July 23, 2010 6:01 PM

"Ramona and Beezus" Is A Family Affair

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In this film publicity image released by 20th Century Fox, Selena Gomez , left, and Joey King are shown in a scene from, "Ramona and Beezus." (AP Photo/20th Century Fox, Alan Markfield

Selena Gomez, left, and Joey King are shown in a scene from, "Ramona and Beezus." (AP Photo/20th Century Fox, Alan Markfield)

By CBS News' Karina Mitchell

NEW YORK (CBS) Finally getting her own film after more than half a century as a much-loved fictional character is Ramona Quimby that quirky, yet irresistibly sweet problem child first given life by author Beverly Cleary back in 1955.

In "Ramona and Beezus," that precocious 9-year old who always finds herself smack in the center of a problem is brought to llife on the big screen by the perfectly cast Joey King.

Teen sensation Selena Gomez plays who is Beezus, Ramona's older and wiser sister whose perfect-child persona is a bane to her little sister.

This family-oriented film packages many of the plot elements from the popular Cleary novels, cherry-picked by writers Laurie Craig and Nick Pustay to make one sugar-coated feature that will find a niche for itself among young girls.

It might be a little harder to digest for older tweens and teens. The Quimby family, though updated through the eyes of director Elizabeth Allen, just doesn't seem to go through the same kind of family squabbles and dramas modern families do.

Part of this may be Cleary's fault.. She wanted the characters to remain ageless and so warned against incorporating too much in the way of fashion or modern technology - two things young girls today can't stay away from. It also may have prevented King and Gomez from showcasing to full effect the kind of girlhood rivalry and angst prevalent today.

I interviewed Gomez at the premiere in New York and she said she chose to audition for the role two years ago because she felt Beezus was completely different from the character she plays on the Disney show "Wizards of Waverly Place.". Watch the entire interview to hear what she thinks she's really like as a daughter and what to expect on the new season of her TV series (rumored to the final).

Along for the ride on Ramona's misadventures are her parents Robert (John Corbett) and Dorothy (Bridget Moynahan). Ginnifer Goodwin plays Ramona's sympathetic, but mixed up Aunt Bea, with Josh Duhamel as Uncle Hobart and a delightful performance from Sandra Oh as Mrs Meachum, Ramona's strict but secretly sweet teacher.

What does help bring some timeliness to the storyline is the fact that Ramona's father suddenly finds himself out of a job and a stay-at-home dad, while her mother returns to the work force. That all-too-real scenario helps make the film slightly more realistic and somewhat more endearing.

Gomez' acting is fine, but one cannot help feel she has been cast primarily to boost ratings. Teenage fans get the opportunity to see her in a different type of role and will no doubt enjoy her catchy soundtrack from the film, "Live Like There's No Tomorrow." That alone may be enough reason to go check it out with your family.


Add a Comment
by vakell July 25, 2010 10:38 AM EDT
The Ramona series is timeless children's literature. I read them as a child growing up in the 60's and early 70's and continued to read them with my students when I became an elementary teacher. I am thrilled to learn that this latest adaptation refrains from "modernizing" the characters and plots. To infer the film may be lacking because Ramona and Beezus aren't texting and tweeting is ludicrous!(How would Frodo have looked in the Lord of the Rings movies using an iPhone to contact Gandalf?) In my experience as an educator, children still become enthralled with wholesome stories such as this. To watch the movie and actually recognize the stories they have read in it is great for kids! We will certainly be taking our 7 and 12 year olds to see it!
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by mari1963 July 24, 2010 9:37 PM EDT
Bridget Moynahan is a class act. She is a lovely woman. I think she adds so much fun and talent to this movie. Good for her! I can't wait to see her on TV this fall. Tom Brady is an idiot.
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