Dr. Donna's Review

About the Film

The irrepressible, much loved Eloise from the popular book series has an adventure in Hollywood in this month’s Kidtoon feature. The story opens in Eloise’s home, an apartment high up in the Plaza in New York. Having just finished a game with toy soldiers, Eloise proudly and excitedly informs her friends that her mom, who has been away in Hollywood working on a movie, is coming home tomorrow. Soon after the friends leave, Nanny receives a telephone call from mom with the news that she has to make an emergency trip and won’t be home for another two weeks. Eloise is so upset by the news that she refuses to talk with mom on the telephone. Nanny understands how she feels but says there was another piece of news that Eloise will want to know about. A big producer in Hollywood, one of mom’s friends, has invited Eloise and Nanny to visit Hollywood for two weeks. Eloise’s disappointment evaporates as she fantasizes about going to Hollywood. Soon she and Nanny are setting off on the train from New York to Hollywood.

On the train they meet a young girl named Debbie Lincoln and her mother. It turns out that Debbie is also on her way to Hollywood. She’s going to star in a movie. Later, after the girls have had fun playing together, Eloise and Nanny are shocked when they see Debbie being rude to her mother. When they arrive in Hollywood, Monty, the film producer’s personal driver who informs them that Eloise has been invited to audition for a small part in the movie, welcomes them. Then he surprises them with the news that the star of the movie is Debbie Lincoln! Eloise is very excited about auditioning and about seeing Debbie again. But when Eloise and Nanny see Debbie and her mother in the restaurant, Debbie is once again rude and nasty. Over the next few days, Eloise visits the movie set at Majesty Pictures, auditions and gets the part, experiences costuming and make-up and meets some of the production crew. When it is finally time to shoot the scene in the movie, Eloise delivers her lines perfectly but Debbie does a bad job. Then when the director intervenes, Debbie gets angry, talks back to him, and blames everyone else. The director fires Debbie on the spot and gives the starring role to Eloise.

At first Eloise is thrilled with fantasies of stardom but then she spends her first full day on the set and finds out that waiting around for hours and having to do the same thing over and over is pretty boring. She starts missing her home at the Plaza and all her friends. Back at the hotel that night, she sees Debbie sobbing on her mother’s shoulder. Debbie’s mother explains that the contract was cancelled and Debbie knows she has ruined her chance to follow her dream. Meanwhile Eloise has decided that she doesn’t even like the business and wants to go home. When Monty suggests a plan to get out of the job, Eloise and Nanny agree. When the film shoot begins, Eloise makes her entry, trips and falls and complains that she has hurt her ankle. A man emerges from the crowd saying that he is a doctor, that Eloise has injured her ankle, may even have broken it and will need to rest it for a long time. When he asks for help to get Eloise to the hospital, Monty volunteers. Once they are in Monty’s car, it becomes clear that this was the plan: Eloise faked the fall and the “doctor” was an actor friend of Monty’s. Monty takes them off for a day of fun before they return to New York. That night they see Debbie and learn that she has once again been offered the starring role. Debbie apologizes and thanks Eloise for giving her a second chance. Eloise and Nanny return to the Plaza and find mom waiting for them in the lobby.

About the Kids
“Me, Eloise” will appeal to all children who love the Eloise books. Children as young as three will enjoy the characters because they are so appealing and older children who have the skill to read the books themselves will enjoy seeing the characters come to life.

Film content and features
The story is simultaneously about the important life lesson that Eloise learns, e.g. that some things are not what you imagined they would be, and about the movie-making business. Children of all ages can identify with the fantasy that Eloise has about becoming a “big star” and discover along with her that the reality of stardom is different from the fantasy. The sub-text about the moving-making business is, however, less relatable to most children. Much of it feels like an “inside joke” by and for the entertainment industry.

The animation style is simple and loyal to the drawings in the popular books. The characters are believable and delivered through talented, engaging voices.

Things to talk about

• Talk with children about Eloise’s life style in the Plaza. What does she like about living in the city, in the big high rise? If her life style is different from yours, compare the ways in which it is different. If Eloise’s life style is similar to yours, talk about the ways it would be different if you lived in a house with a yard.
• Have the children draw side-by-side pictures of Eloise’s home and their own homes.
• Ask children to think about the way Eloise reacted when she learned that her mom was not coming home. Was Eloise right? Draw out that Eloise was disappointed, that disappointment is something we all have to deal with sometimes. Have children tell you about a time when they felt disappointed. How did they deal with disappointment?
• Eloise learned that the Hollywood life was not what she imagined it would be. How was it different from her fantasy? Ask if they have ever experienced a disappointment when something was not what they expected.
• Draw out they way that Eloise got out of the job in the movie. Actually, the grown-ups helped Eloise break a contract that had been signed. Was that the right thing to do?
• Can you think of any other way that Eloise could have gotten out of the job other than faking a hurt ankle?
• Ask the children to talk about Debbie. What kind of a person was she? Why did she get fired from the acting job? Do you think she really learned a lesson?