The Wizard of Oz Blogathon: Wrapup

Time to tap those slippers together, people…

However, our time in Oz isn’t quite over, because I’ll be posting any late entries I receive here for your reading pleasure.

Speaking of which…

https://www.loc.gov/item/03032405/

Here’s MovieCritic from Movies Meet Their Match with a page-to-screen comparison of Baum’s book and the film.

When I was reading everyone’s entries, a few themes jumped out. The really obvious one is that the film reminds people of home. Oz is a very home-y movie. Home is an oasis from a world that might be harsh or scary or just plain confusing. Even if it’s not that bad, everyone needs a place to clear the head.

Another theme that I see is comfort. Like mac and cheese or a blanket. Plus, it reminds people of being a kid again, and it’s cool that plenty of you wanted to reminisce about your first time seeing the film and how it influenced you growing up.

The other big thing is perseverance. A lot of you were encouraged by the film to push through a tough time, or deal with personal issues, or overcome a fear, and that’s awesome. (For those of you coming in late, no, I’m not going to spoil anything. Here are our lovely participants’ posts on Days One, Two, and Three). 🙂

One of the reasons Oz works is that those who made it didn’t set out to craft the most-watched film in history. It was just MGM Production 1060. A prestige picture, to be sure, but still just another of the many movies the studio released every year. It must have been a surprise to the filmmakers that it became such a phenomenon.

To most others, though, it’s not a surprise at all. The Wizard of Oz is a graceful film that takes us out of the ordinary while bringing us back to what’s really important.

Thanks heaps to everyone who contributed and for your enthusiasm! It was a blast getting to celebrate a classic film that’s eighty years young. Thanks for reading, and see you next time…