Holiday Gift Idea – Ramona and Beezus Blu-ray

I was so excited when I first heard that Ramona and Beezus was getting made into a movie,  because Beverly Cleary’s Ramona books were some of my favorites when I was a kid. Even though the movie switched the title around – the book this movie is based on is titled “Beezus and Ramona” – I thought they did a fantastic job of both staying true to the book while making the story appeal to a modern audience. Bravo, 20th Century Fox!

We received Ramona and Beezus on Blu-ray for review. I popped it in on a Saturday afternoon, hoping Kaitlyn would sit still and at least watch some of it with me. The boys asked what I was watching and I told them, and neither of them left the room, much to my surprise. And to my greater surprise, both of them watched the movie all the way through and said it was “pretty good”, which is extremely high praise coming from 14 and 11 year old boys!

The adorable Ramona, who is 4 in the book, is a kindergartner in the movie and seems closer to age 6.  She’s played perfectly by newcomer Joey King. Her older sister Beezus (the name comes from Ramona’s inability to pronounce Beatrice) is played by Selena Gomez (“Wizards of Waverly Place”), her parents by John Corbett (“Sex and the City”) and Bridget Moynahan (” Blue Bloods”). Other stars in this movie include Ginnifer Goodwin (“Big Love”), Josh Duhamel (“Life as We Know It”), and Sandra Oh (“Grey’s Anatomy”).

Ramona is a free spirit with a soaring imagination, who believes that anything is possible. Her daydreams are part of the movie, like when she jumps from a hole in the side of the family’s house (they are renovating) and imagines herself flying through the air on a parachute.  When Ramona learns that her father has lost his job and they might lose the house,  she sets out to earn enough money on her own to save her house while her dad finds a new job.

Meanwhile, her aunt Bea (Goodwin) realizes that a neighbor is the boy who broke her heart in high school and is trying to resist his charms, and Beezus is falling for a classmate.  Ultimately, this is a sweet movie about the importance of being true to who you are and about loving your family for themselves.

BLU-RAY BONUS FEATURES:

Deleted Scenes
Gag Reel
Show & Tell Film School – Director Elizabeth Allen tells kids the “secrets” to  becoming a director and a filmmaker.
My Ramona with Author Beverly Cleary – Author Beverly Cleary talks about her inspiration for the Ramona books and what it took to write them.
Theatrical Trailer

GREAT GIFT FOR: Ramona and Beezus is rated “G” and could be given as a gift to any age, but I think it would be an especially great gift for tween girls ages 9-12.  $27.99 with Free Super Saver Shipping on Amazon.com.