One thing that struck me the other day whilst pondering the back catalogue of Greta Gerwig films, was that two of her three movies open with an on-screen quote.
Ladybird (2017) opens with the following quote:
"Anyone who talks about California hedonism has never spent a Christmas in Sacramento" - Joan Didion
Little Women (2019) opens with the following quote:
"I've had lots of troubles, so I write jolly tales" - Louisa May Alcott
Obviously lots of movies open with a quote, so its hardly a uniquely "Gerwig" thing to do, and indeed its not even a device she employs for the opening of Barbie either, but 2 out of 3 isn't bad, and its more than enough justification to ask you guys what quote you think she should use if deciding to open the Magician's Nephew in a similar fashion.
It should ideally be no longer than the ones above, and should likewise speak to the overall themes and ideas of the movie itself.
CS Lewis quotes are an obvious starting point, though I'll offer bonus points if anyone can come up with a suitable non-Lewis quote which perfectly encapsulates the themes of Magician's Nephew. Perhaps one by Joy Davidman?
Would you like us to share what quotes we'd put in front of a Magician's Nephew movie or which ones Greta Gerwig might put? I feel like I could be able to give some good guesses to the latter once she does more interviews, ones where she shares her specific vision for that particular Narnia story.
Right now...my best guess would be that C. S. Lewis quote about how reading fantasy makes (or should make) real woods feel enchanted. She alluded to that in an interview like it had been on her mind, so maybe that's a hint about her intentions for the movie and what she wants the main theme to be.
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@icarus it would not be appropriate to use work by Joy to introduce a Narnia story. There is plenty by Jack himself.
There, shining in the sunrise, larger than they had seen him before, shaking his mane (for it had apparently grown again) stood Aslan himself.
"...when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards."
Posted : July 9, 2025 12:01 am
@icarus it would not be appropriate to use work by Joy to introduce a Narnia story. There is plenty by Jack himself.
Fair enough, just wanted to encourage people to think outside the box. It's merely an intellectual exercise after all.
Personally I was thinking, as a starting point perhaps, maybe something from "A Grief Observed". For example, the opening line:
"No-one ever told me that grief felt so like fear"
It would serve well to ground the audience in Digory's emotional perspective going into the movie, alludes somewhat to the author-proxy nature of Digory's character, and I like how the comparison to "fear" would play into people's reading of later scenes in Charn etc.
It's maybe though a tad too heavy to open the movie with, therefore maybe I need to find a quote which hits all of the same beats, but has more of a joyful and uplifting resonance.
"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world" - CS Lewis
This is the journey
This is the trial
For the hero inside us all
I can hear adventure call
Here we go
Posted : July 16, 2025 5:18 pm
"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world" - CS Lewis
This is a great quote, but my concern would be that the start of a Narnia movie wouldn't be the right context for it. Lewis is, of course, talking about us being truly made for heaven and not for this mortal world — voiced most directly in the Narnia books by Jewel's "I have come home at last!" speech in Aslan's country, near the end of The Last Battle.
But a general / secular audience, watching a Narnia movie, probably won't "get" that (or even if they do, they may not like or agree with that theological idea). They could possibly even mistake it as referring to being dissatisfied with our ordinary world and wanting to escape into a fantasy world (i.e. Narnia), which is not what Lewis was suggesting at all.
"Now you are a lioness," said Aslan. "And now all Narnia will be renewed."
(Prince Caspian)
This is a great quote, but my concern would be that the start of a Narnia movie wouldn't be the right context for it. Lewis is, of course, talking about us being truly made for heaven and not for this mortal world — voiced most directly in the Narnia books by Jewel's "I have come home at last!" speech in Aslan's country, near the end of The Last Battle.
But a general / secular audience, watching a Narnia movie, probably won't "get" that (or even if they do, they may not like or agree with that theological idea). They could possibly even mistake it as referring to being dissatisfied with our ordinary world and wanting to escape into a fantasy world (i.e. Narnia), which is not what Lewis was suggesting at all.
well what can I say, it was worth a shot.
This is the journey
This is the trial
For the hero inside us all
I can hear adventure call
Here we go
I've seen a few people quote this line with regard to it being a possible explanation for the 1950s setting....
Perhaps if would also work well as the on-screen quote to open the movie with as well:
This is a story about something that happened long ago when your grandfather was a child...
It kind of almost has a Star Wars vibe to it as an opening quote.
"A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away..."
Topic starter
Posted : August 13, 2025 11:15 am
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