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INKHEARTCast, Crew, Story, Theme, ReviewMuse-En-Scene, Life Connections

Mortimer "Mo" Folchart and his 12-year-old daughter, Meggie, share an extraordinary gift for bringing characters from books to life when they read aloud. But there is a danger: when a character is brought to life from a book, a real person disappears into its pages.

MPAA Rating: PG (fantasy adventure action, some scary moments and brief language)

INKHEART © New Line Cinema. Review © David Bruce

BRENDAN FRASER (Mo Folchart)

Starred in all 3 installments of The Mummy franchise.

Came to fame in the action comedy George of the Jungle.

INKHEART © New Line Cinema. Review © David Bruce

ELIZA HOPE BENNETTELIZA HOPE BENNETT(Meggie Folchart) (Meggie Folchart)

Starred in the critically acclaimed film Nanny McPhee.

She had made her feature film debut in The Prince and Me.

INKHEART © New Line Cinema. Review © David Bruce© New Line Cinema. Review © David Bruce

HELEN MIRREN HELEN MIRREN (Elinor)(Elinor)

Began her career in the role of Cleopatra at the National Youth Theatre.

For her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen, she swept the Academy Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award, and BAFTA Award for Best Actress.

INKHEART © New Line Cinema. Review © David Bruce© New Line Cinema. Review © David Bruce

IAIN SOFTLEY IAIN SOFTLEY (Director/Producer)(Director/Producer) Directed the 2001 sci-fi drama K-PAX, starring Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges.

Directed and produced the 2005 supernatural thriller “The Skeleton Key,” starring Kate Hudson.

INKHEART © New Line Cinema. Review © David Bruce

Director IAIN SOFTLEY and author/co-producer CORNELIA FUNKE on the set.

INKHEART © New Line Cinema. Review © David Bruce© New Line Cinema. Review © David Bruce

Brendan Fraser Brendan Fraser was Cornelia was Cornelia Funke's personal choice for the Funke's personal choice for the role of Silvertongue. She even role of Silvertongue. She even dedicated the second novel of dedicated the second novel of the trilogy to him and sent him a the trilogy to him and sent him a signed copy. signed copy.

The producers originally wanted The producers originally wanted a bigger Hollywood star but on a bigger Hollywood star but on the insistence of Funke they the insistence of Funke they gave in and accepted him in the gave in and accepted him in the role.role.

INKHEART © New Line Cinema. Review © David Bruce

Mortimer “Mo” Folchart (Brendan Mortimer “Mo” Folchart (Brendan Fraser) and his 12-year-old daughter, Fraser) and his 12-year-old daughter, Meggie (Eliza Hope Bennett), share a Meggie (Eliza Hope Bennett), share a passion for books. What they also passion for books. What they also share is an extraordinary gift for share is an extraordinary gift for bringing characters from books to life bringing characters from books to life when they read aloud. But there is a when they read aloud. But there is a danger: when a character is brought to danger: when a character is brought to life from a book, a real person life from a book, a real person disappears into its pages.disappears into its pages.

INKHEART © New Line Cinema. Review © David Bruce

On one of their trips On one of their trips to a secondhand to a secondhand book shop, Mo hears book shop, Mo hears voices he hasn’t voices he hasn’t heard for years, and heard for years, and when he locates the when he locates the book they’re coming book they’re coming from, it sends a from, it sends a shiver up his spine.shiver up his spine.

INKHEART © New Line Cinema. Review © David Bruce

It’s Inkheart, a book filled with illustrations of It’s Inkheart, a book filled with illustrations of medieval castles and strange creatures—a medieval castles and strange creatures—a book he’s been searching for since Meggie was book he’s been searching for since Meggie was three years old, when her mother, Resa (Sienna three years old, when her mother, Resa (Sienna Guillory), vanished into its mystical world. Guillory), vanished into its mystical world.

INKHEART © New Line Cinema. Review © David Bruce

But Mo’s plan to use the book to find and rescue Resa is thwarted when Capricorn (Andy Serkis), the evil villain of Inkheart, kidnaps Meggie and, discovering she has inherited her father’s gift, demands that she bring his most powerful ally to life—the Shadow.

INKHEART © New Line Cinema. Review © David Bruce

Determined to rescue his daughter and send the fictional characters back where they belong, Mo assembles a small group of friends and family—some from the real world, some from the pages of books—and embarks on a daring and perilous journey to set things right.

INKHEART © New Line Cinema. Review © David Bruce

Principal photography on Inkheart began on location in Liguria, Italy, which is also where Cornelia Funke’s original story unfolds.

INKHEART © New Line Cinema. Review © David Bruce

“While scouting the area, we could see that the landscape and geography had incredible variety; the combination of mountain villages and seaside towns provided the perfect backdrop for all the exteriors in the film. It is a real world on one level, but it has jumping-off points into the fantastic.” -- IAIN SOFTLEY, Director/Producer

INKHEART © New Line Cinema. Review © David Bruce

GENERALLY POSITIVEGENERALLY POSITIVEConsensus voice: "Magical, if messy — this gets by on a good heart, high adventure and an unashamed love for books."-- Kim Newman, Empire Magazine

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Director Iain Softley: “What are the boundaries between what is real and what is imagined? That’s something in which I’ve always been interested—the way that fantasy can impinge on the real world.”

INKHEART © New Line Cinema. Review © David Bruce

INKHEARTINKHEART dramatizes an important truth: dramatizes an important truth: Stories Stories shape us. We live by stories.shape us. We live by stories. Poet Muriel Rukeyser was Poet Muriel Rukeyser was exactly correct in saying, “The universe is made of exactly correct in saying, “The universe is made of stories, not atoms.” stories, not atoms.” If you want to change your life, If you want to change your life, change your story. change your story. This is true of the whole of our world This is true of the whole of our world as well. A better world would result from better stories, as well. A better world would result from better stories, as Arthur C. Clarke humorously put it, “Politicians as Arthur C. Clarke humorously put it, “Politicians should read science fiction, not westerns and detective should read science fiction, not westerns and detective stories.”stories.” Stories have the power to transform us, and that is Stories have the power to transform us, and that is what what INKHEARTINKHEART is all about. Stories are the ink that is all about. Stories are the ink that writes on the scrolls of our hearts. writes on the scrolls of our hearts. INKHEARTINKHEART is an is an important reminder of this life changing truth.important reminder of this life changing truth.

INKHEART © New Line Cinema. Review © David Bruce

““I think ‘Inkheart’ advocates I think ‘Inkheart’ advocates the written word read aloud. the written word read aloud. To have people read aloud To have people read aloud to one another is quite to one another is quite powerful.”powerful.”-- Brendan Fraser-- Brendan Fraser

INKHEART © New Line Cinema. Review © David Bruce

“God made man because He loves stories.” --Elie Wiesel

INKHEART © New Line Cinema. Review © David Bruce