Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

Last updated

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
Mr. Magorium.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Zach Helm
Written byZach Helm
Produced by Richard N. Gladstein
James Garavente
Starring Dustin Hoffman
Natalie Portman
Jason Bateman
Narrated by Zach Mills
Cinematography Roman Osin
Edited bySabrina Plisco
Steven Weisberg
Music by Alexandre Desplat
Aaron Zigman
Production
companies
Distributed by 20th Century Fox (United States/Canada)
Mandate Pictures (International) [1]
Release date
  • 16 November 2007 (2007-11-16)(United States)
Running time
93 minutes
CountriesUnited States
Canada
LanguageEnglish
Budget$65 million [2]
Box office$69.5 million [3]

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is a 2007 children's fantasy comedy film written and directed by Zach Helm, produced by FilmColony, Mandate Pictures, Walden Media, Richard N. Gladstein and James Garavente, and with music composed by Alexandre Desplat and Aaron Zigman. The film stars Dustin Hoffman as the owner of a magical toy store and Natalie Portman as his store employee. A cameo by Kermit the Frog was the character's first major theatrical appearance since 1999's Muppets from Space .

Contents

Theatrically released 16 November 2007 by 20th Century Fox, it received mixed reviews and grossed $69.5 million worldwide. Helm subsequently disowned the film in later years. Despite this, it has developed a cult following in the United Kingdom.

Plot

Molly Mahoney, a former musical prodigy suffering from artist's block, is an amateur pianist and an employee at "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium", a magical toy shop run by 243-year-old Mr. Edward Magorium. Besides Molly and Mr. Magorium, store bookbuilder, Bellini, a strongman, is also employed. Eric Applebaum is a boy who comes to the store daily and functions as an employee despite his age.

Mr. Magorium gives Molly the Congreve Cube, a block of wood, and tells her it will guide her to a new life if she has faith in it. Molly wants to become a concert pianist and composer, but has not been able to complete her first concerto.

Mr. Magorium announces that he intends to "leave", and is giving the shop to Molly. In preparation of his departure, Mr. Magorium hires an accountant, Henry Weston, to organize the shop's paperwork and determine his legacy to Molly. Henry does not believe the toy store is magical.

When Molly becomes upset about her inability to properly run the store, the Emporium "throws a tantrum", assaulting everyone inside with the toys until Mr. Magorium calms it down. Molly realizes that Mr. Magorium is going to die, so she rushes him to a hospital until he is discharged the next day. She attempts to prevent Mr. Magorium's departure by showing him the joys of life. Back at the store, Mr. Magorium uses the stage notes of Shakespeare's King Lear to make a point about the natural simplicity of death, before dying. Believing herself to be incapable of owning a magical store, Molly puts the Emporium up for sale, and the store loses all its magic.

Henry meets Molly to draw up the sales papers. He sees the Congreve Cube and asks her about it. When Molly confesses her complete faith in the store, the block flies around the store. Witnessing this, Henry faints with shock. When he awakes and questions Molly, she tells him that it was a dream. He learns that Molly made the cube fly, and he believes in her, realizing Molly can be anything if she believes in herself. The store returns to its former glory as Molly's confidence increases.

Cast

Production

Photography was from 31 March 2006 to 6 June 2006 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. [4] The film was produced by FilmColony's Richard N. Gladstein and Gang of Two's James Garavente, and financed by Walden Media, and Mandate Pictures's Joe Drake and Nathan Kahane.[ citation needed ]

Novelization

Written by Suzanne Weyn, the novelization was published in 2007 by Scholastic Inc. [5] [6]

Release

The film was released in the United States and Canada 16 November 2007 by 20th Century Fox, under their "Fox-Walden" joint-venture with Walden Media. International sales were handled by Mandate Pictures. [1]

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's children's charity and other charities based in the United Kingdom. [7]

To promote the film, the Los Angeles Times ran a scratch and sniff advertisement with a frosted cake smell. [8] [9]

Home media

The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray 4 March 2008 by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Box office

The film grossed $9.6 million in 3,164 theaters on its opening weekend, ranking #5 at the box office. [10] 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 box office total of $67.5 million. [3]

Critical response

Jason Bateman was praised by critics for his performance. Jason Bateman 2011.jpg
Jason Bateman was praised by critics for his performance.

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 39% of critics gave the film positive reviews based on 126 reviews, with an average rating of 5.20/10. The consensus reads, "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium's title is much more fun than the film itself, as colorful visuals and talented players can't make up for a bland story." [11] On Metacritic, the film had an average score of 48 out of 100, based on 26 reviews. [12] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. [13] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone declared the film the year's Worst Family Film on his list of the Worst Movies of 2007. [14]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3 stars out of 4 and wrote: "This isn't quite the over-the-top fantasy you'd like it to be, but it's a charming enough little movie, and probably the younger you are, the more charming." [15] 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". [16]

Writer-director Zach Helm later disowned the film, calling it "a trainwreck", after the film was referenced in an episode of the AMC drama Breaking Bad . [17]

Awards

For his performance in the film, Zach Mills was nominated for a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film – Leading Young Actor.

The film has won two awards: the Heartland Film Festival Truly Moving Pictures award; and the Dove Foundation Seal of Approval, whose presenters felt it was "a delightful family film". Shawn Edwards of Fox called it "the most magical film of the year".

List of awards and nominations
AwardCategoryNomineeResult
Golden Trailer, IFMCA Award and Young Artist AwardBest Animation/Family, Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction Film and Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young ActorAlexandre Desplat, Aaron Zigman and Zach MillsNominated

Home media

The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 4 March 2008 by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment in the U.S. [18]

Music

The score was composed by Alexandre Desplat and Aaron Zigman, and was released 13 November 2007. [19] The album includes the song, "Love the World You Find", performed by the Flaming Lips.

In the penultimate episode of the hit AMC series, Breaking Bad (Season 5, Episode 15; "Granite State"), Walter White's off-grid New Hampshire residence contains only two DVDs, both of which are Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium.

In the Season 1, Episode 7, of the HBO Max series Close Enough , a flashback scene in which Josh and Emily's first date shows Josh explaining to Emily why he feels the Academy Award for Best Picture might go to Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalie Portman</span> American actress (born 1981)

Natalie Hershlag, known professionally as Natalie Portman, is an Israeli-born American actress. She has had a prolific screen career from her teenage years and has starred in various blockbusters and independent films, receiving multiple accolades, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards.

<i>A Night at the Roxbury</i> 1998 film by John Fortenberry

A Night at the Roxbury is a 1998 American comedy film based on a recurring sketch on television's long-running Saturday Night Live called "The Roxbury Guys". Saturday Night Live regulars Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan, Molly Shannon, Mark McKinney, and Colin Quinn star. This film expands on the original Saturday Night Live sketches where the Roxbury Guys were joined by that week's host, and bobbed their heads to Haddaway's hit song "What Is Love" while being comically rejected by women at various clubs.

<i>Toys</i> (film) 1992 American film by Barry Levinson

Toys is a 1992 American surrealist comedy film directed by Barry Levinson, cowritten by Levinson and Valerie Curtin, and starring Robin Williams, Michael Gambon, Joan Cusack, Robin Wright, LL Cool J, Arthur Malet, Donald O'Connor, Jack Warden and Jamie Foxx in his feature film debut. Released in December 1992, the film was produced by Levinson's production company, Baltimore Pictures, and distributed by 20th Century Fox.

<i>Garden State</i> (film) 2004 American film by Zach Braff

Garden State is a 2004 American romantic comedy-drama film, written and directed by Zach Braff, and starring him, Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard and Ian Holm. The film centers on Andrew Largeman (Braff), a 26-year-old actor/waiter who returns to his hometown in New Jersey after his mother dies. Braff based the film on his real life experiences. It was filmed in April and May 2003 and released on July 28, 2004. New Jersey was the main setting and primary shooting location.

<i>Fantastic Mr. Fox</i> (film) 2009 American film by Wes Anderson

Fantastic Mr. Fox is a 2009 American animated adventure-comedy film directed by Wes Anderson from a screenplay by Anderson and Noah Baumbach and based on the novel of the same name by Roald Dahl. Featuring stop-motion animation, it stars George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, and Owen Wilson. In the film, a spree of thefts led by Mr. Fox (Clooney) results in his family, and later his community, being hunted down by three farmers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walden Media</span> American film investor, distributor, and publishing company

Walden Media, LLC is an American independent studio that develops, produces and finances feature films and television series for the U.S. and global markets. Its films focus on stories of courage drawn from biographies, historical events, and literature adaptations, as well as original screenplays. The company has also produced feature documentaries.

Scratch and sniff technology is the application of a fragrant coating to items such as stickers or paperboard, so that when the coating is scratched it releases an odor that is normally related to the image displayed under the coating. The technology has been used on a variety of surfaces from stickers to compact discs. Gale W. Matson accidentally invented the technology while working for 3M in the 1960s. He was attempting to create a new method for making carbonless copy paper using microencapsulation. The technology to infuse microcapsules and paper was submitted to the US patent office on November 18, 1969, and the patent was granted on June 23, 1970. Despite the technology being invented by Matson in the 60's and its subsequent success in the 70's, the first patent for a translucent fragrance releasing version of microcapsules wasn't issued until January 15, 1985, to the 3M corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandre Desplat</span> French film composer

Alexandre Michel Gérard Desplat is a French film composer and conductor. He has received numerous accolades throughout his career spanning over four decades, including, two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, three César Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Grammy Awards. Desplat was made an Officer of the Ordre national du Mérite and a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres both in 2016.

Zach Helm is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He's known for his work on the films Stranger than Fiction (2006) and Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007), as well as the stage play Good Canary and its 2009 screen adaptation.

Zachary Mills is an American former actor. He is known for his roles in the films, Hollywoodland (2006), Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007), Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008), and Super 8 (2011).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Flaming Lips discography</span>

The discography of the Flaming Lips, an American rock band formed in 1983, consists of 16 studio albums, 18 extended plays, 15 singles, 10 compilation albums, four video albums and an array of various other appearances.

"Jennifer Juniper" is a song and single by the Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan, released in 1968. It peaked at number 5 in the UK Singles Chart, and at number 26 in the Billboard Hot 100. AllMusic journalist Matthew Greenwald noted that "capturing all of the innocence of the era perfectly, it's one of his finest singles".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suzanne Weyn</span> American author (born 1955)

Suzanne Weyn is an American author. She primarily writes children's and young adult science fiction and fantasy novels and has written over fifty novels and short stories. She is best known for The Bar Code Tattoo, The Bar Code Rebellion and The Bar Code Prophecy. The Bar Code Tattoo has been translated into German, and in 2007 was nominated for the Jugendliteraturpreis for youth literature given by the German government. It was a 2007 Nevada Library nominee for Young Adult literature and American Library Association 2005 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.

<i>Mr. Magoriums Wonder Emporium</i> (novel) 2007 novelization by Suzanne Weyn

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is a 2007 novelization of the film of the same name. The novelization was written by American fantasy author Suzanne Weyn. The novel, or "Magical Movie Novel", as it is named on its cover, was released on October 1, 2007. The film was written and directed by Zach Helm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandate Pictures</span> Former film company

Mandate Pictures was an independent full-service film production company acquired by Lionsgate in 2007.

<i>Hesher</i> (film) 2010 American film

Hesher is a 2010 American comedy drama film co-edited, written, and directed by Spencer Susser in his feature directorial debut, from a screenplay by Susser and David Michôd, and based on a story by Brian Charles Frank. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rainn Wilson, Natalie Portman, Piper Laurie, and Devin Brochu, the film follows the titular rebellious metalhead (Gordon-Levitt) and his chaotic misadventures with T. J. Forney (Brochu), a depressed high school freshman coming to terms with the death of his mother in a car crash.

The 28th London Film Critics Circle Awards, honouring the best in film for 2007, were announced by the London Film Critics Circle on 8 February 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julianna Baggott</span> American poet

Julianna Baggott is a novelist, essayist, and poet who also writes under the pen names Bridget Asher and N.E. Bode. She is an associate professor at Florida State University's College of Motion Picture Arts. She is a 2013 recipient of the Alex Awards.

Ilaria Stagni is an Italian actress and voice actress.

References

  1. 1 2 "Mandate boards Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium".
  2. Mancini, Vince (25 September 2013). "Mr. Magorium director on Breaking Bad: "No one has two copies of Mr. Magorium."". Uproxx . Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007)". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  4. LaPorte, Nicole (10 March 2006). "Walden backing 'Wonder'". Variety . Production will begin at the end of the month in Toronto.
  5. Weyn, Suzanne (2007). Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium : magical movie novel . New York: Scholastic. ISBN   978-0-439-91250-1.
  6. "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium". Goodreads . Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  7. Amar Vijay (26 November 2007). "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium Premiere". Empire .
  8. "The Los Angeles Times to Feature First-Ever Ad with Scented Ink for Fox Walden's "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium"". Los Angeles Times . 4 September 2007.
  9. IGN Staff (4 September 2007). "Mr. Magorium's Smelly Ad". IGN .
  10. "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007) – Weekend Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved 21 November 2007.
  11. "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  12. "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007)". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  13. "Home - Cinemascore". Cinemascore. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  14. Travers, Peter (19 December 2007). "Peter Travers' Best and Worst Movies of 2007". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 20 December 2007.
  15. Ebert, Roger (15 November 2007). "Toys R Magorium". Chicago Sun-Times .
  16. Arnold, William (15 November 2007). "Gentle whimsy of Emporium will appeal to children – and win over their parents". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. SeattlePI.com. Retrieved 5 March 2008.
  17. "'Mr. Magorium' Director to 'Breaking Bad' -- I Hate My Movie, Too". TMZ. 24 September 2013.
  18. "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007) - Financial Information". The Numbers .
  19. Jason Ankeny. "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] - Alexandre Desplat". All Music.Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg