I thought that was a great addition to the story. I never had any reservations about the Lucy subplot, and I thought the way they brought it to life on screen was very tastefully done. I especially liked the scene with Lucy & Aslan, because it was one of the few moments we got to see Aslan, and more specifically, Lucy's special relationship with him. The cinematography of that scene was gorgeous - I don't know how to describe it, but that scene just really stands out in my memory. I loved Aslan's line, "You wished yourself away." (I think that's how the line goes, if I remember correctly.)

I also liked how they wove Will & Anna's cameos into the film without it seeming too out of place. I loved the way they chose to portray that scene.

I was EXTREMELY relieved when I saw that Will and Anna's cameos were in that scene. I was deathly afraid they would be in Narnia.

I enjoyed the scene a lot, especially the 'It's a Wonderful Life' moment. I didn't like Aslan's humanistic message to Lucy. What about repenting of one's pride and jealousy? What about needing redemption? Bah. But everything in the scene leading up to that point was very good.

I'm kind of amazed how so many people want every message from the book spelled out, circled, highlighted, "Period, Exclamation Mark". Repentance was not there explicitly, but Lucy definitely had repentance written all over her face in this scene. I really like how they fleshed this scene out. In the book and even in BBC it's a very brief moment. Here they show Lucy is really thinking about it and is struggling with the temptation. And I really like how it shows the consequences of the sin of jealousy and what it can lead to. See the movie more than once. It is so much deeper than many of us realize.

I'm afraid I did not like that scene at all. I cringed and closed my eyes and ears when it came up. (My brother rolled over and fell asleep) It took too much away from the real story--an extra subplot that to me seemed to very typically standard boring Hollywood. They have a way of making movies, and a stereo type as to how characters should behave and act...it was just too typical.
They could have used the time for a whole ton of more important themes in the story that they elliminated or shortened or barely brushed over.
That's my opinion, although I think I lot of people will probably not agree with me...I really don't mind other people liking it...just I didn't...

I loved that bit! it's so scary because you think Lucy really did read the spell and I love how Aslan talks to her!

The scene scared me at first because I thought, like others, that she HAD read the spell. "Now what? It's too late, the magic is done!" And then I forgot about that, because I was too caught up in the England dream scene, which I loved, by the way.

I thought it was very well done, overall. And it gets better the more you watch it. I also have to note that I liked how Aslan came out of the fire when she burnt the spell, similarly to in LWW, when He comes out of the fire to break the spell Tumnus is weaving over Lucy.

ChristProclamer, I had completely forgotten about the fire part in this scene. I loved that, too. Completely reminiscent of LWW.

This entire scene really captured me, because it did things I didn't expected.

Fencer, I don't need things spelt out in an overt manner (I'm one of those who thought there was far more telling than showing in VDT). But, I didn't get the feeling that Lucy had truly repented. Maybe I was more focused on Aslan's airy-fairy advice to her. Ick.

For what it was, it was a very well done scene. It managed not be forced or insincere. Like Warrior4Jesus, I didn't like what the message ended up being about: "just be yourself." It drives me up the wall to find this message in EVERY kid-oriented movie.

What I found interesting was earlier in the movie when Lucy was reading the spell to make things invisible, visible. The words themselves were interestingly chosen. I don't have my copy of VDT with me, but I'm pretty sure Lewis doesn't include the actual words of the spell. But I liked the way they did it in the film.

Yes the spell was not spelled out in the book. I liked the philological way they did it. It depends on how good at spelling people are, you see. Something about, 'like the P in Psychology and the H in Psychiatry'. Sorry I can't remember it exactly.

Fencer, I don't need things spelt out in an overt manner (I'm one of those who thought there was far more telling than showing in VDT). But, I didn't get the feeling that Lucy had truly repented but maybe I was more focuse on Aslan's airy-fairy advice to her. Ick.

Lucy did truly repent. She burned the spell, she stopped Caspian and Edmund from their quarrel, and she also told Gael that she would grow up to be herself. What would you have preferred to happen? In the BBC version, I think Aslan asks Lucy how long has she been jealous of her sister. But it doesn't show her trying the second spell or Aslan doing anything about it.

This way at least we see a possible consequence of some sort. And I liked the gold lettering over the mirror reflection as part of the beauty spell, which specifically says something about becoming the person the reader agrees is more beautiful than oneself.

Frankly I didn't find the advice Aslan gave Lucy airy-fairy. Nor with eating disorders and other personality problems rife in the community, it doesn't hurt to encourage younger film viewers not to emulate fashion models or film stars too much. I found Aslan's advice practical and to the point. After all it is our choices which define who we are, not our abilities or our lineage. It must have been rough for Lucy to see herself as Susan's plainer younger sister.

In days gone by, Mirror, mirror on the wall antics like Lucy's would have labelled the offender the Witch Queen who poisoned Snow White. What advice would you have given Lucy, W4J? To wear sackcloth and ashes on the next social occasion? Go clean out the fireplace? Destroy every mirror on the ship? .

What I also liked about this scene was the use of the mirrored door. By the way, I'd have thought the Susan, Edmund and Peter scene was more American than British, showing my idea of what West Point might be like. The music was chosen well for the era, and Susan's dress also.

My advice to Lucy? Think about your actions and realise you're not perfect. Rely on Aslan for true healing. I guess Lucy repented but Aslan's words to her were still humanistic.

And could it be that with a lot of non-Christians in the audience, humanistic advice might work a long way better than 'think about your actions and realise you are not perfect'? It is very negative to tell someone like Lucy that she isn't perfect. Of course she isn't, and neither is anyone else. It is exactly because of her feeling so imperfect that Lucy was tempted by the beauty spell. If I saw advice like 'think about your actions and realise you are not perfect' coming from Aslan I'd think yes, C.S.Lewis was exactly the woman-hater that he has been too often branded because of Susan in Last Battle.

At this point in time Lucy does not really realise that beautiful Susan is also imperfect, or Peter or even Edmund, even though from time to time she disagrees with them, truthful person though she often is. This is the problem with jealousy; the jealous person over-idealises what the other has and what the jealous person lacks. Lucy is still the baby sister whose nightmare, like Edmund's or Caspian, is that her know-it-all older siblings can well do without her, the second-fiddle, the also-ran. Even in the book, Susan hasn't really suffered because of neglecting schoolwork; she has been rewarded instead. And it isn't a good look for Aslan to encourage the sort fault-finding Lucy indulges in after her siblings refused to follow her in PC.

Furthermore, the pictures in the Book of Incantations spell out what consequences there might be, as does Lucy's beauty episode. By the way, the Book of Incantations was a treat to behold in its own right.

I have long thought VDT was based on the Seven Deadly Sins, in particular Greed. What other deadly sins are depicted in the movie?

Sigh. I know it may sound like I'm making light of girls and women's body issues etc. But I'm not. I don't understand you but that's different. When I say, 'not perfect', I don't mean physically. Everything comes back to spiritual imperfection, recognising our hopeless state and looking to Christ for our hope. A message any less than that isn't biblical, nor is it true to Lewis' works. I don't think a humanistic message should be encouraged. Humanism contains elements of God's truth but much of it is a lie. That's why it's so deadly and subtle. It sounds like His truth. My quarrel isn't with you but with many Christians who don't see this as a problem.