After the Wizard

After the Wizard is a unique 2011 dramatic feature film that serves as a creative sequel to The Wizard of Oz. The film is a heart-warming yet thought-provoking story about beliefs, friendship, and imagination's power. The film colorfully meshes the world of fantasy and reality, just as the classic Wizard of Oz did in 1939. This independent film stars Helen Richman, Sean Orr, and Jordan Van Vranken and was directed by Hugh Gross.

The main protagonist of the film is Elizabeth Haskins, portrayed by young talent Jordan Van Vranken, a 12-year-old girl residing in a Kansas orphanage. Elizabeth is no ordinary girl, as she strongly believes she hails from the magical world of Emerald City in the Land of Oz, where she's known as Dorothy Gale. She is drawn into her imaginative realm where she grapples with her identity and earnestly pines for a place she truly belongs. The depiction of Elizabeth's intense connection to the world of Oz reflects the essential aspects of childhood: the immediate, raw, and overwhelming nature of emotions and the allure of the fantastical interpretations of reality.

The film paints a starkly realistic picture of Elizabeth's adoption journey and her complex emotional struggles at the orphanage in the heart of Kansas. The character portrayal is a departure from the youthful exuberance and innocence typically associated with Dorothy Gale. Yet, it's this premise that forms the base of the narrative, offering a fresh perspective on the universally loved character and the world around her.

Into this comes the Scarecrow (Sean Orr) and the Tin Woodman (Peter Mark Richman), vividly captured characters from the Land of Oz, who emerge into the busy streets of modern day Kansas city; their surprising and fanciful journey is guaranteed to provide comic relief. This Oz duo ends up embarking on a mission in the real world, shedding their status as mere figments of imagination and propelling the story forward. No longer bounded by the Land of Oz's backdrop, they brave the new world, clumsily adding a charming hilarity to the film.

Helen Richman brings an artful elegance to the role of Mrs. Murphy, the strict but sympathetic head of the orphanage. Her character is pivotal in providing the emotional counterpoint to Elizabeth's experiences. Richman has put forth a compelling performance, capturing the intricacies of a woman struggling to play multiple roles – an upholder of laws, a quasi-parent, and a compassionate fellow human.

The overarching theme of After the Wizard emphasises on the aspect of belief. It delves into the subject matter of how our convictions shape our realities. It uses the universally familiar landscape of the Wizard of Oz fantasy as a mechanism to explore this complex theme.

In this film, director Hugh Gross successfully captures an atmospheric crossover between the fantasy and ordinary world while ultimately crashing them against each other. The contrast of the black-and-white Kansas sequences against the Technicolor-like Land of Oz scenes is a visual homage to the original Wizard of Oz film. This technique enhances the visual storytelling while providing a genuine respecting nod to the classic source material.

Gross has also masterfully manipulated time, with the film set in the modern day, thus offering sawdust-trail nostalgia of the original within a contemporary nexus; the fusion helps to establish an intriguing concoction of past and present.

After the Wizard is marked by its central performances, especially from Jordan Van Vranken, who gracefully balances the character's naive optimism and melancholic vulnerability. The film glows with creativity, taking a universally beloved story and extending it into new, uncharted territories.

Though aimed at a family audience, After the Wizard isn't afraid to grapple with some significant themes. The ambiance might be whimsical, but the undercurrents are real. After the Wizard is an enchanting and thoughtful film that expands the post-Oz narrative into a moving and memorable tale about acceptance, identity, and the ineffable beauty of believing in something, for it's your belief that shapes your reality. This film beautifully exemplifies the adage, "There’s no place like home," with a twist that home can indeed be within one's heart and imagination.