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Still, the power of fairy tales to illuminate transcendent mysteries does glimmer along the feeble threads of this story. It's enough to whet our appetites for bigger (and hopefully better) fairy tales scheduled for the next few months. The Seeker: The Dark is Rising is based on strong source material, but the preview is packed with cliché s. The Golden Compass looks great, but its author has spoken forcefully about how the story was written to lure young readers away from the Christian ideas in The Chronicles of Narnia.

Will any of them surprise us with real resonance or masterful storytelling? Where is the next fantasy adventure that will resonate with the redemptive power of works by C. S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Madeleine L'Engle? Their stories still shine with such heavenly mystery and cosmic imagination that they leave everything else in their stardust.

Talk About It

1. When Tristan pledges his love to Victoria, what's wrong with his perspective? What does he need to learn about love?
2. Discuss the motivations of the many characters pursuing Yvaine. Are any of them honorable?
3. Discuss the witches' compulsion to regain their youthful allure. Is it wrong to try and hang on to physical beauty? Shouldn't we strive to look our best as we age?
4. Captain Shakespeare has some secrets. Is he wrong to keep them secret? Will he be a better person if he brings his secrets out into the open?
5. Stardust suggests that we should always follow the inclinations of our hearts. Is that a good rule to live by?

The Family Corner

Stardust is rated PG-13 for fantasy violence and some risque humor. The film begins with a short tale that culminates in a scene of implied premarital sex, and the film treats this event as a whimsical, amusing situation. There are scenes of magical violence—some comical and some frightening.

Photos © Copyright Paramount Pictures

© Jeffrey Overstreet subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

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