Is Alice in Wonderland an adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s book?
Helena Bonham Carter: It’s an original story, I’d say. I think this is what Tim has brought to it. We’ve got all the same characters as in the original story—but, genius as it was, it doesn’t actually have a story or plot to speak of. Alice goes from one episodic encounter to another, and meets madder and madder people. The other thing that’s profoundly different is that she’s 19, and she’s somebody who’s trying to work out who she is. I also think that the story resonates because, to a young child, everything’s incredibly confusing. I can see that with my son, Billy. As a parent, I’m constantly interpreting. You can see that he and Nell, who’s now a year old, are in a state of wonder. When I read the script it made so much sense to me. It was really lyrical and had great heart. And it has a story, so you really do want to know what’s going to happen next. Why have Lewis Carroll’s books been enjoyed for generations? Anne Hathaway: In my opinion, what makes a great book is something tha
