“Bedknobs and Broomsticks” is a Disney movie that takes place during World War II in England. Because of the war, many children were orphaned. Among these children were Carrie, Charles and Paul Rawlins.

They were taken in by a seemingly-ordinary woman named Eglantine Price. She only agreed to take them in temporarily. They were to leave as soon as they found a more suitable home.

Miss Price had a secret. She studied magic through lessons she received in the mail. She hoped to use her magic to somehow help the war effort.

It was her goal to animate inanimate objects and be able to control them in such a way that they would fight for England.  However, her “college” was run by a fraud, named Professor Emelius Browne. He didn’t have the spell that would allow Miss Price to bring objects to life.

The rest of the story is about how Miss Price, Professor Brown and the children find the spell. They journeyed to other lands, faced dangerous foes and ultimately held off a Nazi attack.

The movie gets its name from a spell that Miss Price cast. The spell allows a bed to travel anywhere the riders wish.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It had a nice balance of whimsy and realism. The incorporation of WWII was spectacular. Because of the war, it added an element of realism that many Disney movies lack, which made the plot more believable. At the same time, however, “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” heavily featured magic, which balanced out the realism and made the movie more enjoyable.

The songs and the dances were well done. My personal favorite is the one that occurs on Portobello Road.  It is very complex, incorporates many different music and dancing styles, and is very entertaining.

I loved the personal journeys that some of the characters went on. For example, Miss Price went from being indifferent toward people to a truly caring person. Professor Browne went from being a selfish and narcissistic man to having attachment to other people.

I really enjoyed this movie. Overall, I’d give it a 10/10 rating.

18kweisenborn@usd489.com