Eleanor's Secret

Streaming video - 2009

From Academy Award-nominated director Dominique Monféry comes a sumptuously animated adventure about a magic library where characters from classic children’s books come alive. Nat has fond memories of his eccentric Aunt Eleanor reading to him from her enormous collection of storybooks but is frustrated by his inability to read the books himself. So he is less than thrilled when he learns that his aunt has left him the keys to her attic library as a gift. However, just as Nat’s parents are selling the collection to a shady antiques dealer, Nat discovers that the library is magical – the books are all original editions of classic fairy tales, and the famous characters come to life! Now with the help of Alice in Wonderland, Pinocchio, P...uss in Boots, Peter Pan and others, he must find a way to get back the books and learn to read an ancient spell to keep the characters alive for future generations of children. Winner of Special Distinction and nominated for Best Feature at the **Annecy International Animated Film Festival** *"While the script is geared to the lollipop crowd, nicely animated sequences, particularly an impressive nightmare segment in black-and-white, will appeal to all ages; even better, parents will appreciate the pro-literacy message at the pic’s heart." - Jay Weissberg, **Variety*** *"Visually sumptuous throughout, this film is a delight for the eyes. Clever imagery puts across Nat's feelings about the oppressive nature of letters and words very effectively...The engaging story, which never patronises Nat and shows that his dislike of reading doesn't limit his imaginative powers, may well work effectively in encouraging reluctant readers. It certainly brings alive the magic of what books contain." Jennie Kermode, **Eye for Film*** more