contrast to the lure that preachers put forth, while theologians would counter that people would not be as they are now when assuming their immortal state. Perhaps unwittingly, the film reinforces the philosophical stance of the preachers.

The film is also deals with the timeless theme of young, innocent love in a way that is reminiscent of "Somewhere in Time". Winnie and Jesse literally run through meadows hand-in-hand. They bond in scenes that will not make you squirm as you sit next to your family, yet still portray a sense of excitement between a young romantic couple.

Unlike some critics, I don't mind that the film uses narration (Elizabeth Shue) at the beginning and end. Narration or text exposition is a classic, forgotten film device that has been used by some of the greatest films of all time. We don't need to see everything, and if you can shave off a few minutes and a lot of cost from a film by getting to the nitty-gritty, then why not do it? The film could have had gory battle scenes and any number of exciting and expensive scenes given the circumstances of the Tucks, but that isn't the kind of film it was trying to be.

The story is bookended by shots of a town that could have been filmed on Disney's backlot in Burbank - if it hadn't been torn out and replaced with office buildings years ago. I also found some of the settings reminiscent of Tom Sawyer Island. Maybe I think about theme parks too much, but it is a Walt Disney Picture and it is a fantasy where things aren't left all neat and tidy.

There were a couple of things that were not dealt with to my satisfaction on-camera, but overall it was an enjoyable and thought-provoking film.

Tuck Everlasting received a "PG" rating, apparently due to such aspects as kidnapping, arson, gunplay, and homicide. Animated films can have all of that and more and still get a "G". The running time is 90 minutes, the film opened wide last Friday, and I recommend that you see it hurry up and see it before it gets crowded out of the box office by a mix of horribly acted claptrap and long awaited blockbusters.

Pellman's Rating: 3 Brooms™ out of 4

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-- Posted October 18, 2002