Alice (miniseries)

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Alice
Alice 2009 Intertitle.png
Title Card
Genre Miniseries
Science fiction
Fantasy
Romance
Created by Nick Willing
Written by Nick Willing
Directed by Nick Willing
Starring Caterina Scorsone
Kathy Bates
Andrew-Lee Potts
Matt Frewer
Harry Dean Stanton
Colm Meaney
Tim Curry
Philip Winchester
Theme music composer Ben Mink
Country of originCanada
United States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes2
Production
Producer Michael O'Connor
Editors Allan Lee
Peter Forslund
Running time180 minutes
Production companies Reunion Pictures
Alice Productions
Studio Eight Productions
RHI Entertainment
Original release
Network Showcase
ReleaseDecember 6 (2009-12-06) –
December 7, 2009 (2009-12-07)

Alice is a 2009 television miniseries that was originally broadcast on Canadian cable television channel Showcase and an hour later on American cable television channel Syfy. [1] [2] The miniseries is a reimagining of the classic Lewis Carroll novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871), taking place about 150 years later with science fiction and additional fantasy elements added. [3] [4] The miniseries, produced by Reunion Pictures is three hours long, split into two parts, which premiered on Sunday, December 6, 2009, and Monday, December 7, 2009, respectively. [5] Writer and director Nick Willing previously directed a 1999 adaptation of the books that followed the story more closely; however, Alice is intended to be a modern interpretation, imagining how Wonderland might have evolved over the last 143 years. [6] [7] The mini-series was partially shot in the Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. [8]

Contents

Plot

Alice Hamilton is a judo sensei living with her mother Carol. Her father disappeared when she was ten, and she has spent much of her life looking for him. She invites her new boyfriend Jack Chase to dinner, but is shocked when he gives her a valuable-looking ring as a gift. Jack abruptly leaves, Alice following only to witness Jack being abducted by several men. A man (the White Rabbit) appears and finds out that Alice is in possession of the ring because he hears the click of the mechanical box that contains the ring opening behind her back. He manages to take the box from her, thinking the ring is still in it, but Alice had already quickly taken it out and resealed the box. The White Rabbit runs away and Alice chases him to find out where they had taken Jack, but falls through a giant looking glass and lands in Wonderland, which has evolved over the past 150 years. Mary Heart, the Queen of Hearts rules over Wonderland from the Happy Hearts Casino, where people from Alice's world ("Oysters") are taken to, sedated and play games in the casino, their positive emotions drained from them and turned into drug-like substances for the people of Wonderland to digest, keeping them under the Queen's control.

Alice escapes her own capture, with the ring still in her possession. Identified as an "Oyster" by the tattoo she gains, Alice is taken to Hatter, a member of the resistance seeking to free the Oysters from the Queen's control. Hatter takes Alice to ask Dodo to help save Jack, but Dodo refuses, until the Hatter reveals the ring Alice wears, which Dodo recognizes as the Stone of Wonderland, able to open the Looking Glass back to the human world. Alice flees when Dodo tries to kill her, Hatter accompanying her to the forest where they escape a jabberwock and meet Charlie, a surviving White Knight, who fled a battle years ago where Wonderland's knights were wiped out by the Queen. The Queen has the White Rabbit executed, and has the Walrus and Carpenter revive Mad March, her favorite assassin to track Alice.

Alice deliberately allows Mad March to capture her, so she can negotiate with the Queen to free Jack in return for the ring, which Alice has hidden. Jack appears, revealed as the Queen's son and to already be engaged to the Duchess. However, Jack passes Alice her father's watch, implying he is alive and in Wonderland. Alice is put in the Truth Room, where Tweedledum and Tweedledee interrogate her to learn the ring's location, but she is freed by Hatter and Charlie, the trio escaping back to the forests, whilst Jack also escapes. In hopes of aiding the resistance and returning Alice home, Hatter uses his connections to find someone who can bring them to Caterpillar, leader of the resistance, using the ring as leverage. To their surprise, the agent who arrives is Jack, revealing him as an agent of the resistance who had originally stolen the ring as part of a ploy to initiate a coup to overthrow the queen. Trusting him, Alice retrieves the ring, and accompanies Jack to meet Caterpillar, who reveals that Alice's father is Carpenter, but he has no memory of her. As the Carpenter has been crucial in process for extracting emotions for the Queen, Jack had deliberately approached Alice in hopes that she could help the Carpenter break away from the Queen's control. Just as the Carpenter shows signs of regaining memories, Mad March and his minions arrive, capturing Alice and Jack whilst Caterpillar escapes.

Reunited with her ring, the Queen decides to send Alice home and execute Jack. Hatter stages a rescue with Charlie but is captured by Mad March after Charlie loses his courage and flees. Charlie, after feeling guilty for deserting Hatter, uses the skeletons of the extinct White Knights as a distraction to trick the Hearts into believing they are under attack. After being tortured by Dr. Dum and Dee, Hatter kills Mad March and escapes. Alice escapes again, joining up with the Hatter to snap the Oysters out of their sedations and rally them to escape. Carpenter appears, having regained his memories, but is killed by Walrus. The Oysters' unpleasant emotions run high, causing the casino to start collapsing. Alice, Hatter, Jack, the Duchess and the Queen escape but Winston, the loyal King of Hearts willingly perishes knowing his wife never loved him. With her followers no longer listening to or fearing her, the powerless Queen surrenders the Stone of Wonderland to Alice. Alice returns home, learning her experience may have been a dream when she awakens in hospital to find she had been found unconscious an hour after chasing Jack. However, the next day she discovers the "construction worker" who found her was Hatter. The two share a passionate kiss in front of a looking glass, as Carol stares in shock.

Cast

Reception

Paige Wiser of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the show three of five stars, saying that it was "charming, but not perfect." [9] Randee Dawn from The Hollywood Reporter also gave the program a mediocre review, [10] and Nancy deWolf Smith of The Wall Street Journal said that "despite...diversions and whiz-bang special effects, [Alice] drags at times." [11]

Mark A. Perigard of the Boston Herald called Alice "fresh and original," lauding the acting and story. [12] TV.com also praised the show, calling it "a champion of production that fuses modern invention and nostalgic resourcefulness", [13] and David Hinckley of New York Daily News called it "just plain wonderful," saying that it was "a vehicle to engage the imagination while it amuses and entertains." [14]

Steven James Snyder of Techland.com said: "There's no denying that Alice has put it all on the line. And even when it comes to those who may not think that the whole thing gels perfectly, Alice's unhinged creativity is bound to at least earn their respect." [15] Rick Bentley at The Fresno Bee said: "The result will have you smiling like a Cheshire Cat. Willing creates a world that's Minority Report meets Austin Powers. The real fun is seeing how cleverly Willing has updated the familiar story to make it different from past TV and film versions." [16]

However, Tom Shales from The Washington Post'' gave the program a very negative review, saying that Tin Man was far superior, [17] while IGN said that Alice was "long-winded, uninspiring, and...hardly [did] the original material justice." [18] Robert Bianco from USA Today gave the show an indifferent review, calling it superior to Tin Man but saying the plot was "superimposed...with its shifting motives and dreary lectures," ultimately giving it two and a half stars out of four. [19]

Blu-ray and DVD

Alice was released on DVD and Blu-ray on March 2, 2010. [20]

Related Research Articles

<i>Alices Adventures in Wonderland</i> 1865 childrens novel by Lewis Carroll

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 English children's novel by Lewis Carroll, a mathematics don at the University of Oxford. It details the story of a girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatures. It is seen as an example of the literary nonsense genre. The artist John Tenniel provided 42 wood-engraved illustrations for the book.

<i>Alice in Wonderland</i> (1933 film) 1933 film

Alice in Wonderland is a 1933 American pre-Code fantasy film adapted from the novels by Lewis Carroll. The film was produced by Paramount Pictures, featuring an all-star cast. It is all live action, except for the Walrus and The Carpenter sequence, which was animated by Harman-Ising Studio. The film was seen by Walt Disney, and inspired him create his company's 1951 animated adaptation.

Hatter (<i>Alices Adventures in Wonderland</i>) Fictional character in Alices Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

The Hatter is a fictional character in Lewis Carroll's 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its 1871 sequel Through the Looking-Glass. He is very often referred to as the Mad Hatter, though this term was never used by Carroll. The phrase "mad as a hatter" pre-dates Carroll's works. The Hatter and the March Hare are referred to as "both mad" by the Cheshire Cat, in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in the sixth chapter titled "Pig and Pepper".

<i>Alice in Wonderland</i> (1985 film) 1985 two-part film directed by Harry Harris

Alice in Wonderland is a 1985 American two-part made-for-television adventure family fantasy musical film of Lewis Carroll's books Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871). An Irwin Allen production, it used a huge all-star cast of notable actors and actresses. The title role was played by Natalie Gregory, who wore a blonde wig for this miniseries. Alice in Wonderland was first telecast December 9, 1985, and December 10, 1985, at 8:00pm EST on CBS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">March Hare</span> Fictional character from Alices Adventures in Wonderland

The March Hare is a character most famous for appearing in the tea party scene in Lewis Carroll's 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Rabbit</span> Fictional character in Alices Adventures in Wonderland

The White Rabbit is a fictional and anthropomorphic character in Lewis Carroll's 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. He appears at the very beginning of the book, in chapter one, wearing a waistcoat, and muttering "Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!" Alice follows him down the rabbit hole into Wonderland. Alice encounters him again when he mistakes her for his housemaid Mary Ann and she becomes trapped in his house after growing too large. The Rabbit shows up again in the last few chapters, as a herald-like servant of the King and Queen of Hearts.

<i>Alice in Wonderland</i> (1951 film) Animated film by Walt Disney

Alice in Wonderland is a 1951 American animated musical fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. It is based on Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its 1871 sequel Through the Looking-Glass. The production was supervised by Ben Sharpsteen, and was directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske. With the voices of Ed Wynn, Richard Haydn, Sterling Holloway, Jerry Colonna and Kathryn Beaumont in her film debut, the film follows a young girl, Alice, who falls down a rabbit hole and enters a nonsensical world, Wonderland, which is ruled by the Queen of Hearts, while encountering strange creatures, including the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat.

<i>Alice in Wonderland</i> (1999 film) 1999 television film by Nick Willing

Alice in Wonderland is a 1999 made-for-television film adaptation of Lewis Carroll's books Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871). It was first broadcast on NBC and then shown on British television on Channel 4.

Works based on <i>Alice in Wonderland</i>

Lewis Carroll's books Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871) have been highly popular in their original forms, and have served as the basis for many subsequent works since they were published. They have been adapted directly into other media, their characters and situations have been appropriated into other works, and these elements have been referenced innumerable times as familiar elements of shared culture. Simple references to the two books are too numerous to list; this list of works based on Alice in Wonderland focuses on works based specifically and substantially on Carroll's two books about the character of Alice.

<i>The Looking Glass Wars</i> 2004 novel by Frank Beddor

The Looking Glass Wars is a series of three novels by Frank Beddor, heavily inspired by Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its 1871 sequel Through the Looking-Glass. The premise is that the two books written by Lewis Carroll are a distortion of the "true story".

<i>Fushigi no Kuni no Alice</i> Japanese anime television series

Fushigi no Kuni no Alice is an anime adaptation of the 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland which ran on the TV Tokyo network and other local television stations across Japan from October 10, 1983 to March 26, 1984. The television series was a Japanese-German co-production between Nippon Animation, TV Osaka and Apollo Films. The television series consists of 52 episodes. however, only 26 made it to the United States.

<i>Alice in Wonderland</i> (musical) Musical by H. Savile Clarke, Walter Slaughter and Aubrey Hopwood, premiered in 1886

Alice in Wonderland is a musical by Henry Savile Clarke and Walter Slaughter (music), based on Lewis Carroll's books Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871). It debuted at the Prince of Wales's Theatre in the West End on 23 December 1886. Aubrey Hopwood (lyrics) and Walter Slaughter (music) wrote additional songs which were first used for the 1900 revival.

Knave of Hearts (<i>Alices Adventures in Wonderland</i>) Fictional character

The Knave of Hearts is a character from the 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

<i>Alice in Wonderland</i> (1988 film) 1988 Australian 51-minute direct-to-video animated film

Alice in Wonderland is an Australian 51-minute direct-to-video animated film from Burbank Films Australia originally released in 1988.

<i>Wonderland</i> (musical) Musical by Jack Murphy and Gregory Boyd and Frank Wildhorn

Wonderland, formerly called Wonderland: Alice's New Musical Adventure or Wonderland: A New Alice, is a musical play with a book by Jack Murphy and Gregory Boyd, lyrics by Murphy, and music by Frank Wildhorn. The story, a contemporary version of the novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871) by Lewis Carroll, is set in New York City and focuses on writer Alice Cornwinkle and her 10-year-old daughter Chloe.

<i>Alice in Wonderland</i> (1915 film) 1915 American film

Alice in Wonderland is a 1915 American silent film adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic 1865 novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, directed and written by W. W. Young and starring Viola Savoy as Alice.

<i>Alice in Verse: The Lost Rhymes of Wonderland</i>

Alice in Verse: The Lost Rhymes of Wonderland (2010) is a reimagining of Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland written by British-American author J.T. Holden. It tells the story of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in 19 rhyming poems, each written in the same style as Lewis Carroll's original verse. The book includes 36 illustrations by American artist Andrew Johnson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wonderland (fictional country)</span> Setting of Alices Adventures in Wonderland

Wonderland is the setting for Lewis Carroll's 1865 children's novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Puppy (<i>Alices Adventures in Wonderland</i>) Fictional character

The Puppy is a fictional character in Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. He appears in the chapter "The Rabbit Sends a Little Bill".

<i>Alice Through the Looking Glass</i> (2016 film) 2016 film by James Bobin

Alice Through the Looking Glass is a 2016 American live-action/animated fantasy adventure film produced by Walt Disney Pictures in association with Roth Films, Team Todd, and Tim Burton Productions. It was directed by James Bobin, written by Linda Woolverton, and produced by Tim Burton, Joe Roth, and the filmmaking duo of Suzanne and Jennifer Todd. It is based on the characters created by Lewis Carroll and is the sequel to Alice in Wonderland (2010). Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Mia Wasikowska, Helena Bonham Carter, Matt Lucas, Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen, Barbara Windsor, Timothy Spall, Paul Whitehouse, Lindsay Duncan, Geraldine James, and Leo Bill reprise their roles from the previous film with Rhys Ifans, Andrew Sachs, Matt Vogel and Sacha Baron Cohen joining the cast. In the film, a now 22-year-old Alice comes across a magical looking glass that takes her back to Wonderland, where she finds that the Mad Hatter is acting madder than usual and wants to discover the truth about his family. Alice then travels through time, comes across friends and enemies at different points of their lives, and embarks on a race to save the Hatter before time runs out.

References

  1. ↑ "ALICE: Go Through the Looking Glass with Showcase". Showcase. December 1, 2009. Archived from the original on March 22, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Syfy's 4-hour television event, "Alice" premieres December 6, 2009". TV by the Numbers. October 7, 2009. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
  3. ↑ Sassone, Bob (November 4, 2009). "Sneak Peek: Syfy's Alice". TV Squad. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2009.
  4. ↑ Wagner, Curt (October 29, 2009). "Sneak peeks: Syfy's 'Alice,' 'Ghost Hunters Live,' 'Scare Tactics'". ChicagoNow.com. Archived from the original on November 4, 2009. Retrieved November 17, 2009.
  5. ↑ Bernardin, Marc (August 26, 2009). "Syfy's 'Alice' miniseries: Is the trailer full of hearts or clubs?". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2009.
  6. ↑ Topel, Fred (August 5, 2009). "How Syfy's Alice brings the classic into the modern world". Sci Fi Wire. Archived from the original on December 6, 2009. Retrieved November 17, 2009.
  7. ↑ Moody, Mike (November 20, 2009). "Going through the looking glass with Syfy's Alice". TV Squad. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2009.
  8. ↑ "Past Productions | TNFC". Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
  9. ↑ Wiser, Paige. (December 5, 2009). "TV Review: SyFy's "Alice" update". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on December 7, 2009. Retrieved December 15, 2009.
  10. ↑ Dawn, Randee (December 3, 2009). "Alice – TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on December 8, 2009. Retrieved December 15, 2009.
  11. ↑ Smith, Nancy deWolf (December 4, 2009). "TNT's Men of a Certain Age and Syfy's Alice". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on December 7, 2009. Retrieved December 15, 2009.
  12. ↑ Perigard, Mark A. (December 3, 2009). "'Alice' unchained". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on April 2, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2009.
  13. ↑ Jessica (November 18, 2009). "Our Advance Review of the Syfy 'Alice' Two Night Event". TV.com. Archived from the original on December 13, 2009. Retrieved December 15, 2009.
  14. ↑ Hinckley, David (December 4, 2009). "SyFy's 'Alice in Wonderland' is just plain wonderful". New York Daily News . Archived from the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved December 15, 2009.
  15. ↑ Snyder, Steven James (December 4, 2009). "Syfy's Alice: Shooting Up Wonderland". Techland . Retrieved January 2, 2010.
  16. ↑ Bentley, Rick (December 2, 2009). "Review: 'Alice' a wonder to behold". The Fresno Bee. Archived from the original on December 6, 2009. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
  17. ↑ Shales, Tom (December 5, 2009). "'Alice's' looking glass: Warped in Syfy movie". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2009.
  18. ↑ Isler, Ramsey (December 5, 2009). "Alice: Miniseries Review". IGN. Archived from the original on December 8, 2009. Retrieved December 15, 2009.
  19. ↑ Bianco, Robert (December 4, 2009). "Syfy's 'Alice': Through a looking glass, only very darkly". USA Today . Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2009.
  20. ↑ "Alice (mini-series) (2009)". TVShowsOnDVD.com. December 9, 2009. Archived from the original on March 30, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
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