Ramona and Beezus Is Less Disney Than Hallmark Channel | Film Reviews | South Florida | Broward Palm Beach New Times | The Leading Independent News Source in Broward-Palm Beach, Florida

Film Reviews

Ramona and Beezus Is Less Disney Than Hallmark Channel

Despite the presence of Mouse House starlet Selena Gomez, Ramona and Beezus is less Disney than Hallmark Channel, a loose adaptation of Beverly Cleary's first novel in her beloved kid-lit series that's wholesome to the point of dull. Without much in the way of a governing narrative structure, Elizabeth Allen's innocuous film charts Ramona Quim­by (Joey King) as she suffers a series of embarrassments in front of family, friends, and classmates. King captures Ramona's spunky, oddball spirit, but her imaginative antics, often embellished with ill-fitting fantasy CGI, frequently take a back seat to the inconsequential romantic predicaments of big sis Beezus (Gomez) and Aunt Bea (Ginnifer Goodwin). Ramona's story admirably attempts to address issues of adult abandonment, social alienation, and economic instability, the last of these via a timely subplot about Ramona's dad (John Corbett) being downsized. Yet even more than the overriding milquetoast atmosphere, it's this focus on real-world fears that destabilizes Allen's film.

KEEP NEW TIMES BROWARD-PALM BEACH FREE... Since we started New Times Broward-Palm Beach, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of South Florida, and we'd like to keep it that way. With local media under siege, it's more important than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" program, allowing us to keep offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food and culture with no paywalls.
Nick Schager is a regular film contributor at Voice Media Group and its film partner, the Village Voice. VMG publications include LA Weekly, Denver Westword, Phoenix New Times, Miami New Times, Broward-Palm Beach New Times, Houston Press and Dallas Observer.

Latest Stories