Actually, I don't think this particular topic has been brought up on the new forum (it might have on the old, but I'm not going to dig through the archives to find out right now).

The short answer to your question is: because Adamson wanted it to happen that way. The long answer is: because the screenwriters weren't following the book. There really isn't any other explanation that I can think of. Lucy shouldn't have been able to get in, but she did.

There was a book-related conversation awhile back on if it is possible to get into Narnia by trying. You can find it here: http://forum.narniaweb.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1599

The books never spell out the rule that you cannot get to Narnia by trying... but it does seem very likely. It is the only satisfying explanation for why the Pevensies could not get through the wardrobe when they inspected it after Lucy's first adventure.

So yeah, as a fan, it does bother me a little that Movie-Lucy was able to get to Narnia by trying. I like the idea of hoping that I'll find myself in Narnia someday more than wondering how I could get there.

I'm sure it was done for convenience. Adamson decided he wanted to use the hide-and-seek game for Lucy's first adventure, rather than her second. In order to honor the "rule," they would've had to set up a situation where Lucy could get in without meaning to, and that would take time.

Perhaps, Narnia wasn't appearing for Lucy in that moment, but rather for Edmund- since Edmund had no belief in Narnia at all. This could be a little far fetched, but, maybe, so long as at least one person wasn't looking for Narnia, the door would open. When you think of the time that all four Pevensies entered Narnia together, you have to wonder if Narnia wasn't on Lucy's mind. Sure, they are trying to escape from the Macready, but it's hard to believe that one such as Lucy wouldn't be thinking of Narnia just a tiny bit while they are in the wardrobe.

It probably was designed as an ease between scenes in the movie, but I like to think of it as being only one person didn't have to be looking to get in (Lucy- 1st time, Edmund- 2nd, Peter and Susan- the 3rd).

This "rule" is a bit loose even in the books. There are a couple instances where the characters try to get into Narnia, but end up getting there by "accident" anyways. Take the doorway in The Silver Chair or the raillway accident in The Last Battle for example. The rings in The Magicians Newphew make things even more complicated. Keep in mind that Lucy couldn't be sure that she would get back in. Narnia wasn't there when the others looked, an experience that would create some doubt in her mind. Her attempt to get into Narnia in the movie is more like Jill and Eustance's hopeful attempts.

I remember discussing this topic back in the day, but not for years, so kudos to you on bringing it up again -centaur-

"No," [Professor Kirke] said, "I don't think it will be any good trying to go back through the wardrobe door to get the coats. You won't get into Narnia again by that route. ....
But don't go trying to use the same route twice. Indeed, don't try to get there at all. It'll happen when you're not looking for it."

Is this the only part of the Narnia books that talk about it?

For me personally, this is not a "you cannot get to Narnia when you're looking for it" statement. It's a "you probably won't get there by looking so don't waste your time" statement. (I like to imagine that Digory might have tried to get back into Narnia and couldn't so he's sharing his own experiences here. )

What is a far more important clue about the children getting into Narnia is in The Silver Chair.

"I was wondering--I mean--could there be some mistake? Because nobody called me and Scrubb, you know. It was we who asked to come here. Scrubb said we were to call to--to Somebody--it was a name I wouldn't know--and perhaps the Somebody would let us in. And we did, and then we found the door open."
"You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you," said the Lion.
"Then you are Somebody, Sir?" said Jill.
"I am."

So I would argue that you can't get into Narnia by going "I feel like going to Narnia today!" walk over to your closet door, throw it open, and walk into Narnia. But if Aslan calls you into Narnia first, and he does so by causing you to want to go looking for it, then you can, in fact, find it.
Because of that, this was one of the changes in the movies I personally didn't mind at all.

Question: In the movie, why was the wardrobe closed when the older Pevensies inspected it?

But if Aslan calls you into Narnia first, and he does so by causing you to want to go looking for it, then you can, in fact, find it.

But you could only get that from reading the book. Is there any reason for a non-reader to believe that Lucy was somehow being "called"?

Lewis went out of his way to not have the kids get to Narnia by trying. He very carefully avoided it.

For example, Lewis could easily have had Lucy simply check out the wardrobe during the hide-and-seek game and get into Narnia. That seems like the obvious thing to do. But Lewis didn't do that. Instead, he had her hear footsteps and then jump into the wardrobe with the intention of hiding.

It also would have been easy to have Jill and Eustace transported when they asked. Instead, Lewis had bullies chase them, so they would open the door and be surprised when they found it led to another world.

My idea: What if Lucy was seen lying in bed asleep...and then a mysterious noise woke her up? Perhaps a soft lion growl and a strange soft gust of wind (Remember, at this point in the film we know nothing about Aslan). She gets up and walks to the wardrobe to investigate. That might more clearly convey the idea that Lucy was being "called." It is unlikely that viewers would pick up on that during the first viewing... It would be another layer of depth to be discovered upon reflection and repeat viewings. Just like the book.

My idea: What if Lucy was seen lying in bed asleep...and then a mysterious noise woke her up? Perhaps a soft lion growl and a strange soft gust of wind (Remember, at this point in the film we know nothing about Aslan). She gets up and walks to the wardrobe to investigate. That might more clearly convey the idea that Lucy was being "called." It is unlikely that viewers would pick up on that during the first viewing... It would be another layer of depth to be discovered upon reflection and repeat viewings. Just like the book.

Upon thinking about it, I do believe it is there glumPuddle. In the film, when Lucy and Edmund go to Narnia, Lucy is supposed to be asleep. However, she lies in bed- eyes in a "ponder" look as she stares at the lit candle glowing. The lit candle = the lamppost in lantern waste. Now, why would Lucy have a candle lit at night when she's supposed to be asleep? Could the burning candle light remind her of the lamppost in Narnia? If you want to take it a step further, could it be argued that the lamppost light is like the light of Aslan? Whereas the lamppost is an actual light that leads the Pevensies into Narnia and back home throught the wardrobe, Aslan is the everlasting light that guides them on their journey. (Candle light leads Lucy to the wardrobe- the lamppost guides Lucy/Pevensies through Narnia- Aslan guides Pevensies through their entire journey).

I always took it to mean that you probably wouldn't find Narnia simply because you wanted to. I never thought of it as a hard and fast rule where it was impossible.

I actually preferred the way things were set up in the movie as to how Lucy gets into the wardrobe. In the book upon her first entrance she simply feels like getting into the wardrobe. I don't know about anyone else but I just felt that was a bit odd. I mean how many of us just feel like hopping into a random wardrobe? I think it would have looked even peculiar on screen where there would be no explanation what so ever.

It made more sense for her to get into the wardrobe the first time while playing hide and seek and then to wonder whether it really happened and try again.

It wan't as if Lucy was sure it would happen either. I mean it would be different if the film set it up so that everytime the children wanted to get in they would be allowed to do so. Assuming Aslan is the one controlling the wardrobe magic, that would make it seem as if the children could force him to let them into Narnia. But it wasn't like that in the movie. It was Lucy questioning what had happened and wondering what if it was real.

Really, I think its a minute detail. Is there any real significance in it being impossible to get into Narnia just because you want to or hope to?

Very interesting point, -centaur-. I never thought of that before.

Like the others above me, I think it was something the filmmakers did for convenience's sake. Plus, the "rule" in the book was never stated as a rule, per se. More of a likely guess or generalization.

Andrew Adamson might not have even thought of it as an inaccuracy. Like myself, he might not have even thought about it at all. I never would have realized it was an inaccuracy if -centaur- hadn't pointed it out.

I suppose it could be considered a mistake on the filmmakers' part. But it's a minor one. Personally, I think there are far worse inaccuracies in the movies than that one. But it is very interesting.

~Riella

In the book upon her first entrance she simply feels like getting into the wardrobe. I don't know about anyone else but I just felt that was a bit odd. I mean how many of us just feel like hopping into a random wardrobe? I think it would have looked even peculiar on screen where there would be no explanation what so ever.

In the book Lucy goes into the wardrobe because she loves the smell and feel of fur. That would probably be the reason why she even tries to open the door - at least it is the reason why she goes in when she finds the door unlocked. She goes in to touch, almost cuddle, the fur coats.

I suppose it could have been done that way in the movie as well - when she sees the wardrobe, she might exclaim, "Oh, fur coats!" and run into it and rub her face against the first coat - and then go to the coat behind it - and the one behind - and so on until what she hugged, wasn't soft any more.

I can see how the movie makers felt that it might look contrived, though. But I don't think it would have been impossible.

Is there any real significance in it being impossible to get into Narnia just because you want to or hope to?

I think that anything that tries to force Aslan to let you in, won't work - although this is more than just wanting to get in. The last attempt to use the rings might come into that category (but not the first, where the rings work according to their nature, and Aslan perhaps uses them to get humans into Narnia).

Another example of "forcing Aslan's hand" is the suggestion that Eustace abandons without even trying it.

"You mean we might draw a circle on the ground - and write in queer letters in it - and stand inside it - and recite charms and spells?"

"Well," said Eustace after he had thought hard for a bit. "I believe that was the sort of thing I was thinking of, though I never did it. But now that it comes to the point, I've an idea that all those circles and things are rather rot. I don't think he'd like them. It would look as if we thought we could make him do things. But really, we can only ask him."

When they ask him, he doesn't answer by letting them in. But something happens so they forget about having asked - and then he lets them in. If there's any significance in that, it might be that it leaves the initiative to Aslan - perhaps he even sends them the bullies who have them run to the door in the wall. A little bit like the lion in HHB who scares the riders enough to make them ride close to each other, and then join up as a team.

I'm not sure Lewis was quite consistent in this matter, either. Sometimes the magic does work and Aslan "obeys his own magic". So it may not be much of a mistake to let Lucy try the wardrobe again and this time find that it takes her into Narnia.

Honestly, I didn't find it a problem... I don't think that the Professor was laying down a Be-All-End-All for getting into Narnia, but rather presenting a general guideline (which would fit with the book canon). Still, it's an interesting conundrum if one takes his word as law... hm.

I suppose it could have been done that way in the movie as well - when she sees the wardrobe, she might exclaim, "Oh, fur coats!" and run into it and rub her face against the first coat - and then go to the coat behind it - and the one behind - and so on until what she hugged, wasn't soft any more.

I can see how the movie makers felt that it might look contrived, though. But I don't think it would have been impossible.

At first I thought this was insane from a film-making perspective ( ), but after thinking about it, it could actually work. If they had an earlier scene to set this up--say, Lucy's mum has an old fur coat--they could then have her mom wrap a frightened and cold Lucy up in it. Perhaps this could take place during the bombing scene. Fur would then represent the love of her parents and safety to Lucy, so, when she opens the wardrobe and finds a fur coat (perhaps it even looks like her mum's?), she immediately remembers that warm feeling she's come to associate it with, and so steps into the wardrobe, intent on feeling that closeness.

Then, of course, she'd find something a bit more than a coat in that wardrobe. And even more, later, she'd find safety in an entirely new type of fur coat... except this fur coat is still on the glorious Lion.

At first I thought this was insane from a film-making perspective ( ), but after thinking about it, it could actually work. If they had an earlier scene to set this up--say, Lucy's mum has an old fur coat--they could then have her mom wrap a frightened and cold Lucy up in it. Perhaps this could take place during the bombing scene. Fur would then represent the love of her parents and safety to Lucy, so, when she opens the wardrobe and finds a fur coat (perhaps it even looks like her mum's?), she immediately remembers that warm feeling she's come to associate it with, and so steps into the wardrobe, intent on feeling that closeness.

Then, of course, she'd find something a bit more than a coat in that wardrobe. And even more, later, she'd find safety in an entirely new type of fur coat... except this fur coat is still on the glorious Lion.

That is pure genius, I would have loved to see that in film. Anyways, I think that Andrew was looking for an easy way out. Henceforth he really didn't care if he contradicted himself. But it works, doesn't it? So in the end, I can only give you... "Just Because"

Now, why would Lucy have a candle lit at night when she's supposed to be asleep?

I would say it was because she was trying to stay awake until everyone else was asleep so she could try without being ridiculed. Maybe if you say it opened because Edmund was coming and he didn't intend it would work, but I like the set-up fur coats and/or Aslan's call better. The latter would be interesting, especially in light of the Lion Tumnus saw in the fire in the movie. And I can name 4 people who got into Narnia while trying, Shasta, Aravis, Bree, and Hwin.

And I can name 4 people who got into Narnia while trying, Shasta, Aravis, Bree, and Hwin.

Good point, It's kind of a loophole I suppose.

I guess I never really thought about how it differs in the movie. Another issue to ponder!

(so many heated Narnia discussions going on right on now. This tourney is great for NW! )