Review: Tuck Everlasting (DVD)
Tonight we watched Tuck Everlasting. Released in 2003 and starring Alexis Bledel, Jonathan Jackson, Sissy Spacek, William Hurt, Scott Bairstow and directed by Jay Russell. It’s based on the book of the same name by Natalie Babbitt. It’s been years since I read the book but it seemed to me to follow the basic story line.
Years ago when I read the book, I didn’t understand why Winnie chose to not drink — to get old and die. Now, I think I do understand to a degree. But I still think I would have wanted that time — an eternity. To not grow old. To not be sick or ill. To have all the time in the world. Most people think they’d like that — to live forever — but then most people are bored out of their minds if they have to sit for ten minutes with nothing to do.
I’ve always been fascinated by vampires. Not because they are strong and sexy and whatever else is attributed to them but because they live forever if they don’t get staked. All that time to learn, to see new things, to experience the wonder of a changing world. But they have that drawback of drinking blood — ewwww — I don’t think so…
On the other hand, the Tucks drink water. So, all the benefits and none of the drawbacks except the one big one. You can’t let people know you live forever or they’ll all want longer life. And the big one — the people you love will grow old and die. If you marry you’ll want your spouse to live forever, and then your children, and then their spouses and children and soon there’s a world of people who live forever. So, you live secretly and alone.
Still there’s the unlimited time to learn and learn, to read, to study, to explore. It is seductive. Yet, Winnie chose to live her life fully and to greet each day with joy and move along on the wheel of life. Courage. She made her choice at 15 and yet could have changed her mind at any time and didn’t.
Babbitt’s book asked some hard questions and posed some possibilities, and the movie and the book leave the reader/viewer to continue to think about life, time, and eternity. I believe this film was extremely well done. And, I further believe that some of the best writing, asking the big questions without giving answers, is in the young adult field.
If you haven’t seen the film, check it out. Even better than the film is the book.