Please Don't Screw Up A Wrinkle in Time

Dear Hollywood,

“A Wrinkle in Time” was the book that defined my childhood. There is no book in all of literature I have reread more; I would conservatively put the number at more than twenty times.

This was the book that introduced me to science fiction, real hard-core science fiction that took advantage of actual science. It was the book that pushed me beyond reading about Henry Huggins and the Hardy boys in 3rd grade, and got me to borrow something from the school library other than the popular collection of Peanuts cartoons or the enormous book of D’Aulaires’ Greek Myths. Encountering this book and the first Star Wars movie within a year of each other was probably the most formative pair of experiences I had in becoming a writer. My almost nine-year-old brain stood no chance.

This was the book that inspired another author, decades later, to write her own science-based science fiction story, which became one of the most popular books I’ve ever read to a class. Because this other book, “When You Reach Me,” referenced “A Wrinkle in Time” so heavily, the students demanded I read it as a follow-up, and I was all too happy to oblige them.

I’m not saying its perfect, but even its imperfections are things I’ve come to love, because they are such important parts of the book. (For example, I never bought Calvin caring so much about displaying proper manners in a moment of crisis that he would have had the presence of mind to yell, “Tesser, sir!”) 

The teaser trailer for “A Wrinkle in Time” went online yesterday. I watched it, hoping to spot the filmmaker’s visualizations of important characters and scenes and settings from the book. 

I was dismayed by the sight of so many palm trees.

Never in my life did I ever think of Mrs. Whatsit looking anything like Reese Witherspoon.

I understand giving big stars screen time, but Mr. Murry, although serving as the catalyst for the entire story, was a minor character at best. Why was Chris Pine featured in half of the trailer?

Is Oprah’s Mrs. Which pep talk speech to Meg happening when she delivers her alone to Camazotz? Because Mrs. Which is supposed to be INTANGIBLE. And don’t get me started on the voice. 

Why was there so much running and screaming? The book was an adventure, but one based more on philosophy and science than action. Was that sandstorm looking thing destroying the forest supposed to be The Black Thing? Because…no. Just, no. The Black Thing was more presence than present. 

Why are the kids bouncing red balls in unison in a cul-de-sac?

Why are Meg and Calvin basically the same height?

What about all those weird planets? Am I just having a hard time reconciling those images with what I’ve seen in my head for the last forty years, or have has the visionary director gone that far off book?

And on top of it all: A spooky cover of a crappy Eurythmics song was the best match you could find for the teaser soundtrack?

Please, please don’t screw this up. It would break my heart to have to skip this, but I’ll do that before I let any multi-million dollar attempt at creative reinvention ruin the book for me.

View the trailer, and cross your fingers