Yeah, the headline’s corny. But, fortunately, from the just-released trailer for Todd Haynes’ upcoming film about the lives of two children in different periods of the 20th century, Wonderstruck itself looks nothing of the sort.
If you were at all bummed out when you heard that Haynes’ next film following Carol would be a “family film” about two kids (as opposed to, say, Cate Blanchett as a society woman having a secret affair with Rooney Mara; or about glam rockers; or about Bob Dylan), the first trailer for the film should totally undo any ideas you may have harbored about this potentially being a typical family film. First, though this may not be Velvet Goldmine, the trailer itself is set to “Space Oddity.” So, good start.
The film, based on the 2011 novel by Brian Selznick, follows a deaf girl in 1927 (the scenes in the trailer set in black and white) and a boy in 1977 who’s also recently lost his hearing (you guessed it: this later story is set in color! And somehow that distinction doesn’t even look corny, either! Just damn beautiful!). Both stories revolve around these kids escaping home to pursue someone in New York City: the girl, from New Jersey, aims to find her favorite actress, played by Julianne Moore; and the boy, from Minnesota, aims to find his father. Beyond plot, it looks both visually glorious and sweet without being saccharine.
Watch the trailer:
Wonderstruck will be out in theaters on October 20, via Amazon Studios and Roadside Attractions.