Search for the Impossible

BY BONNIE L. HARRIS

ONE MAGICAL ELEPHANT, THREE impossible tasks, and a somber town full of disbelief & sadness provide the whimsical background for the Netflix animated feature, The Magician’s Elephant. Directed by Australian Wendy Rogers, based on American Kate DiCamillo’s novel, and voiced by an incredible

THE MAGICIAN’S ELEPHANT

Netflix Animation, Rated: PG

Streaming on Netflix international cast, The Magician’s Elephant is one of those rare adaptations that’s even better than the original book. And I couldn’t help but notice that the screenplay was written by Martin Hynes, who was born & raised in Eugene. No doubt our small town charm gave this story its wonderful sense of place even in a make-believe world. Peter, our exceptional hero, is an orphan raised by Sgt. Lutz, who believes he saved the boy from certain death during a brutal wartime bombardment. Peter, however, believes his baby sister survived the battle and he’s determined to find her. A mysterious fortune teller answers a single question telling Peter to follow the magician’s elephant. It’s a high price for a puzzling answer and Peter is understandably confused and upset. Meanwhile, it just so happens that a bumbling magician conjures an elephant out of thin air in the town theatre at that very moment and Peter’s adventure begins. Despite many setbacks, and the King’s demand that he perform three impossible tasks to own the elephant, Peter refuses to

FOR the PARENTS

A Kingdom for the Truth THE

LOST KING

Pathé & BBC Film, Rated: PG-13

Streaming on Amazon

WONDERFULLY SUBTLE WITH ironic British humor, The Lost King is a murder mystery with a five hundred year history and an unrelenting, middle-aged sleuth named Philippa. She suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome, but after seeing a particularly moving performance of Shakespeare’s Richard III, she’s drawn to the prejudice and ridicule heaped on the dead king. Philippa’s research on Richard’s disability satisfies her desire for the truth, but at the same time, she begins seeing visions of Richard that eventually challenge her sensibilities. When she decides to actually find the king’s lost body, her friends and family try everything to steer her in a different direction. Undaunted, Philippa secures both the funding and the help of a University of Leister archeological team to dig up a car park, which was the site of a former Franciscan abbey. True to her research, they discover Richard’s body, but the University buckle. With the help of his neighbor, Leo, who also believes that anything is possible, Peter faces the King’s tasks with pluck and ingenuity. But the elephant’s plight overtakes Peter and he decides that her family is more important than his own. Story credit must go to author Kate DiCamillo for her marvelous life lessons and compassionate perspective because in the end, Peter’s selflessness gives him all he desires. It’s a lovely, inspirational film that the whole family will enjoy! ✦ is quick to claim credit and sideline Philippa. In the end, which is empowering and heartfelt, she discovers that the journey was much more important than fame or accolades. She also realizes that sharing her tenacity can inspire the next generation to question the history that we take for granted.