Top 3 Reasons to See The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

I grew up watching a VHS recording of The Nutcracker ballet every Christmas. It was a fantastic production, wondrous and magical. I've loved the story (and the music) ever since and for a while wanted to write a retelling of it. Then I my critique partners and I decided to do anthology of retellings, and I decided to do on of E.T.A Hoffman's The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, which inspired the ballet. It was so much fun to write! So much so I ended up with two versions. :) And then it was so much fun to go see a very different retelling in Disney's The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. I very much enjoyed the movie, and here are three reasons why you should go see it if you haven't already.

1. A cute, clean story

It was a good story, sad in places for sure, but sweet and clean in a time when many stories aren't. I liked the adventure and the beautiful Victorian setting at the beginning and Clara and Philip (the Nutcracker) were very likable.

2. Amazing music and they sneaked in some ballet

The music, of course, was Tchailkovsky's The Nutcracker Suite. How could you not like it? And they managed to sneak in a bit of ballet as entertainment for Clara in the fantastic world she finds. A little culture for movie goers. :)

3. Familiar faces

I not only enjoyed picking out characters from the The Nutcracker story (and smiling at the fact they gave the nutcracker character the name Hoffman, after the author) but also seeing familiar actors--Keira Knightly as the Sugar Plum Queen and Matthew Macfayden (Little Dorrit and Pride and Prejudice) and Morgan Freeman as Drosselmeier.

All in all, it was a great movie, enjoyable even for the friend who went me who didn't know a thing about The Nutcracker ballet or original story.

Have you seen the movie? If so, did you enjoy it?

Top 3 Non-Cinderella Slipper Stories (Lizzie)

Cinderella is a great story, but ... my feet are way too long for those slippers, so let's talk about non-Cinderella slipper stories. After all, girls love their shoes.


Here are three of my favorite non-Cinderella (and non-Wizard of Oz) slipper stories.

1. Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George

A fun story with a young woman who'd rather be a seamstress than marry the heroic knight her aunt arranges to save her from a dragon. Fortunately for Creel and the knight, the dragon isn't in the mood to fight, and she is able to bargain the dragon's way out of the fight and her way out of a begrudging marriage proposal from the chivalrous knight. She gains a pair of leather slippers from the dragon's hoard and goes off to the royal city to find a job as a seamstress. But then something even more surprising than bargaining with a dragon happens--a dragon comes to her aid when bandits threaten her. Because of the slippers. Though the slippers give her influence over dragons, this dragon chooses to befriend her, and together they discover the secret of the slippers and how they might be the key to saving the kingdom in the approaching, seemingly hopeless, war.

This was a delightful, clever story with lovable characters. As a crafter (I do counted cross-stitch and crochet, and I plan to improve my sewing skills someday), I also enjoyed Creel's time as a seamstress and reading about the dresses and embroidery.

2. The Nutcracker and the Mouse King

What better, or more unique way, for the heroine to save her prince's life than by hitting the villain with her slipper?

Anyone have an extra ticket (and a plane ticket) to the English National Ballet
production of The Nutcracker? I'm pretty sure I could clear my schedule to go with you.

With beautiful music, awe-inspiring scenery, and a delightful story, you can't help but love a good ballet production of E.T.A. Hoffman's The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. When I was growing up, we watched a taped version of a fantastic production of the ballet every Christmas. A few years ago I saw a live production in my town. It wasn't nearly as impressive (nor was the budget as big), and the scene with Mother Hubbard and the children under her skirts was a complete shock, as it wasn't in the version I was familiar with. So if you've never been impressed with The Nutcracker, you may just have not seen the right version.

Note: Eek! Just found out Disney is doing a Nutcracker movie called The Nutcracker and the Four Realms with an all-star cast including Keira Knightly, Morgan Freeman, and Matthew MacFayden! This is doubly exciting because I just wrote a Nutcracker-based short story for an anthology. Disney and I are thinking alike!

3. The Ballet Slippers

A young girl, Sylvia, and her nurse, Nana, go to live her eccentric explorer uncle (played by Harry Potter's uncle, proving he can be a nice uncle after all) in his museum-like house in London. He spends most of his time traveling and always brings Sylvia gifts when he returns, including three orphan girls: Pauline, Petrova, and Posy. Years later, he leaves and doesn't come back. When their money runs out, the ladies are forced to sell most of Great-Uncle Matthew's artifacts and take in boarders. The story follows their adventures with the boarders and in trying to prepare themselves to earn a living (not that easy in 1930s England) and develop their passions: acting, ballet, and building/flying planes.

An engaging story with lovable characters and an unpredictable plot. I rooted for the girls (though sometimes selfish) and the selfless Sylvia and Nana as they struggle to save the house and look after each other.

What do you think of these? Do you have any more?