Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story (2001) (TV)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Brian Henson

Writers (WGA):

James V. Hart (story) and
Brian Henson (story) ...

Release Date:

2 December 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Adventure | Fantasy

Tagline:

What if the fairy tale were true?

Plot:

The bones of a giant are discovered turing Jack Robinson's life upside down, teaching him the truth behind the fairy tale and how he can fix a greedy ancestor's mistakes.

Plot Keywords:

Giant | Goose | Skeleton | Harp | Fairy Tale

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Matthew Modine	...	Jack Robinson (Johnathan William Duncan Robinson)
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Countess Wilhelmina, Matriarch / Narrator
Mia Sara	...	Ondine
Daryl Hannah	...	Thespee, Member Great Council of Mac Slec
Jon Voight	...	Siggy (Sigfried Mannheim), Overseas Div. Director for Robinson Intl.
Richard Attenborough	...	Magog, Arbiter of Justice Great Council of Mac Slec
Bill Barretta	...	Thunderdell
Honor Blackman	...	Jules, Jack's Secretary
Jim Carter	...	Odin, Member of Great Council of Mac Slec
James Corden	...	Bran, Thunderdell's Son
JJ Feild	...	Young Jack
Jonathan Hyde	...	Dussan, Jack's Butler / Guardian
Anton Lesser	...	Vidas Merlinis, Research Scientist
Julia McKenzie	...	Jack's Mum
Nicholas Beveney	...	Cernos, Member of Great Council of Mac Slec

Runtime:

Germany:174 min (2 parts) | Greece:180 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-7 | Netherlands:AL | Australia:PG | Germany:6 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Bray Film Studios, Windsor, Berkshire, England, UK

Company:

Hallmark Entertainment

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Troldspejlet: (#28.7)" (2002)

Entertaining

Corporate head Jack Robinson is about to discover that fairytales are very real in this revisionist take on `Jack and the Beanstalk'.

The film starts off well, with Jack (Matthew Modine) discovering that life isn't as straightforward as he thought. A nice atmosphere is created as a mysterious woman, Ondine (Mia Sara looking very cute), appears dropping dire hints as to his family's secret. Eventually Jack discovers the truth behind his wealth, and finds out that it is up to him to put things right.

The `real world' segments of this movie tend to work best, as Jack struggles to come to terms with his discovery that fairy tales are true, with the `fantasy land' segments - mainly due to some variable effects - actually detracting from the sense of wonder. While most of the performances are fine (though Modine occasionally seems to be playing Scott Bakula), the guy playing the original Jack is fairly dire.

What really makes the story work is the idea that fairy tales are history dressed up to be palatable to us (and of course not necessarily reliably related history), and the way that we might exploit magic if it were available to us.

Well worth a watch for fantasy/fairy tale fans, or if you liked the superior `The 10th Kingdom'.