<\/strong><\/p>\n Directed By: Elizabeth Allen<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n Starring: Joey King, Selena Gomez, John Corbett, Bridget Moynahan, Ginnifer Goodwin, Josh Duhamel, Jason Spevack, Sandra Oh<\/strong><\/p>\n \n People of all ages talk about Beverly Cleary’s Beezus and Ramona<\/em> books fondly, but that still doesn’t classify the series as one for all ages. The stories are for children, and adults just remember them tenderly and enjoy sharing them with their kids; that doesn’t mean the book-to-film adaptation needs to directly appeal to older crowds as well. If only the filmmakers would have ditched such a deliberate attempt at making Ramona and Beezus<\/em> adult-friendly, perhaps the film would have been as successful as the source material.<\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n Ramona and Beezus<\/em> is a mash up of Cleary\u2019s beloved books about a little girl and her big sister. The series begins with the character at age four, but the film stars Joey King as a 9-year-old Ramona Quimby with her sister Beezus (Selena Gomez) a teen in high school. They love each other, but Beezus often admits sometimes she just can\u2019t stand her troublemaker of a little sister. Most kids Ramona\u2019s age create their fair share of problems, but Ramona\u2019s wild imagination gets way out of hand a little too often.<\/p>\n \n At the center of the story are the Quimby family\u2019s financial woes. Ramona and Beezus\u2019 father (John Corbett) loses his job and their mother (Bridget Moynahan) is forced to return to work all while taking care of the two of them as well as their infant sister Roberta. In fear of losing her home, Ramona swoops into action to try to solve the problem. Unfortunately, her good intentions don\u2019t quite cut it and she ends up leaving a path of destruction in her wake.<\/p>\n \n Ramona and Beezus<\/em> is a must-see for any young girl with a sibling. Fans of the book will be pleased to see that the heart of Cleary\u2019s work is well preserved in Ramona and Beezus\u2019 relationship. Regardless of age, anyone can relate to Beezus\u2019 frustrations with her rambunctious little sis or even Ramona\u2019s disappointment in seeing her plans backfire. Plus, Gomez and King are absolute naturals in their roles. It\u2019s quite evident that a strong bond exists even beyond the camera, which only makes them more successful in front of it. However, this is ultimately King\u2019s show and she runs away with it. Having only appeared in Quarantine<\/em> and a handful of TV shows, Romana and Beezus<\/em> is the film that\u2019ll solidify King as a solid young actress worthy of more prominent work.<\/p>\n \n If only writers Laurie Craig and Nick Pustay would have left it at that. Cleary\u2019s books are about the relationship between two sisters. Of course they have parents and other elders, but it\u2019s the girls that are always at the focal point. Sadly that\u2019s not the case here and that\u2019s the film\u2019s one flaw and a pretty major one at that. The effort to make Ramona and Beezus<\/em> appeal to kids and adults alike is far too deliberate, so much so that it\u2019s a turnoff for both demographics.<\/p>\n \n The inclusion of the family\u2019s cash flow problem is a fine plot point, but the real trouble comes in the form of a relationship between the girls\u2019 Aunt Bea (Ginnifer Goodwin) and an old flame who\u2019s back in town, Hobart (Josh Duhamel). What should have been kept in the background constantly takes the attention away from the best parts of the film, Ramona and Beezus. Not only will younger audience members be distracted by these moments, but so will those who these scenes are meant for, the parents. Goodwin and Duhamel deliver fine work, but their scenes are noticeably out of place. As for Moynahan and Corbet, the two put on polar opposite performances. Moynahan\u2019s character is entirely two-dimensional and she seems to know it. Even after returning to work she\u2019s still just the standard housewife and doesn\u2019t enhance the film in the slightest. Corbet, on the other hand, looks as though he\u2019s enjoying his work and perhaps that\u2019s because his character comes with much more to work with. Unlike mom, dad actually has a personality and a relationship with his kids.<\/p>\n \n There was just no way of making this overwhelmingly inappropriate portion of the script work, but director Elizabeth Allen certainly proves her ability behind the lens elsewhere. With the help of King\u2019s fantastic comedic timing, Allen delivers a hefty handful of incredibly amusing moments, the funniest of which involves a major cooking mishap. Allen also seamlessly infuses a series of animated dream segments that are both visually stimulating and a fun way of portraying Ramona\u2019s endless imagination.<\/p>\n \n
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