BWW JR: Winnie the Pooh!

Kickin' it Old School in the 100 Acre Woods

My daughter is seven years old, and she suddenly seems to be maturing at rocket speed. I swear she was a child when I put her to sleep last night, but when she woke up she had become....(Oh God)....A TWEEN.

Wikipedia defines TWEEN as a demographic of nine through twelve year olds. Urban dictionary says nine to fourteen. My daughter is seven. So she's too young, right? Even though she's suddenly "cool" all the time and is surprisingly wise beyond her years, she's still just a little girl, right?

Lucky for me, I had the perfect opportunity to test out the situation and put a magnifying glass on whatever glimpses of little girlhood might be left in my daughter's rapidly maturing mind. Last week, my Harry Potter reading, iCarly watching, capri legging wearing daughter and I were invited to see Winnie The Pooh, Old School.

That's not the name of the film. I added the "old school" part because watching these familiarly zen characters brought me back to my own childhood in the late 1970's and (very) early 80's. With this latest film incarnation of the classic A.A. Milne's books, Disney has resisted the urge to impose a contemporary tone onto time-honored characters. By dusting off these character gems and allowing them to shine in modern times without any concrete updates (other than just general picture quality and perhaps a few slightly sharper jokes), Pooh and his friends have been allowed to evolve with grace and style, just as they should.

It's the same characters. The voices are completely familiar (and in a few cases actually identical). The animation is simple and lovely in a way that seems earnest rather than dated. There is a certain nobility in bowing to that classic, Disney, hand-drawn style that is perfectly mirrored by "the Bear of Little Brain", Pooh himself, who despite his blunderings always retains his dignity.

Erin Leigh Peck is a New York based actor, writer and mother. She has performed on and off Broadway, in regional theatre and on tour, in films and on television. She most recently appeared Off-Broadway in The Toxic Avenger Musical and can often be seen on television in various commercials. Erin's play Mother of Mine is a contemporary 'dramedy' about pregnancy, parenthood and postpartum. She is the proud and busy mother of two extremely awesome kids. Please visit her web site, www.ErinLeighPeck.com.