From the rabbit hole to the big screen

Alice in Wonderland, a story that has been around for generations, has seen numerous stage and film adaptations since its original conception, and this month the latest production by Tim Burton will hit theaters.
The story was originally a book published in 1865, written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodson under the penname Lewis Carroll. Professor emeritus of theater at Weber State University, Scott L. Jensen, said it takes a certain type of story to be a successful movie.
“There was a critic who said a filmmaker can make a bad film out of a good story, but nobody can make a good film out of a bad story,” Jensen said.
The genre of a story plays a key role in whether the transition from storyline to a film will be successful.
“Alice in Wonderland is a fantasy,” Jensen said, “and every fantasy to this point that I can think of has made a pretty good film. It’ll rely on technology, and if the technology’s good then it will be OK.”
WSU English professor Kyra Hudson has been drawn to good stories her entire life and said the key to a timeless story is one with memorable characters.
“I think the plot is important,” Hudson said, “but I think what sticks with you are characters who are well-rounded, fully blown ones that you get to know — that you can’t wait to go back to see what they’re up to. They sort of become your friends.”
WSU sophomore Heidi Hartman hasn’t watched Disney’s Alice in Wonderland in a few years but still remembers her favorite character.
“I think my favorite character would probably be the little mouse in the sugar bowl, the Door Mouse,” Hartman said. “I think he’s hilarious. I loved him.”
Not only do the characters need to be memorable, so does the overall theme of the story.
“They say the better the book or novel, the harder it is to make a good movie out of it,” Hudson said. “I think that usually is the case but there are exceptions. There are movies that complement the book and I think it looks like Tim Burton could do that for this.”
Jensen said he enjoys watching films because they have the ability to take a person where other art forms cannot.
“It can take us forward or backward in time,” Jensen said. “It can take us in front of you or behind you. It can take us inside of you. It can create your moods. It can do all those things and no other art form can do that.”
The new Alice in Wonderland movie comes out March 5, and students on campus have different opinions concerning this fantasy film.
“I think it’s kind of weird,” Hartman said. “The first time I saw, like, the cartoon show, I didn’t really like it just because it was so strange. It’s crazy.”
Hartman said she enjoys fictional stories and would like Alice in Wonderland better if it were more realistic. On the other hand, junior Jason Nestoryak said the unrealistic nature of the story is what draws him to it.
“I like it because it supports daydreaming,” Nestoryak said. “It’s creative. It helps the mind think about how to be fun and random. I’m a daydreamer so that’s why I like it.”
Nestoryak said he’s excited to see the movie because the previews are intriguing.
“The commercials make it look like the characters are like over-the-top done, which is kind of cool because it grabs your attention more,” Nestoryak said. “It’s not just a plain character. It’s kind of creative.”
The story of Alice in Wonderland has remained popular over the years, and Jensen said a factor in deciding if the new movie will be timeless is the theme.
“I always think of timeless as the theme has to be somewhat universal,” Jensen said. “It has to be as important today as whenever the film was made.”