In the mood for a musical last night after reading When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord, I watched Better Nate Than Ever on Disney+. Usually, I lean towards the page rather than the screen, but in this case, maybe because Tim Federle wrote both, the movie captured all the charm of the novel while getting to show us the choreography and music.
Here’s what I had to say about the novel and its sequel
in 2017.
Better Nate Than Ever by
Tim Federle was a book we enjoyed listening to in the car last summer, so I was
excited for the next book in the series Five, Six, Seven, Nate!
In the first book, middle schooler Nate Foster travels
to New York by himself to audition for a Broadway show. After several mishaps,
Nate lands a spot in a new show called E.T. The Musical.
The second book opens with Nate saying goodbye to his
best friend Libby as he packs for rehearsals. Back in New York, his Aunt Heidi
gives him both a place to stay and an appreciation of his dream – which is all
but nonexistent at home.
Awkward and simultaneously self-conscious and
confident, Nate stands out in the cast of polished, experienced child actors.
Nate soon finds support from the dance coach and a seasoned actress playing the
understudy to E.T. She recognizes Nate’s gift of a photographic mind that not
only remembers lines, but whole scenes of blocking. While he tries to stay out
of way of the show’s star Elliott, played by his hometown nemesis Jordan, he is
comforted by the gifts left by a secret admirer.
Even though the director, who has only worked on video
games, can’t remember his name, he will soon have to rely on Nate in ways he
never expected.
Narrated by Nate, the novel is funny, snarky, and
sweet. Nate never shies away from voicing his unique perspective of the
theater, his fellow middle schoolers, and his own view of himself. As he
commits the musical to heart, he becomes a star – both on stage and off.
No comments:
Post a Comment