London Mums meet Oscar-nominated female director Ava DuVernay and star child Storm Reid behind the scenes of A Wrinkle in Time movie 

It is always very interesting for me to talk to filmmakers and movie stars who can offer insights into films I love. I was honoured to be at a bloggers’ roundtable to chat with Oscar-nominated female director Ava DuVernay (known for the film Selma) and 14 years old star child Storm Reid, who at her early age has already worked on big film including 12 Years of Slave. They not only came across as very smart and gentle ladies but also very passionate about their involvement in Disney’s A Wrinkle In Time.  

It does not matter whether you like A Wrinkle In Time or not, because its message from Sixties’ author Madeleine L’Engle is very much 21st century and is being positively spread across the world through this film. In times of racial injustice and religious intolerance,  A Wrinkle In Time (based on the book from 1962) carries a message of hope. 

   

Ava DuVernay: Reese Witherspoon, Oprah Winfrey and Mindy Kaling had a lot of energy. From the moment they arrived on set and went to their hair and make up trailer – where they spent between 2 and 3 hours every day – they had a great time. They had their own trailer – we were in a different one – and could hear laughing, music from the outside. They were really fun and brought that energy on the set every day. 

 

 

The three celestial beings, Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling) and Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey) in Disney’s A WRINKLE IN TIME, an epic adventure directed by Ava DuVernay and bsed on Madeleine L’Engle’s timeless classic which takes audiences across dimensioins of time and space, examining the nature of darkness versus light and ultimately, the triumph of love.

 

 

Q: What advice do you have for parents if their children want to work in show business?

Storm Reid: I started working as an actress when I was very young and my mum let me do it and she said that as long as I was having fun and my grades were good I could continue to do it. If I were to tell parents – you are never supposed to tell parents anything as you are supposed to respect them – I’d say if your kid wanted to do it, let her do it as long as they are having fun and are enjoying it. If they are doing the right things at home, and are good people, let them do it. If your kids don’t have the same interest as you, you should not force them, because that’s when they become resentful and don’t put 150% into it. 

Ava DuVernay: In terms of directing young actors, I have directed very very young kids aged 3 to 5 and that’s when they are not able to feel what’s happening, and that’s sometimes the best acting. But in the casting process you are trying to find children who are feeling like they are that person in that moment not just mimicking lines. Storm Reid is one of the most deeply feeling actresses in any age.  I compare her with Daniel Oyelowo who played Martin Luther King in Selma in terms of the depth and how she felt about her character. And Levi Miller who plays Calvin is an extraordinary young actor from Australia. We had these kids who are extremely talented whom I directed very similarly to adults. 

Reese Witherspoon is Mrs. Whatsit and Storm Reid is Meg Murry in Disney’s A WRINKLE IN TIME.

 

 

Storm Reid is Meg Murry, Deric McCabe is Charles Wallace Murry and Reese Witherspoon is Mrs. Whatsit in Disney’s A WRINKLE IN TIME.