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Ed. Note: Today’s Ypulse Youth Advisory Board review comes from Meg Reid who just saw the tween-targeted film “Ramona and Beezus.” As one of many readers who grew up on Beverly Clearly and the Ramona books since the series first debuted in 1955 (talk about intergenerational potential!), Meg weighs in on how the movie measured up.

Remember, to contact our Youth Advisory Board directly, just email them at youthadvisoryboard at ypulse.com…. or leave a comment below.

YAB Review: ‘Ramona and Beezus’

What was the biggest draw for you to see this movie?

I’m always excited to see movie versions of books I like (See my reviews for “Eclipse” and “The Princess and the Frog”), but Beverly Cleary’s works are such classics that I had serious doubts about this adaptation. The Ramona series is not only iconic; it actually informed a lot of my schemes in elementary school (requesting hard-boiled eggs for lunch and breaking them on my head, making tin-can stilts, telling people that my sister’s pajamas were a sheep costume…). In fact, I was so skeptical that I wasn’t planning on seeing “Ramona and Beezus” in theaters at all, until a friend invited me to a press screening.

What were your expectations based on the movie’s marketing?

I wasn’t pleased by the marketing for this movie, which seemed to focus more on Beezus (Disney star Selena Gomez), than newcomer Joey King, who plays Ramona. Though I don’t really mind Selena herself, the casting seemed like a ploy to attract teen interest to a movie that focuses on elementary-schoolers. Plus, trailers for the movie didn’t align with any scenes I recognized from the books. Instead, they showed sweet, heartwarming dialogue between the sisters—the mischievousness and fun of the series (in which Beezus and Ramona have a pretty fraught love/hate relationship) wasn’t as present as I’d hoped.

What did you walk out of the theater thinking?

I walked into the theater petrified that the books would be ruined with unnecessary plot updates and pop-culture references, and walked out a complete supporter. I think the filmmakers captured the sweetness, whimsy and timelessness of the Beverly Cleary stories in a really lovely way. Like in the novels, there’s no huge plot climax or major plot twists: I was unsure how that would translate to the big screen, but it definitely didn’t feel slow. Joey King was a great casting choice (genuinely funny, likeable, not too precocious), and her “grown-up” support, including John Corbett, Ginnifer Goodwin, Bridget Moynahan, Josh Duhamel and Sandra Oh, were good picks to draw in older viewers.

I’ve been recommending this movie to most of my friends. But I’m realistic. It’s rated G. It’s about a nine-year-old. It’s not “Inception.” So, aside from the nostalgia factor, I doubt teens and twenty-something’s will be turning in droves to see “Ramona and Beezus.” Still, especially compared to a lot of other insipid kid-movie fare, I think they could do worse.

About Megan

Megan began writing fashion articles for her local newspaper at age 15, and her work has since appeared in publications like Boston magazine, Mountain Living and CosmoGirl. A former art history and theater student, Meg loves traveling, writing postcards, YA lit, learning to bake, and planning adventures. When she isn’t studying, she’s probably dragging someone along on a late-night ice cream/Starbucks run. Meg has lived in four countries and six states, and is completing her M.A. in English at the Ohio State University. This is her second year as a Youth Advisory Board member.

For more coverage of YA books and publishing, check out the Ypulse Books & Print Channel sponsored by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, publishers of ghostgirl: Lovesick.

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Categorized under: Books & Print, Page To Screen, Youth Advisory Board

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