The Magic of Belle Isle (2012)

Name: The Magic of Belle Isle
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Released: 2012-07-06
Duration: 109 min
Rating: 7
Cast: Morgan Freeman, Virginia Madsen, Madeline Carroll, Emma Fuhrmann, Nicolette Pierini

The Magic of Belle Isle (2012), directed by Rob Reiner, starring Morgan Freeman and Virginia Madsen.

10 07/06/2012 BR Comedy and Drama 1h 49m

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Quiz about this movie

A re-coming of age story.

Synopsis

In an effort to tap into his original talent, a wheelchair-bound author moves to a rural town, where he befriends a single mother and her three kids, who help reignite his passion for writing.

Reed MoranoCinematography
Rob ReinerDirector, Producer, Screenplay
Dorian HarrisEditing
Alan GreismanProducer

About the film

The Magic of Belle Isle (released in the United Kingdom as Once More) is a 2012 comedy-drama film directed by Rob Reiner and written by Guy Thomas. The film stars Morgan Freeman, Virginia Madsen, Emma Fuhrmann, Madeline Carroll, Kenan Thompson, Nicolette Pierini, Kevin Pollak and Fred Willard. The film was released on July 6, 2012, by Magnolia Pictures.

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Plot

Grumpy Monte Wildhorn is brought to spend the summer at a lakeside cabin in Belle Isle by his nephew Henry, who's friends with the owner. Monte is a famous Western novelist. Struggling with the loss of his wife to cancer six years earlier has sapped his passion for writing and driven him to drink heavily.

Monte eventually befriends the family next door, attractive single mother Charlotte O'Neil and her three young daughters, teen Willow, middle child Finn and Flor. Willow, the eldest, is constantly on her cell, Finn is mischievous and Flor is naïve.

Shortly after arriving, a resident drops dead. Another neighbor asks Monte to read the pre-prepared eulogy. Afterwards, he meets Finn, who asks him to teach her three new words for her mom, then how to write as her mentor. He teaches her through example, making up a story on the spot, which she believes.

When Monte is invited to the O'Neils for dinner, Finn shows she has learned well the vocabulary he taught her. Charlotte indirectly asks him about love, and he basically says his wife was the love of his life. Later Monte has a dream about dancing with Charlotte.

Not only does the writer subtly influence people in town, but they help him find inspiration again. Finn spontaneously coming up with a story stimulates him to write a

story for Flor, and then another.

One day in late August, Charlotte asks Monte to watch the girls while she finalizes her divorce in NYC. They bond, and he tells Finn how he ended up in a wheelchair, how he met the love of his life, and how he started writing. Shortly thereafter he says his goodbyes.

Months pass and Monte has returned to Belle Isle. After selling the movie rights to his Western books, he is able to buy the house next door, and the O'Neils welcome his return.

Cast

Production

The Magic of Belle Isle was filmed in the village of Greenwood Lake, New York, in July 2011.

Reception

The Magic of Belle Isle received mixed reviews from critics according to Rotten Tomatoes where the film has a rating of 30%, based on 33 reviews, with a rating of 4.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Neither Rob Reiner nor Morgan Freeman are able to conjure up their old magic in this dull trifle, with both director and star appearing content to tread through the paces of the saccharine script." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 46 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

Home media

The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 18, 2012.

References

External links

The Magic of Belle Isle at IMDb

Official website

Text from The Magic of Belle Isle on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magic_of_Belle_Isle

Trivia

It grossed US$ 123.821 worldwide.
It premiered on July 6, 2012, a Friday.
It runs 1h49 — a typical feature length.
This film's quiz has 14 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.

Production

StudiosCastle Rock Entertainment, Revelations Entertainment, Summer Magic, Firebrand Productions, Voltage Pictures
CountriesUnited States
LanguagesEnglish
Box officeUS$ 123,821
StatusReleased

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Belle Isle

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Crew

Reed Morano Cinematography
Rob Reiner Director
Dorian Harris Editing
Alan Greisman Producer
David Valdes Producer
Lori McCreary Producer
Nicolas Chartier Producer
Rob Reiner Producer
Salli Newman Producer
Marc Shaiman Original music
Andrew Scheinman Screenplay
Guy Thomas Screenplay
Rob Reiner Screenplay

Questions about this film

What is The Magic of Belle Isle about?

The Magic of Belle Isle: In an effort to tap into his original talent, a wheelchair-bound author moves to a rural town, where he befriends a single mother and her three kids, who help reignite his passion for writing.

Who directed The Magic of Belle Isle?

The Magic of Belle Isle was directed by Rob Reiner in 2012.

Who stars in The Magic of Belle Isle?

The cast of The Magic of Belle Isle includes Morgan Freeman, Virginia Madsen, Madeline Carroll, Emma Fuhrmann and Nicolette Pierini.

How long is The Magic of Belle Isle?

The Magic of Belle Isle runs for 109 minutes, or 1h49.