The Little Prince
Director: Mark Osborne
Screenwriter: Irena Brignull, Bob Persichetti
Cast: Mackenzie Foy, Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Riley Osborne, Paul Rudd, James Franco, Marion Cotillard, Benicio del Toro, Paul Giamatti, Bud Cort, Albert Brooks, Ricky Gervais, Jaquie Barnbrook, Marcel Bridges, and Jeffy Branion
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Rated G | 108 Minutes
Release Date: March 18, 2016 (U.S. limited release) | March 25, 2016 (U.S. wide release)

The Little Prince has been adapted. Again. But, for those who are tired of the onslaught of adaptations and sequels, the new film adaptation manages to do something quite “novel,” to turn a phrase. Director Mark Osborne has constructed something to surprise people familiar with the work without alienating those fans in the least.

The plot device of The Little Prince lay in the character of an un-named little girl (Mackenzie Foy), the only child of a single mother (Rachel McAdams) who’s fiercely dedicated to bringing her daughter up with the best opportunities available. Mind you, no one’s downtrodden and there’s not a lick of poverty in the film; rather, it’s as much an exploration of middle class upward mobility (that’s only too American) as it is anything else. Our little girl is bright, fun loving, and shy — nearly the inverse of our Little Prince. She meets the titular character through The Aviator, an ancient man played by Jeff Daniels who mirrors the spirit, life experiences, and adventures of the author of the original work: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.