An enchanted trip with "Phoebe in Wonderland"

Nine-year-old Phoebe (Elle Fanning) is overwhelmed — by art, by life and by her own imagination. She watches "Swan Lake" and becomes a swan, with the music welling in her head, underscoring her school day. She is entranced by costumes, reasoning that "if I wore it long enough, one day I'd wake up and be that person." And, when she is cast as Alice in the school production of "Alice in Wonderland," it seems only appropriate: Phoebe has long lived in a brightly colored wonderland, where queens and rabbits and knaves talk to her, pulling her from her less-vivid real life.

"Phoebe in Wonderland" is one of those little films that got made because some name actors loved the script. Thank goodness they did, because it's both wistful and enchanting. Writer/director Daniel Barnz, a first-timer, has assembled a strong cast: Felicity Huffman as Phoebe's mother, who fiercely loves her daughter even as she struggles with ambiguous feelings about motherhood; Bill Pullman as Phoebe's father; Patricia Clarkson as an eccentric drama teacher (is there any other kind in the movies?) who inspires Phoebe; Campbell Scott as the school principal.

All do their usual fine work (though Scott employs some weird Mamet-esque rhythms in his diction that feel out of place), but "Phoebe in Wonderland" belongs to Barnz and Fanning. The screenplay is unusual in its reliance on children for many of the scenes, and its understanding of the drama in the heart of a troubled 9-year-old. Tiny details of childhood, such as the way Phoebe's little sister is always bedecked in some sparkly accessory, feel right, as does the way the movie manages a feel-good ending without having Phoebe's problems magically solved.

And Fanning (Dakota's talented little sister), her blue eyes enormous and wondering, gives a performance without a false note. With both Clarkson (whose ethereal Miss Dodger wears governessy black dresses as a background to her own drama) and Huffman, she finds moments of startling connection, quietly finding the soul of this unhappy child. Everything feels all too real for Phoebe, and Fanning shows us her character's fearful joy in performing on stage. Every now and then, a wordless imaginary Alice — a more grown-up one — peers at Phoebe from afar. Fanning's gaze at her is as mesmerizing as any special effect; a troubled little girl seeking a beacon to lead her through Wonderland.

Moira Macdonald: 206-464-2725 or mmacdonald@seattletimes.com