Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
Encyclopedia
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is a 2007
film
written and directed by Zach Helm
. The film stars Dustin Hoffman
as the owner of a magical toy store
, and Natalie Portman
as his store employee.
) is an employee at "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium", a magical toy shop
run by the eccentric 243 year old Mr. Edward Magorium (Dustin Hoffman
). Besides Molly and Mr. Magorium, a store bookmaker Bellini (Ted Ludzik), a strongman
. Eric Applebaum (Zach Mills
) is a boy who comes to the toy store and regularly interacts with the adults and volunteers at the store, acting at times like a part time employee.
In response to Molly telling Mr. Magorium that she feels stuck, he gives her the Congreve Cube, a large block of wood, who tells her it will guide her to a new life and adventure if she has faith in it. She is unsure what to do with the cube at first, owing to its dull appearance. What Molly has wanted to do with her life is to become a composer and concert pianist, owing to the fact that she was a musical prodigy as a child. She went to school for music, but has not been able to write any music since graduating. At home, she works on a symphony with little progress.
The toy shop is magical. The toys have a life of their own. An over-sized ledger
, known as the Big Book, can magically materialize any toy on command, and a doorknob, when rotated, can change the interior of a magic room. Mr. Magorium states that he imbued the shop with the same youthful characteristics of the children who visit it. Because of its similarity to children, the shop is also prone to temper tantrums.
Mr. Magorium suddenly announces he intends to "leave" and is giving the shop to Molly to provide her with the means to move forward and become "unstuck" in life. When Mahoney expresses her upset and doubts about her ability to run the store, the store throws a tantrum
, causing all the toys and its inner workings to go haywire, ambushing customers of all ages. In preparation for his departure, Mr. Magorium hires an accountant
Henry Weston (Jason Bateman
), to organize the shop's paperwork and determine the monetary value of the store he will leave as a legacy to Mahoney. Henry does not believe that the toy store is magical at all at first, arguing with Molly over its magical properties and debating the actuality of Magorium's records.
Molly finally realizes that Mr. Magorium's leaving is not retirement but that he is going to die. Desperate to stop this, Molly rushes him to the hospital where after a little mischief, he is discharged the next day because there is "nothing physically wrong with him."
After leaving the hospital, Mr. Magorium asks Molly how she is doing with the Congreve Cube. She states there are a million things she could do with a block of wood but she doesn't have a clue how to unlock the cube's secret. Mr. Magorium then tells her that there are a million things one could do with a block of wood, but what if someone just believed in the cube? Molly does not understand but attempts to prevent Mr. Magorium's departure by showing him the joys of life, but he has lived a full life and it is time for his story to end. He uses the stage notes of Shakespeare's King Lear
to make the point about a the importance of having a full life, and the importance of death, noting that the last lines of one of the most important pieces of literature are simply "He dies."
Believing herself to be unworthy and incapable of owning a magical store, Molly puts it up for sale with Henry's firm overseeing the sale. The store grieves and loses its magic. All the toys, walls, and even the furniture lose their color, becoming varying shades of gray and black. Eric tries to reason with Molly over her decision to sell the store when he sees her at a restaurant playing background music.
Henry meets Molly at the store to draw up the sale papers, where he sees the Congreve Cube and asks her about it. When Molly confesses her complete faith in the store and the Congreve Cube's magical ability, the block suddenly springs to life, and proceeds to fly around the store. After witnessing this, Henry faints with shock. When he later awakes and questions Molly about it, she tells him that it must have been a dream as she went home the previous night, leaving him to finalize the paperwork for the sale.
Henry is not deterred as he knows Molly made the cube fly and though she does not believe she can do magical and wonderful things, he believes in her. Henry realizes Molly is the Congreve Cube. The block of wood that can be anything she desires if she can somehow believe in herself. Henry's whole hearted belief in Molly ignites a tiny spark in her and for a second she believes. The store responds to her spark of belief and continues to respond as her confidence builds until the entire store magnificently transforms. The magic and color return as Molly's symphony comes into existence.
Steve Whitmire
performs Kermit the Frog
who makes a cameo in the opening scene. The stuffed animals that come to life in this movie are performed by Trish Leeper, Gord Robertson, and Bob Stutt
.
.
The movie was produced by FilmColony's Richard N. Gladstein
and Gang of Two's James Garavente and financed by Walden Media
.
According to an interview with Zach Helm
on Regis and Kelly, the name of the shop’s proprietor was derived from Zach's cousin, New Jersey
native Allen Magory. The phraseology "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" was commonly employed as a jest between Helm and Magory as kids, long before the writing of any screenplay.
A cameo “just shopping” in the emporium marked the first major theatrical appearance of Kermit the Frog
since 1999's Muppets from Space
.
children's charity and other UK-based charities. The film was released in the United States
and Canada
on November 16, 2007 and grossed $9.6 million in 3,164 theaters its opening weekend, ranking #5 at the box office. It went on to gross $32.1 million in the U.S. and a further $35.4 million in the rest of the world which gives the film a total of box office return of $67.5 million.
, 36% of critics gave the film positive reviews based on 119 reviews, with the consensus among negative critics that "colorful visuals and talented players can't make up for a bland story." On Metacritic
, the film had an average score of 48 out of 100, based on 26 reviews. Peter Travers
(of Rolling Stone
) declared the film the year's Worst Family Film on his list of the Worst Movies of 2007. However, in recognition of the fact that it was "aimed directly at very young children", William Arnold of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
observed its "unforced and exceedingly gentle humor, its imaginative but never-quite-excessive production design and its ingratiating and surprisingly detailed performances -- especially by Portman and Bateman -- gradually break down one's cynical defenses".
Despite the negative reception, the movie has won two awards: one is the Heartland Film Festival
Truly Moving Pictures award and the Dove Foundation
seal of approval. Dove also stated that the movie was "a delightful family film". Also, Shawn Edwards of Fox
replied it was "the most magical movie of the year".
and Blu-ray Disc
on March 4, 2008.
2007 in film
This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
written and directed by Zach Helm
Zach Helm
Zachariah "Zach" Helm is an American writer and film director. He is an alumnus of DePaul University.As a playwright Helm has had two plays produced; Last Chance for a Slow Dance and Good Canary, the latter having its 2007 world premiere in Paris under the direction of John Malkovich...
. The film stars Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
as the owner of a magical toy store
Toy store
A toy store or toy shop is a retail business specializing in selling toys. No longer held to the limitations of a physical outlet, many toy shops now do business over the Internet. Many department stores have toy sections.-External links:...
, and Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman
Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...
as his store employee.
Plot
Molly Mahoney (Natalie PortmanNatalie Portman
Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...
) is an employee at "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium", a magical toy shop
Toy Shop
Toy Shop is a simulation/role-playing video game developed by Seed Studios and published by Majesco Entertainment for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It is often compared to the Harvest Moon series but with a Toy Shop theme....
run by the eccentric 243 year old Mr. Edward Magorium (Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
). Besides Molly and Mr. Magorium, a store bookmaker Bellini (Ted Ludzik), a strongman
Strongman (strength athlete)
In the 19th century, the term strongman referred to an exhibitor of strength or circus performers of similar ilk who displayed feats of strength such as the bent press , supporting large amounts of...
. Eric Applebaum (Zach Mills
Zach Mills
Zachary "Zach" Mills is an American teen actor.-Personal life:Zach was born in Lakewood, Ohio, to Kerry and Patrick. His father is from Cleveland, Zach's mother is from New York, which is where Zach performed his first professional acting job at the age of 7. Zach has two older half brothers who...
) is a boy who comes to the toy store and regularly interacts with the adults and volunteers at the store, acting at times like a part time employee.
In response to Molly telling Mr. Magorium that she feels stuck, he gives her the Congreve Cube, a large block of wood, who tells her it will guide her to a new life and adventure if she has faith in it. She is unsure what to do with the cube at first, owing to its dull appearance. What Molly has wanted to do with her life is to become a composer and concert pianist, owing to the fact that she was a musical prodigy as a child. She went to school for music, but has not been able to write any music since graduating. At home, she works on a symphony with little progress.
The toy shop is magical. The toys have a life of their own. An over-sized ledger
Ledger
A ledger is the principal book or computer file for recording and totaling monetary transactions by account, with debits and credits in separate columns and a beginning balance and ending balance for each account. The ledger is a permanent summary of all amounts entered in supporting journals which...
, known as the Big Book, can magically materialize any toy on command, and a doorknob, when rotated, can change the interior of a magic room. Mr. Magorium states that he imbued the shop with the same youthful characteristics of the children who visit it. Because of its similarity to children, the shop is also prone to temper tantrums.
Mr. Magorium suddenly announces he intends to "leave" and is giving the shop to Molly to provide her with the means to move forward and become "unstuck" in life. When Mahoney expresses her upset and doubts about her ability to run the store, the store throws a tantrum
Tantrum
A tantrum is an emotional outburst, usually associated with children or those in emotional distress, that is typically characterized by stubbornness, crying, screaming, yelling, shrieking, defiance, angry ranting, a resistance to attempts at pacification and, in some cases, violence...
, causing all the toys and its inner workings to go haywire, ambushing customers of all ages. In preparation for his departure, Mr. Magorium hires an accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
Henry Weston (Jason Bateman
Jason Bateman
Jason Kent Bateman is an American television and film actor. After appearing in several 1980s and 1990s sitcoms including It's Your Move, and The Hogan Family, Bateman came to prominence in the early 2000s for playing Michael Bluth on Arrested Development, for which he won a TV Land, a Golden...
), to organize the shop's paperwork and determine the monetary value of the store he will leave as a legacy to Mahoney. Henry does not believe that the toy store is magical at all at first, arguing with Molly over its magical properties and debating the actuality of Magorium's records.
Molly finally realizes that Mr. Magorium's leaving is not retirement but that he is going to die. Desperate to stop this, Molly rushes him to the hospital where after a little mischief, he is discharged the next day because there is "nothing physically wrong with him."
After leaving the hospital, Mr. Magorium asks Molly how she is doing with the Congreve Cube. She states there are a million things she could do with a block of wood but she doesn't have a clue how to unlock the cube's secret. Mr. Magorium then tells her that there are a million things one could do with a block of wood, but what if someone just believed in the cube? Molly does not understand but attempts to prevent Mr. Magorium's departure by showing him the joys of life, but he has lived a full life and it is time for his story to end. He uses the stage notes of Shakespeare's King Lear
King Lear
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
to make the point about a the importance of having a full life, and the importance of death, noting that the last lines of one of the most important pieces of literature are simply "He dies."
Believing herself to be unworthy and incapable of owning a magical store, Molly puts it up for sale with Henry's firm overseeing the sale. The store grieves and loses its magic. All the toys, walls, and even the furniture lose their color, becoming varying shades of gray and black. Eric tries to reason with Molly over her decision to sell the store when he sees her at a restaurant playing background music.
Henry meets Molly at the store to draw up the sale papers, where he sees the Congreve Cube and asks her about it. When Molly confesses her complete faith in the store and the Congreve Cube's magical ability, the block suddenly springs to life, and proceeds to fly around the store. After witnessing this, Henry faints with shock. When he later awakes and questions Molly about it, she tells him that it must have been a dream as she went home the previous night, leaving him to finalize the paperwork for the sale.
Henry is not deterred as he knows Molly made the cube fly and though she does not believe she can do magical and wonderful things, he believes in her. Henry realizes Molly is the Congreve Cube. The block of wood that can be anything she desires if she can somehow believe in herself. Henry's whole hearted belief in Molly ignites a tiny spark in her and for a second she believes. The store responds to her spark of belief and continues to respond as her confidence builds until the entire store magnificently transforms. The magic and color return as Molly's symphony comes into existence.
Cast
- Dustin HoffmanDustin HoffmanDustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
as Mr. Edward Magorium, a toy impresario, a wonder aficionado, and an avid shoe wearer. He is loved by all, and has lived for over two centuries. He owns a pet zebraZebraZebras are several species of African equids united by their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds...
named Mortimer. - Natalie PortmanNatalie PortmanNatalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...
as Molly Mahoney, the Store Manager, and former child piano prodigy, who feels "stuck" in life and struggles with self-doubt. - Jason BatemanJason BatemanJason Kent Bateman is an American television and film actor. After appearing in several 1980s and 1990s sitcoms including It's Your Move, and The Hogan Family, Bateman came to prominence in the early 2000s for playing Michael Bluth on Arrested Development, for which he won a TV Land, a Golden...
as Henry Weston (aka "Mutant"), the straight-laced, rigid Accountant hired to get Mr. Magorium's paperwork and will in order. He does not believe in the shop's magic—until the end of the film. - Zach MillsZach MillsZachary "Zach" Mills is an American teen actor.-Personal life:Zach was born in Lakewood, Ohio, to Kerry and Patrick. His father is from Cleveland, Zach's mother is from New York, which is where Zach performed his first professional acting job at the age of 7. Zach has two older half brothers who...
as Eric Applebaum, a 9 year old Hat Collector who has trouble making friends. He also narrates the beginning, the end, and introduces the chapters. - Ted Ludzik as Bellini, the Bookbuilder who was born in the shop's basement. He also writes Mr. Magorium's biography. He looks like a circus strong-man with a big moustache that curls round at the end, he also has tattoos all down his arms.
Steve Whitmire
Steve Whitmire
Steven Whitmire is an American puppeteer who works for The Jim Henson Company, Sesame Workshop and Disney's The Muppets Studio. He has been the performer of two signature Muppets - Kermit the Frog and Sesame Street's Ernie - since the death of their creator and original performer, Jim Henson, in...
performs Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over...
who makes a cameo in the opening scene. The stuffed animals that come to life in this movie are performed by Trish Leeper, Gord Robertson, and Bob Stutt
Bob Stutt
Bob Stutt is a Canadian puppeteer/writer, who has starred in various children's television programs throughout his career.He has appeared in the following television series:* Canadian Sesame Street – Basil...
.
Production
Filming started in late March 2006 and continued to June 6, 2006 in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
The movie was produced by FilmColony's Richard N. Gladstein
Richard N. Gladstein
Richard N. Gladstein is a film producer based in Los Angeles. His production company is FilmColony. His films include Finding Neverland, The Bourne Identity, Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Hurlyburly, and The Cider House Rules. His two Academy Award nominations came from Finding Neverland and The...
and Gang of Two's James Garavente and financed by Walden Media
Walden Media
Walden Media is a children's film production and publishing company best known as the producers of The Chronicles of Narnia series. Its films are based on notable classic or award-winning children's literature, compelling biographies or historical events, documentaries and some original...
.
According to an interview with Zach Helm
Zach Helm
Zachariah "Zach" Helm is an American writer and film director. He is an alumnus of DePaul University.As a playwright Helm has had two plays produced; Last Chance for a Slow Dance and Good Canary, the latter having its 2007 world premiere in Paris under the direction of John Malkovich...
on Regis and Kelly, the name of the shop’s proprietor was derived from Zach's cousin, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
native Allen Magory. The phraseology "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" was commonly employed as a jest between Helm and Magory as kids, long before the writing of any screenplay.
A cameo “just shopping” in the emporium marked the first major theatrical appearance of Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over...
since 1999's Muppets from Space
Muppets from Space
Muppets from Space is a 1999 science fiction comedy film and the sixth feature film to star The Muppets, and the first since the death of Muppets creator Jim Henson to have an original Muppet-focused plot. The film was directed by Tim Hill, produced by Jim Henson Pictures, and released to theaters...
.
Premiere and box office
The premiere of Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium, attended by Natalie Portman and Dustin Hoffman, also doubled as a fundraising event with tickets having been made available to the public. Funds raised at the event were donated to the Barnardo'sBarnardo's
Barnardo's is a British charity founded by Thomas John Barnardo in 1866, to care for vulnerable children and young people. As of 2010, it spends over £190 million each year on more than 400 local services aimed at helping these same groups...
children's charity and other UK-based charities. The film was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on November 16, 2007 and grossed $9.6 million in 3,164 theaters its opening weekend, ranking #5 at the box office. It went on to gross $32.1 million in the U.S. and a further $35.4 million in the rest of the world which gives the film a total of box office return of $67.5 million.
Critical reception
The film received negative to mixed reviews from critics. As of July 12, 2008 on the review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, 36% of critics gave the film positive reviews based on 119 reviews, with the consensus among negative critics that "colorful visuals and talented players can't make up for a bland story." On Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, the film had an average score of 48 out of 100, based on 26 reviews. Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Peter Travers is an American film critic, who has written for, in turn, People and Rolling Stone. Travers also hosts a celebrity interview show called Popcorn on ABC News Now and ABCNews.com.-Career:...
(of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
) declared the film the year's Worst Family Film on his list of the Worst Movies of 2007. However, in recognition of the fact that it was "aimed directly at very young children", William Arnold of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
observed its "unforced and exceedingly gentle humor, its imaginative but never-quite-excessive production design and its ingratiating and surprisingly detailed performances -- especially by Portman and Bateman -- gradually break down one's cynical defenses".
Despite the negative reception, the movie has won two awards: one is the Heartland Film Festival
Heartland Film Festival
The Heartland Film Festival is a film festival held each October in Indianapolis, Indiana. First held in 1992, its goal is to "recognize and honor filmmakers whose work explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life."In May 2007, Heartland...
Truly Moving Pictures award and the Dove Foundation
Dove Foundation
rightThe Dove Foundation is a registered United States tax deductible non-profit organization based in Grand Rapids, Michigan known among other programs for its activities of rating, reviewing and endorsing films and for campaigning against the portrayal of sexual activity and violence in Hollywood...
seal of approval. Dove also stated that the movie was "a delightful family film". Also, Shawn Edwards of Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
replied it was "the most magical movie of the year".
Home media
The film was released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
on March 4, 2008.
External links
- Official site (no longer available)