The Henson Version (2001)

Henson's History

• This film was directed by Brian Henson (1963-), a director, producer performer and writer. After his fathers death he became the Co- Chair and Co-Chief Executive officer of The Jim Henson Company.
• Brian Henson is the son of the famous puppeteer Jim Henson (1936- 1990) who is best known for his creation of the humerous puppets, called the Muppets. Jim Henson had rare imagination and has left behind a 'strong team of performers, artists, collaborators' who continue his creative visions at the company he founded, The Jim Henson Company. The creature shop set up by Jim Henson has enhanced the special effects in filming as can be seen by the films being made by the Jim Henson Company today. Jim Henson also had a dream to make the world a better place.

Source: The Jim Henson Company (2006) [online]. Available: http://www.henson.com/ [Accessed 15 September 2006]

 

Synopsis

• In this film version of the tale Jack plays a minor role. Instead viewers are taken on a journey of discovery with one of his descendants (also called Jack).
• Jack (the first Jack) climbs the beanstalk in 1611 and steals the giant Thunderdells treasure. His decendents are cursed, with his mother Countess Wilhelmina (who narrates) living to see a full ten generations of males in the bloodline die until the 'right Jack' climbs the beanstalk 390years (or 390 days later in the world 'up there') with the purpose of righting the wrong and ending the curse on his familiy. Which also relieves the suffering the thefts have have caused to the giants land as it is the harp (Harmonia) and the golden goose (Galaga) who bring prosperity to that land.

I have categorised the story under the following headings to match with the other versions but this isn't necessarily the order the audience follows.

The Beginning

• Wilhelmina begins 'Once upon a time' saying this sounds like a fairytale, a little something for the children but what if the fairytale isn't a tale at all. What if the story were true. This sets the mood for the tale and her constant reappearances help move the story along.
• The first Jack is 'wild, adventurous and a tad careless'. He can't get anything quite right yet he was determined to make good for his mother.
• The right Jack works all the time because he runs a multinational company and there are a lot of people who depend on him for there livelihood. He does tell a few jokes throughout the film and fools people in his world to find the treasures and keep himself alive so still has a trickster side.

The Beans

• Jack is allowed to sell the cow Milky White but his mother thinks he will just run off like his father. Jack is given the beans by a bent little man who asks him the question how many beans make five. He is given the beans because he appears of clear intention and pure of heart as he says he just wants to make his mother proud. The little bent man knows the name of both Jack and his cow.
• Jacks mother throws the beans out the window and says they will never have any supper from this day forth.
• The beans grow in the middle of the night shaking the house to bits.
• Jack climbs the beanstalk with his mother urging him on.

Up the Beanstalk

• The first Jack finds paradise, everywhere abundance and the most extraordinary castle he had ever seen in life. He first sees Ondine who is the giant's friend, but claims to see an older maid. He also lies saying that that the giant produced fear in everyone but he was actually trusting and gentle towards all including Jack who he gives a golden egg.
• The right Jack climbs the beanstalk to find out the truth and he also first meets Ondine but this time she is with men from her land and everyone is hostile as a result of depravation the first Jack caused.
• Ondine falls in love with the first Jack but he betrays her trust and steals the goose and harp on one occasion.
• Ondine also falls in love with the right Jack but is apprehensive about admitting it. He makes it difficult for her to hate him, for example giving her a biologically engineered desert pea which manages to grow in her land where nothing has grown for over a year.
• The right Jack is put on trial for murder and sentenced to death because the death of the last Robinson will end the curse. He is rescued by Ondine with the help of the giant's son. The giants son helps Ondine realise that she just fell in love with the wrong Jack. Together the right Jack and Ondine return to Jacks world and find the treasures which are returned and the world 'up there' is magically replenished.

The ending

• The giant tries to follow the first Jack down the beanstalk and Jack cuts it down with an axe. This doesn't kill the giant and Jacks mother has to finish him off because Jack says 'not like this mother' being unable to do it himself becuse he knows that the giant was kind. Every generation of Robinson men die young from then on.
• The right Jack decides to leave Ondine because he has to make things right in his world. This includes removing the corrupt businessman Siggy from his position as chaiman Siggy. Siggy succeeded in having the treasures himself for many years and is perhaps the real giant in this story but he looses his status at the end of the movie. Jack can never return to Ondines world but Ondine begs Magog, the Arbiter of Justice and he gives her some vile's so she can go to Jack's world for seven years and 'so they do live happily ever after in this time and that time if you believe in the possibility of the impossible'.
• The curse is lifted so Countess Wilhelmina eventually dies.
• All the funds of Jacks company is denoted to 'make the impossible possible'. To end hunger and famine in the world.

Modifications

• The legacy of Jim Henson is a large part of the is movie, he once said "My hope is to leave the world a little bit better for my having been here" (The Jim Henson Company 2006) and 1995 Jim Henson Productions and United Nations collected responses from children all over the world to the question 'If you were granted one wish to make the world a better place, what would it be?' and published some these in a picture book My wish for tomorrow. As there is push for making a better word in the Henson Company there is a strong sense of morality in this movie. The right Jacks actions are selfless giving up all his riches at the end of the movie to work towards the end of poverty making 'the impossible possible' which is a strong contrast to the other versions in which Jack lives happily ever after because of his gained riches. The morality is reinforced by Siggy who makes unjust comments including 'greed makes great business men'.
• The film form of the Henson's version and the use of the creature shop for special effects allows for more innovation. While Tabart didn't even have the availability of colour in print Henson has advanced animation techniques and is concerned with details as fine as whether the gold harp looks like real gold. Also the film doesn't follow a linear structure, but jumps between worlds and time. It allowed Henson to include alot of background hints that may or may not be recognised, such as the name of the casino being Camelot casino which relates back to the tales English heritage. This is different from the other version which describe there settings rather then show them.
• This version is quite postmodern undermining the idea that giants are evil eaters of human flesh. At the end of the movie we hear a small boy ask 'what if the giant was good? 'and viewers who have seen 'the real story' know that the giant was actually kind. It was Jack who was greedy. Henson also further blurs the barriers between the origins of different fairy tales for example calling the giant Thunderdell which is a name given a giant in the tales of Jack and the Giant killer (Zipes 2000: 267).
• The film has brought the tale into a more contempory society which makes an analogy of a corporate beanstalk. Also Jack has a constant nagging of health reminders as are a part of today's society such as from his insurance company but ironically Jack is perfectly healthy.
• One of the most notable modifications is that the giant never says the lines fe fi fo fum, this was just a lie made up by the first Jack, and viewers only hear them in a voice over of Countess Wilhelmina’s voice.

Some of the main characters
in Henson's version from left:
Siggy, Ondine, the 'right Jack'
and Countess Wilhelmina.

Source: The Jim Hesnon Company:
http://www.henson.com/entertainment/
fantasy_jack.html

The ' right Jack' climbing the beanstalk

Source: cover of Jack and the
Beanstalk: The Real Story (2001)

The mysterious beanstalk

Source: The Jim Hesnon Company:
http://www.henson.com/entertainment/
fantasy_jack.html

Strength and Weakness

• The film was actually made to be a miniseries, it is lengthy and classified PG so not suitable for younger children. However the form allows for extensive character development a more complicated structure then the early written versions.
• The mysterious accent and emotive language of Countess Wilhelmina such as 'the sins of our fathers waiting to be avenged over centuries' helps to keep the fairytale interesting and the audience in anticipation.
• Many of the versions of Jack and the Beanstalk, even those written today are almost exactly identical to that written by Tabart nearly two hundred years ago. It is refreshing to see an alternative view of the tale.
• The film is full of morals but they aren't forced like they are at in Tabarts version when the fairy tells Jack he must be dutiful to his mother so they leave viewers with a positive feeling. Even the first Jack doesn't act out of complete selfishness for himself but rather to make his mother proud.
• The end of the film where Jack's multinational company hands over all its money to work towards ending poverty is inspirational. It makes it seem that ending hunger is possible and asks us to question the value of money when it is held to oneself.

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