Eleanor's Secret

Movie review by Barbara Shulgasser-Parker, Common Sense Media
Eleanor's Secret Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 5+

Reading saves the day in charming, mildly perilous tale.

NR 2009 80 minutes
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Parents say

age 6+

Based on 4 reviews

Kids say

age 2+

Based on 1 review

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Eleanor's Secret is a 2010 French animated family treat that will enchant kids with its reverence for fairy tales and emphasis on the importance of make-believe. The action begins after the death of a beloved aunt who read stories aloud. Her absence means that characters from the world's great children's literature she loved so much face the possibility of disappearing. Her young nephew Nat, who struggles with reading aloud, is anointed "The Great Reader" by his aunt, charged with saving the stories. A wicked witch shrinks him to the size of his books' illustrations, and, from that disadvantage, he must evade such terrors as a normal-sized toddler's grabby hands, a crab's pincers, and other magnified perils as he labors to save the fairy tales.

Community Reviews

RonjasMom
RonjasMom Adult
May 31, 2020
age 6+

We enjoyed it

We found this movie to be more entertaining than most. This isn't surprising, given that GKIDS is the primary distributor of 21st century children's movies that are worth watching. The values are decent. I liked seeing everyone work together to solve a problem, though the premise that a child's reading problems can be solved in less than a day, just by raising the stakes sufficiently, is silly and unhelpful.
cmccloskey74
cmccloskey74 Adult
June 17, 2019
age 8+

Great movie with a great message but be aware of some cultural differences in the animation

This is a good family movie. It has a great message about confidence and perseverance and - overall - it's a great pick. However, I will warn that there is a statue that is shown in two scenes, one where it is the focus, that depicts a topless figure. It is a life size native looking wooden figure - very geometrical in shape but it clearly shows breasts that the kids picked up on right away. A very clear difference between French and American animation. There is nothing wrong with what is shown but get ready for giggles and gasps. In another scene the older sister (maybe supposed to be around 11 or so?) is shown after a bath with a towel wrapped just around her waist. There is nothing to see - could be a little boy or a little girl but the kids picked up on that too when she realized that her brother was in the room and she quickly pulls the towel up to her neck. Just wanted to point it out so you can make up your own mind.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Nat's beloved great-aunt Eleanor has died and left the family her beach house. Nat cherished listening to her read stories to him, so it's no surprise that her final gift to him is the house's locked library, "ELEANOR'S SECRET," filled with valuable first edition fairy tales and children's books. The family doesn't know their value, and, needing money to make repairs, they agree to sell the books for a pittance to a canny junk dealer expecting to make a killing on the resale. At the same time, the books' characters explain to Nat that he has been selected to be Eleanor's successor as the new Great Reader, champion of the stories. The catch is that first he must read aloud the magic sentence that will keep them alive, a challenge since Nat still can't read aloud.

Is It Any Good?

This charming celebration of the imagination is a visual and emotional gem. The delightful animation in Eleanor's Secret is quirky and reminiscent of the vivid drawings of the Stinky Cheese Man illustrator Lane Smith. Although an ogre, a wicked witch, and mildly perilous adventures may worry smaller children, the idea that fictional characters from different stories are all friends who band together to save themselves so that more kids may enjoy them is something most kids can happily root for.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Nat's struggle to read aloud in Eleanor's Secret. Did you believe that Nat would be able to overcome his fear of reading aloud? How do you handle reading aloud?

  • Does Nat believe the fairy tale characters are real? Can book characters be make-believe but also real inside your imagination?

  • How is this French animated tale similar to and different from American movies for kids?

  • How do the characters in Eleanor's Secret demonstrate courage? Why is this an important character strength?

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