Thanks, Warrior!

I personally think the "Just be yourself because you're a wonderful person" message seemed somewhat trite. Maybe it's just because it is used a lot. But maybe it bothers me because it is focused so definitely on Lucy herself that it doesn't sound right coming from Aslan. The effect of being near Aslan seems to be becoming aware of one's wrongdoing, admitting it, and receiving forgiveness and strength to do better.
I don't think reminding Lucy of her wrongdoing and imperfection is at all the wrong thing to do, because she knows that if she follow him, she will become a better person. And becoming a better, more lion-like person is a great deal more significant than learning to accept and like oneself.

I did really like this scene. Mainly the part where Lucy talks to Aslan. Acting wise I felt this was some of Georgie's best stuff in VDT. Her eyes showed how guilty she felt and Aslan did have some great lines in there too. Showing how Lucy does look to Aslan for guidence I like alot.

I see Aslan's message as "do not covet what others have". Lucy wants to become someone else, to be as pretty as or even prettier than her sister. But Aslan teaches her to appreciate what she has been gifted with (i.e. faith, kindness, whatever). If it sounds more like Disney/Hollywood-ish "believe in yourself", then perhaps it's the moviemakers' attempt to tune down the message so as not to sound too Christian. IMHO, YMMV and all that.

Thanks, aslan'scountry. I think you do have a point.

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

Aslan said in the movie that Lucy should not wish herself away, because she was the first who found Narnia. That is not the same thing at all as what you are saying is trite and humanistic. And didn't someone notice that Lucy, who was preening her hair like that girl flirting with the soldier outside of Kings College, also preened her hair when facing Aslan at the end? Hadn't Lucy shown by then, that is more important to want to be pleasing to Aslan in Narnia than to the world? Of course you are right about spiritual imperfections. We should strive to be more pleasing to God than to the world. But that is all of us, men included, as the film makes perfectly clear in that last bit. Handsome is as handsome does applies to women as well as men, no doubt. And vice versa.

But Lucy's role in the beauty spell, and what Aslan told her, is not Humanism. Not at all. Nor is it trite or being untrue to C.S.Lewis. I'm sorry, but I should have emphasized something else in my last post. That whereas I've always seen VDT as being about the 7 Deadly Sins, especially Greed, this film has a different emphasis. Yes it shows the 7 Deadlies and where they get us, whichever of the 7 you like to mention, but the film tends to emphasize Jealousy as much as or more than Greed.

Materialism is even worse a message than is Humanism, quite frankly, don't you think? Do you think that there weren't women's magazines around during WW2 and even in my grandmother's day which said 'Wear this, or try that and you, too (ugly piece of work though you or I may look - that is the subtext) will look as glamorous as Rachel Hunter, or whichever famous star is on the front page of Women's Weekly, Who, TV times, Woman's Day or No Idea or whichever? My grandmother told me that there were men's magazines even in 1910, never mind Hugh Hefner, and she knew about it since it seems her dad got a job as a printer and a compositor.

When Lucy looked in the book she had already fallen for the Materialism argument, don't you think? The BBC version of VDT has Aslan asking how long Lucy had envied her sister, but doesn't really develop this argument more, or show what the consequences might be, apart from her sister not liking her any more. The book has a whole montage of consequences of Lucy's saying the spell, such as the land being laid waste (more so than what was already happening in WW2).

The whole world of Materialism depends on envy, one-upmanship and keeping up with the Joneses. And yes, I think that men don't help much. Whilst they might like to be attracted to a beautiful woman, they sometimes put too much store in beauty, themselves, whilst picking on some poor girl for being unhappy about how they treat her. Whilst I see what you say, I still think that what C.S.Lewis had Caspian say about the Duke of Galma's daughter (squints and has freckles) is downright despicable, theologically correct or not. The sort of attitude Caspian'd picked up from Uncle Miraz, no doubt.

Aslan calls to Lucy when she is first tempted in warning. Later, when she sees Aslan beside her in the mirror, she had already seen the consequences of her trying that spell and had found it nightmarish. She is already repentant and doesn't need the sort of telling off you think ought to be doled out to her. The very sort of telling off that has been doled out to women for Yonks. And why is Lucy tempted? Because 'everyone' says how mature Susan is, how beautiful she is, even her brothers, even Caspian. And as we the fans know, Susan will be the one who will forget Narnia in LB. No, it is not being untrue to C.S.Lewis' Narnia stories to put this bit in.

I did not like this scene. Lucy turning into Susan was just strange. I think the book version would have worked just as well with their theme of temptation. The temptation to be the most beautiful girl in the world would certainly be a strong one. I also don't like how she tore out the page and tried to read it later, either. That doesn't really fit in with her character from the book at all.

You'd be surprised how often tearing out pages doesn't suit the character of the people who do it. (evil grin). But what can they do, when there isn't a photocopier handy?

I'd agree with you, especially when in real life photocopiers are supplied in most libraries for the purpose of photocopying the info one wants. But this time the page tearing is in a movie representation of a magical book able to flip forward or refuse to go back. Maybe it can fix itself, or at least hopefully there is a spell to repair books magically.

I liked that book.

Umm well it was kind of cheesy, but it was alright.
I didn't like the scene but I didn't hate it either.

I was afraid that I wouldn't like the scene at all and that it would just be weird and not make sense. I ended up really liking it and I thought they did an excellent job not letting it get too weird! Anna Popplewell did such a good job in that scene that I forgot it was her and went on thinking it was Georgie as Lucy turned into Susan. (If that makes sense) I was duly impressed by the transition between Lucy's and Susan's faces. The garden party looked and sounded AMAZING and I am now of the very definite opinion that Walden Media needs to make a WWII movie.
Aslan's message to Lucy and the lesson she learned from the incident was also well done. I was afraid it was going to be corny and all about the "be yourself" message that is the only message Hollywood is not afraid to preach anymore. (so lame!) But it turned out to be deeper and better than that. It was about Lucy excepting who she was, but the way Aslan said it made it sound (at least to me) like it was more along the lines of "I made you who you are. I had a plan for all of you and this is how I used you in the plan. Without you, the plan wouldn't have worked. Don't wish yourself away and try to undo what I have planned because it is perfect and you need to humbly accept yourself as yourself and be grateful for what I have given you because it was all done from love."
The only thing that bothered me about this scene was that there was a fireplace in her cabin! Nobody in their right mind puts a fireplace on a WOODEN ship! (not unless its in the galley where its controlled by the cook!)

Very well made cinematographically. Transitions and effects were very good.

It adds a lot to the story. It shows the themes of temptation, as well as envy and jealousy. And it keeps it innocent enough that Lucy wants to be pretty like Susan in order to attract positive attention in general from people and handsome boys- but that there is no specific boy she is interested in, since Lucy is still rather young. More like Susan is regarded as "the pretty one" and Lucy may be tired of being simply seen as "the smart one" and wants to be considered pretty as well.

I thought it was very well done, despite being quite nervous about it being overly cheesy at the beginning. I was surprised to find I actually really liked the scene by the end of it, and I thought that it was a wonderful way for Susan and Peter to have a cameo in the film. I also really liked the way the the underlying message was portrayed- it wasn't too blatently just "be yourself" which is really overdone. I think they played it just right, and I have to agree- Anna Popplewell's acting in that scene was amazing

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.

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'.

Yes, and also "The truth in Theology" and a few lines in between. I just saw the movie and I'm wondering what on earth was meant by including "The truth in Theology" in a list of "Invisible" items?
Thoughts, anyone?

I'm afraid I did not like that scene at all. I cringed and closed my eyes and ears when it came up.

I was just kinda skimming through this topic when I read your comment. I have a lot of respect for you. Just curious though, if you covered your eyes and ears how do you know you don't like that part? It wouldn't seem you even gave it a chance.

loved this scene. i thought it was a fantastic addition to the story, and Lucy's subplot.

I loved it. To me this scene was very well made, and adapted very well. Yeah Aslans words at the end were not ideal to me, but overall i had no problem with them. I liked how they changed the music, especially. It was really cool. One of the better scenes from the movie for me.

I kind of liked this scene, I think it was very well done and it completed Lucy's arc quite nicely.