The Magic Faraway Tree

I hadn’t heard of Enid Blyton’s “Faraway Tree” series of children’s books — not surprising as they came out between 1939 and 1951 and were more popular in Great Britain than the States. There was a series of BBC shorts back in the 1990s, but after several fits and starts the moviemakers haven’t gotten around to a film adaptation until now.

“The Magic Faraway Tree,” loosely adapted from one of the books, is an uplifting and delightful picture that had me smiling from ear to ear. It’s probably best aimed at children age 10 and under, though I’d like to think this is one of those rare family films that even surly teens can enjoy.

(Well, not mine, but maybe yours.)

The story has familiar themes: a family moves from the big city to the countryside to downshift their busy lives and reconnect, and the kids discover the neighboring forest is enchanted and filled with all sorts of faeries, pixies and other magical creatures. The action in the faraway realm comments upon and influences happenings in the real world, as mum and dad face challenges in chasing their own dreams.

Claire Foy and Andrew Garfield play the parents, Polly and Tim Thompson, though they’re very much in the background. The real central figure is Fran, the middle child played winningly by Billie Gadsdon, who is smart and shy. As the story opens, she barely speaks at all and tends to be overlooked in favor of her siblings.

Joe (Phoenix Laroche) is the youngest, rambunctious and obsessed with video games and other electronic diversions, while teen sister Beth (Delilah Bennett-Cardy) is headstrong and a bit of a bully, very upset about giving up her social life to live in the sticks. She takes every advantage possible to stick it to her parents, especially Tim, a sweet-natured house husband who thinks they can make a living growing tomatoes for his secret family recipe sauce.

Polly is the practical one, an engineer who created a best-selling refrigerator with A.I. that was secretly spying on its customers, including them. She’s a bit skeptical at first of the plan, especially when she sees the drafty old barn they’ll be living in. But she soon puts her inventive mind to the task, creating an irrigation system and greenhouse for Tim’s tomatoes. Their own relationship blooms as well.

Fran receives an invitation from one of the faeries, Silky (Nicola Coughlan), a bubbly sort who’s very proud of her blonde hair. This leads her to the Faraway Tree, which is virtually an entire ecosystem, not to mention domicile for all manner of woodland denizens. She has a day of fun with them, and eventually persuades Joe and Beth to come back with her.

The faeries include Moonface (Nonso Anozie), a very officious sort with a voluminous half-moon coiffure; Mr. Watzisname (Oliver Chris), who as the name implies has long forgotten his own name, but seems nice; Saucepan Man (Dustin Demri-Burns), who wears a suit made up of various kitchenware and gets offended when anyone asks him why; and Jessica Gunning as Dame Washalot, whose job is to wash everybody’s clothes and act as the wayfinder for their various adventures.

Every day, the faeries travel “up top” via an incredible ladder that climbs high into the clouds, with the destination changing according to a spinning wheel controlled by Washalot. Every place is a good one, though you can get into trouble if you don’t follow the rules or overstay past the appointed time.

For example, Fran’s first visit is to the land of Goodies, sort of a Willy Wonka-ish bazaar filled with every sort of candy. The fruit punch is excellent but packs a wallop — literally. Watch out for the marshmallow trees.

Later they go to the land where every day is your birthday, complete with your own customized wish. Some bad wish choices result in a necessitated visit to Mr. Oom Boom Boom to reverse them. He’s a bit conniving and is played by Simon Farnaby, who also penned the screenplay, having written the last two “Paddington” films.

There are some villainous figures to be encountered, led by Dame Snap (Rebecca Ferguson in a fantastically gravity-defying hairdo), who has a school where misbehaving faeries are sent for stern instruction. Her earthly counterpart is Polly’s mum (Jennifer Saunders), a corporate bigwig with a Germanic slant who can’t believe her daughter has resorted to living in squalor in the country.

Various hijinks ensue, including a visit to the Know-Alls, wise old men who have been dispensing advice so long their beards have grown into each other like a thicket. The rest I’ll leave you to discover.

Director Ben Gregor nails the tone of whimsy and wonderment, with just enough grounding in real world troubles for it not to seem like a total flight of fancy. It’s a great-looking picture (cinematography by Zac Nicholson) with all sorts of bright colors and intimate details hidden in the corner of the frame. The magic tree segments feel like a mix of Oz and the Shire.

Ultimately, the theme of “The Magic Faraway Tree” is togetherness — how a family that seems close can feel ever so far apart, and how things that exist on the edge of imagination can impact us so profoundly. Sometimes, it’s only when you change your setting and outlook that you remember the magic of the people right next to you.

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