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Eloise at the Plaza
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment // G // November 11, 2003
List Price: $24.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie
Eloise at the Plaza is adapted from the popular children's book, Eloise, written by Kay Thompson and illustrated by Hilary Knight, which was the first in a series of book. Eloise (Sofia Vassilieva) is a 6-year old girl who lives in the Plaza Hotel, in New York City. As her mother is often away, Eloise is watched over by Nanny (Julie Andrews), a laid-back English woman who takes Eloise in stride. Eloise is a precocious child, who enjoys exploring every nook & cranny of the Plaza and butting into everyone's business, much to the chagrin of Mr. Salomone (Jeffrey Tambor), the hotel manager.
In the film, two very important events are taking place at the Plaza, and Eloise is excited about both. First of all, a debutant ball is being held. As Eloise's mother was a debutant, so Eloise feels that she should attend the ball. Secondly, the Prince of Kushin will be visiting the Plaza, and Mr. Salomone is very concerned that A) the Prince is impressed, and B) Eloise not know about the royal visit. As she is playing in the lobby, Eloise meets a boy named Leon (Kintaro Akiyama), and shows him around the hotel. Meanwhile, a young debutant (Stephanie Mills) grows tired of her mother telling her how to feel, and Nanny must deal with the fact that she's attracted to her neighbor, Sir Wilkes (Kenneth Welsh).
Eloise at the Plaza premiered as a made-for-TV movie on ABC, but that shouldn't lead one to believe that the film is short on quality. The movie is very well-made, and director Kevin Lima, who previously directed the animated Tarzan and the live-action 102 Dalmatians, gives the movie a great deal of style, never allowing the movie to have that "made for TV" look. The film moves along at a nice pace and the intertwining stories are all well-balanced. The cast is very good, especially Julie Andrews, here playing a nanny who is a far-cry from Mary Poppins or Maria (and one must applaud her bravery, as she looks very dowdy in this movie). As usual, Jeffery Tambor is fine, playing the sort of anal-retentive role which he has perfected throughout his career.
Strangely, the only weak link here is Eloise herself. Earlier, I described the character as precocious, but that is being kind. The character is essentially a parent-less child who gets very bored living in a very adult situation. So, she lashes out by pulling pranks and annoying the adults in the Plaza. While some of her behavior is fun, much of it is annoying. Parents may want to be aware of Eloise's shenanigans, as many of her actions do not set a good example, and most people wouldn't want their children replicating Eloise's behavior at home. On the positive side, Eloise's belief that one must stand up for what they want is admirable, but she has a habit of taking things too far.
Video
Eloise at the Plaza terrorizes DVD courtesy of Disney DVD/Buena Vista Home Entertainment. Considering that this is a made-for-TV movie, it is quite surprising that the film has been letterboxed at 1.85:1 for this DVD release and the transfer is enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs. (For the record, this information is not listed on the DVD box.) The image is very sharp and clear, showing only a slight amount of grain at times. The colors, which are a very important part of the movie, look fine, most notably Eloise's signature pink. There are so scenes where artifacting is noticeable, but these flaws don't persist throughout the film.
Audio
The DVD features a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track (once again, not listed on box), which certainly does justice to the movie. The dialogue is always clear and audible and there is no hissing or distortion. There are some nice stereo effects, but the only surround sound effects appear in the form of musical cues, street noise, and crowd noise. The track offers virtually no bass effects.
Extras
"From Page to Screen: The Making of Eloise at the Plaza" is a 17-minute featurette which explores the film's production through cast & crew interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. The transition from the book to a movie is discussed, as are the characters. Illustrator Hilary Knight gives his impressions of the movie and talks about how his drawings were translated to film. The segment also take a look at the elaborate set, which re-create (and modify) the real-life Plaza. With "Hilary Draws Eloise: An Art Lesson" (4 minutes), illustrator Hilary Knight offers step-by-step instructions on how to draw Eloise, breaking it down so that almost anyone could do it.
Eloise at the Plaza is certainly a spirited film, and is apparently a very faithful adaptation of the book (with some new characters and situations thrown in). The story is somewhat predictable, and the film has a great look, but be prepared to question Eloise, a little girl who could use a time-out.
Eloise at the Plaza is adapted from the popular children's book, Eloise, written by Kay Thompson and illustrated by Hilary Knight, which was the first in a series of book. Eloise (Sofia Vassilieva) is a 6-year old girl who lives in the Plaza Hotel, in New York City. As her mother is often away, Eloise is watched over by Nanny (Julie Andrews), a laid-back English woman who takes Eloise in stride. Eloise is a precocious child, who enjoys exploring every nook & cranny of the Plaza and butting into everyone's business, much to the chagrin of Mr. Salomone (Jeffrey Tambor), the hotel manager.
In the film, two very important events are taking place at the Plaza, and Eloise is excited about both. First of all, a debutant ball is being held. As Eloise's mother was a debutant, so Eloise feels that she should attend the ball. Secondly, the Prince of Kushin will be visiting the Plaza, and Mr. Salomone is very concerned that A) the Prince is impressed, and B) Eloise not know about the royal visit. As she is playing in the lobby, Eloise meets a boy named Leon (Kintaro Akiyama), and shows him around the hotel. Meanwhile, a young debutant (Stephanie Mills) grows tired of her mother telling her how to feel, and Nanny must deal with the fact that she's attracted to her neighbor, Sir Wilkes (Kenneth Welsh).
Eloise at the Plaza premiered as a made-for-TV movie on ABC, but that shouldn't lead one to believe that the film is short on quality. The movie is very well-made, and director Kevin Lima, who previously directed the animated Tarzan and the live-action 102 Dalmatians, gives the movie a great deal of style, never allowing the movie to have that "made for TV" look. The film moves along at a nice pace and the intertwining stories are all well-balanced. The cast is very good, especially Julie Andrews, here playing a nanny who is a far-cry from Mary Poppins or Maria (and one must applaud her bravery, as she looks very dowdy in this movie). As usual, Jeffery Tambor is fine, playing the sort of anal-retentive role which he has perfected throughout his career.
Strangely, the only weak link here is Eloise herself. Earlier, I described the character as precocious, but that is being kind. The character is essentially a parent-less child who gets very bored living in a very adult situation. So, she lashes out by pulling pranks and annoying the adults in the Plaza. While some of her behavior is fun, much of it is annoying. Parents may want to be aware of Eloise's shenanigans, as many of her actions do not set a good example, and most people wouldn't want their children replicating Eloise's behavior at home. On the positive side, Eloise's belief that one must stand up for what they want is admirable, but she has a habit of taking things too far.
Video
Eloise at the Plaza terrorizes DVD courtesy of Disney DVD/Buena Vista Home Entertainment. Considering that this is a made-for-TV movie, it is quite surprising that the film has been letterboxed at 1.85:1 for this DVD release and the transfer is enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs. (For the record, this information is not listed on the DVD box.) The image is very sharp and clear, showing only a slight amount of grain at times. The colors, which are a very important part of the movie, look fine, most notably Eloise's signature pink. There are so scenes where artifacting is noticeable, but these flaws don't persist throughout the film.
Audio
The DVD features a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track (once again, not listed on box), which certainly does justice to the movie. The dialogue is always clear and audible and there is no hissing or distortion. There are some nice stereo effects, but the only surround sound effects appear in the form of musical cues, street noise, and crowd noise. The track offers virtually no bass effects.
Extras
"From Page to Screen: The Making of Eloise at the Plaza" is a 17-minute featurette which explores the film's production through cast & crew interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. The transition from the book to a movie is discussed, as are the characters. Illustrator Hilary Knight gives his impressions of the movie and talks about how his drawings were translated to film. The segment also take a look at the elaborate set, which re-create (and modify) the real-life Plaza. With "Hilary Draws Eloise: An Art Lesson" (4 minutes), illustrator Hilary Knight offers step-by-step instructions on how to draw Eloise, breaking it down so that almost anyone could do it.
Eloise at the Plaza is certainly a spirited film, and is apparently a very faithful adaptation of the book (with some new characters and situations thrown in). The story is somewhat predictable, and the film has a great look, but be prepared to question Eloise, a little girl who could use a time-out.
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