Movie Review: the Indian in the Cupboard

The notion that a plastic figure can come to life is a rather fanciful one. In 1980, English children's author Lynne Reid Banks took that notion all the way to the bank with her highly acclaimed series of books that began with The Indian in the Cupboard, which was followed by four sequels. According to wikipedia.com, this book was reviewed by the New York Times which rated it "The best novel of the year."

So why isn't it remembered as a blockbuster movie for the younger generation?

First, the plot

The movie, PG rated "The Indian in the Cupboard," is set in the United States rather than in England. A REALLY nice family, except maybe for an obnoxious older brother, celebrates the 9^th birthday of Omri, a refreshingly average-looking boy. An older brother presents Omri with a gift of an old kitchen cupboard that he found somewhere, minus a key. Mother has a jar of keys, including a treasured one from her great-grandmother which happens to work in the cupboard lock.

Omri also receives a gift of an antique-appearing plastic Indian from his friend, Patrick. Omri puts the figure into the cupboard, locks the door, and in the morning discovers upon unlocking the door that a tiny live Indian is cowering in the corner.

Therein begins a series of "plastic figures brought to life and then returned to plastic figures again," including the appearance of a tiny cowboy from 1879, Boone, who uses some colorful language, and a miniature British medic (World War I?), Tommy Atkins, who becomes useful a couple of times in tending to wounds for both the Indian and the cowboy. The plot isn't difficult to follow, but is a bit slow at times! Friendships blossom, the topic of life and death is discussed, and Omri has to come to terms with the wisdom of keeping the figures in live (and very tiny) existence, or whether or not that is really using people.

Script, acting and age appropriateness

I think the script could have been developed better to help move the story along in a more interesting fashion. I liked the acting, especially by both the young lead actor who played Omri (Hal Scardino), and by Litefoot, who played Little Bear, the Indian who came to life. The books were written for ages 9 and up, and Omri was played as a nine-year old.

What I found disappointing

The parts of the movie that produced a PG rating were really brief moments. Just the same, I found them to be unnecessary, pointless, and disappointing.

If director Frank Oz, the puppeteer of Sesame Street fame, etc. would have chosen to direct a G rated movie, rather than a PG movie, focusing great detail on providing an avenue of imagination to children through a story written by a famous writer, I doubt if a nine-year-old would have said to his/or her parent after seeing the movie, "I just loved the story, but I sure wish they had used some swear words, and let me see some Indians being massacred on TV, and I really wanted to see a scene on TV with suggestive dancing!"

I say, "How about letting nine-year-olds be kids, Mr. Oz?"

That's why I am giving this movie a 3 out of 5 rating.

I suggest renting before buying. The overall theme of the movie is imaginative, and the PG moments are brief, so I think parents might like to take a look at the movie which is probably at the library or available through a DVD rental venue. I have provided a link to amazon.com for readers who might like to read the comments offered on that site.

For additional articles/reviews by this writer, click here. Movie reviews have been:
Movie Review: O Brother, Where Art Thou?, by R.C. Johnson, published 1/28/10
Movie Review: Witness, by R.C. Johnson, published 1//23/10
Movie Review: The Gods Must Be Crazy, published 1//21/10
Movie Reviews: Flywheel, Facing the Giants and Fireproof, by R.C. Johnson, published 1/09/10

Sources:
lynnereidbanks.com, website, author Lynne Reid Banks
wikipedia.org, website, The Indian in the Cupboard
wikipedia.org, website, Frank Oz (director)
wikipedia.org, website, Hal Scardino (Omri)
wikipedia.org, website, Litefoot (Little Bear, the 1761 Iroquois Indian who came to life)
wikipedia.org, website, David Keith (Boone, the 1879 cowboy who came to life)
wikipedia.org, website, Steve Coogan (British medic Tommy Atkins who came to life)
wikipedia.org, website, Rishi Bhat ((Patrick), an interesting update!
amazon.com, website, showing reviews of this movie