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Disney's Wardrobe
09 March 2005Kate Hawley: The aptly named Motive Marketing made sure Christians came out in droves to see The Passion of the Christ. Now, according to The New York Times, Disney has hired the California-based P.R. firm to work similar magic for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the film adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s classic children’s book, out in December 2005. The London Daily Telegraph frets the film will be The Passion of the Christ for kids. Which begs a leap into the land of political cliche: after a divisive red state/blue state election, what color will the film adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe be? Lewis’s book defies easy categorization. It’s both a deeply religious allegory and an imaginative work of literature. And it’s English. But Disney is good at bridging divides to reach broad audiences, by taking stories rich in cultural significance and serving them as lukewarm oatmeal. So maybe the answer is: beige. To be fair, the movie’s not out yet. Maybe Andrew Adamson, the director of the Shreks, will bring us something artful that believers of all shades can enjoy. And look at the casting, which features two great actors: gender illusionist Tilda Swinton as the White Witch, and Brian Cox, the sympathetic pedophile from L.I.E., as the voice of Aslan. Perfect for the secular humanist child in all of us.
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