by Frank Calvillo
Shortly before going into the screening of The BFG, I was conversing with a friend about how the summer so far had been incredibly lackluster. There was simply nothing to get excited about when compared to former blockbuster summers that had come before. What had happened to the event movies? Where were the innovative and original concepts? Most importantly, where were the movies that leaped off the screen and filled you with such glee and excitement, reminding you what an ethereal place the movie theater could be during the summertime? Sadly, it seems that those days, as well as the films which populated them, are becoming scarcer and harder to spot with each passing year.
My earliest memory of experiencing a Spielberg film in the movie theater was as a young child seeing 1991’s Hook; the (somewhat) classic Robin Williams/Dustin Hoffman-starrer about a grown-up Peter Pan returning to Neverland. I remember getting lost in the stand-out production design and the sheer manic energy that the film had and loving the feeling it gave me so much, that I rushed back at least 3 more times to see it again in an effort to have that magical sensation wash over me again and again. Time has since passed, and while my sensibilities as a filmgoer have changed over the years when it comes to family films, I’m glad to say that Spielberg’s hasn’t as he proves with his adaptation of The BFG; a lush and dreamy experience that gives off that same one-of-a-kind magic I felt so many years before.
Based on the classic children’s novel by Roald Dahl, The BFG tells the story of a lonely, but feisty, orphan girl named Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) who lives in London. Late one night, when everyone else is asleep, Sophie is summoned from her bed by a strange noise. When she spots a large figure looming in the outside darkness, she scurries back under the covers just as a large hand reaches in and snatches her, taking her far away into the night. The hand belongs to a giant Sophie later dubs the BFG, or “Big Friendly Giant” (Mark Rylance) who lives in Giant country and has spent his life collecting and creating dreams. The two form the most unlikeliest of friendships and join forces in order to stop a dangerous gang of even larger giants, headed by the mean-spirited, yet dimwitted Fleshlumpeater (Jermaine Clement).
Something which I definitely wasn’t expecting going into The BFG was how the film showcased the importance of dreams with regards to their power. Hearing the BFG talk about dreams and their significance with regards to just how much they inspire life in both good and bad ways was incredibly refreshing. Notions such as how dreams, good and bad, can lead to change the course of life for an individual in sometimes the most subtle of ways, while at the same time showing just how unfortunate it is that some people don’t experience dreams at all, took the film into a somewhat philosophical mode while managing to remain entertaining.
One of the most enriching aspects of The BFG was the blossoming of the friendship that develops between Sophie and the BFG. The pair are from two completely different worlds with perspectives on life which are as far apart as can be. And yet together they find a common bond and a relatability within each other that instantly links them. The two are misfits in their respective societies for sure, with most of the individuals in those worlds having written them off a long time ago. To each other however, they aren’t misfits, but rather beautiful souls who give each other strength and courage because they feel such elements truly exist within them. It is this bond the two share and the magic they bring out of one another which truly is the heart of The BFG and proves a testament to the power of friendship.
The blending of Spielberg and Dahl is a move that the movie gods have certainly gotten right in every possible way. There isn’t an ounce of the author’s storytelling prowess which hasn’t been captured here. Dahl made his name on taking the fantastic and happily placing it within the real world, without giving any explanation as to how the world he created worked. The author wrote fairy tales and wrote them like no other; offering up stories about ordinary individuals who find their voice and strength when faced with the most fantastic of situations. The author’s motifs prove such a natural fit for Spielberg, who likewise has spent his career as a filmmaker crafting movies which deal in seeing the world with a sort of wonder that only befalls a handful of people. His bringing to life of Dahl’s novel is not only successful in terms of being a stunning visual experience, but truly works thanks to the fact that Spielberg knows the world the author has created because chances are, he sees it in a very similar way.
A number of great character actors such as Clement, Rebecca Hall, Penelope Wilton, Rafe Spall and Bill Hader do some fine work in supporting roles. But the film belongs squarely to Rylance and Barnhill, who enjoy such a finely-tuned chemistry as the two main characters. Their scenes together are so lovely and such a joy to watch, that it’s almost a shame when a side character has to be introduced and the magic that these two share by themselves has to be interrupted.
And the summer blockbusters whose absence I lamented? Just like the BFG himself, they do indeed still exist.
