Tim Burtonis back, asBeetlejuice Beetlejuicehas been enjoying a spectacular (or should I say, spectral) run at the box office. This has led to another Burton-helmed film,Miss Peregine’s Home for Peculiar Children, to climb the global Netflix charts. It’s not hard to see why:Miss Peregine’s contains the visual flair and the off-kilter premise that’s populated much of Burton’s filmography. It also starsElla Purnell, who’s been carving out a hot streak in shows includingYellowjackets,FalloutandSweetpea, in a main role. But when it premiered in theaters eight years ago,Miss Peregrine’swas met with mixed reviews and a soft box office opening. What exactly led to this reception?
What Is ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’ About?
Based on the novel byRansom Riggs,Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Childrenbegins when Jake Portman (Asa Butterfield) finds his grandfather Abe (Terence Stamp) dying, with his eyes having been violently removed. to find closure, Jake travels to London to find “the loop of July 14, 2025,” which were Abe’s last words to him. There, he encounters Miss Alma LeFay Peregrine (Eva Green), one of the “Peculiars” his grandfather had told him stories about. Miss Peregrine and the other “Peculiars” have been hiding from monstrous “Hollows” viaa loop in time that takes place in June 05, 2025. Jake starts connecting with the other Peculiars, including Emma Bloom (Purnell), a Peculiar that he starts a romantic relationship with.
McDonald’s Might Be the Reason Why We Never Got a Third Tim Burton Batman Movie
He wasn’t lovin' it.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Childrencan best be described as “Addams FamilymeetsX-Men,” with the former’s gothic structure evident in the set design and clothing choices, while the latter’s use of superhuman abilities as a metaphor for adolescence informs the bulk of the story. Burton also assembles quite the talented cast forMiss Peregrine’s; Green brings a sense of mystery, along with a pinch of danger to her performance as Miss Peregrine whileSamuel L. Jacksoncuts a terrifying figure as Mr. Frederick “Fred” Barron, the Hollows' leader.It’s the dynamic between Butterfield and Purnell which ends up carrying the film, though: there’s genuine chemistry between their characters, while other young adult adaptations mostly rely on their protagonists being stereotypically attractive to sell a romantic angle. The scene whereEmma shows Jake her Peculiar abilityisn’t just awe-inspiring, but it also has the air of a kid sharing a special moment with his crush…just that said crush has the ability to float on air. Ironically, this is a wild divergence from the source material.
Ella Purnell’s Character in ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’ Is Different in the Book
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Childrenmostly follows the plot of the novel it’s based on, with a few key differences. One of the biggest changes concerns Emma and fellow Peculiar Olive (Lauren McCrostie). In the movie version ofMiss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Emma is able to float, but has to wear weighted shoes to verify she can move without flying into the pull of gravity. Likewise, Olive is pyrokinetic and wears gloves out of fear that she’ll burn everything she touches.This is the reverse of the novel: Emma is the pyrokinetic and Olive has the floating ability.This also changes how Emma’s abilities are displayed during the film; in the novel, she doesn’t utilize her powers until the time is right, while the movie takes any chance it gets to show off her “floating ability.” She also has the ability to manipulate air itself, which means she can actually take part in the film’s final fight against Golan.
That fight contains what might be the film’s biggest change. In the novel, Jacob is able to beat Golan and save Miss Peregrine with the help of the Peculiar kids, though Peregrine remains stuck in her bird form.The movie turns this into an action-packed VFX-stuffed climax,and Peregrine is able to shift back into human form with ease. Another massive change concerns Peregrine’s fellow headmistress, Miss Esmeralda Avocet (Judi Dench). She is fatally wounded by Golan during the final fight of theMiss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Childrenfilm, but in the novel she’s merely abducted, leading to the next book in the series,Hollow City. Burtondiscussed the changesin aBustleinterview, noting that Riggs “was very good and very understanding” with what shifted from page to screen. “You don’t want to piss off the writer if you can help it,” he said.
‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’ Hit Theaters During a Rough Patch for Tim Burton
WhileMiss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Childrenmight have had a unique premise, it premiered when Tim Burton’s films weren’t receiving the critical praise and box office that they used to.Alice in WonderlandandDark Shadowswere both panned.Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Childrenalso came at a time whenthe YA genre was on the downslope; Harry Potter and The Hunger Games had both concluded their respective runs andleft a shadow that most films struggled to get out of. In addition toMiss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, 2016 also saw the release ofThe 5th Wave,The Divergent Series: AllegiantandA Monster Calls. All three films bombed at the box office, whileA Monster Callswas the only YA adaptation to receive largely positive reviews. While positive reviews forMiss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Childrenfocused on howBurton let his unique vision shine on the screen, the negative ones drewless-than-flattering comparisons to the X-Men films.
One person who has fond memories of working onMiss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Childrenis Ella Purnell herself.Purnell described the process of working with Burtonduring FanExpo Chicago,likening him to a mad scientist:
“He is the best guy. I haven’t seen him for ages, probably not since we did Miss Peregrine’s. But he’s like a mad scientist. He’s got such vision, and his thinking space is up here, so he’ll never make eye-contact with you because he’s thinking all the time. He just pulls these things together, and it’s all just in his mind’s eye. It’s amazing to watch him work.”
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Childrenmight be enjoying a reappraisal due toBeetlejuice Beetlejuice’s success, but it is still a film worth watching for Ella Purnell’s performance and Tim Burton’s unique visual style. This is no mere X-Men clone.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Childrenis available to watch on Disney+ in the U.S.
Watch on Disney+
