Flora & Ulysses (2021)

Flora & Ulysses (2021)

6/10

Starring

Matilda Lawler

Alyson Hannigan

Ben Schwartz

Anna Deavere Smith

Directed by Lena Khan

Flora and Ulysses is one of those movies you just know wouldn’t have performed spectacularly at the box office. That said, it’s perfectly suited for a digital release on Disney+, and I enjoyed it despite its TV movie vibe. The CGI budget wasn’t huge, which becomes clear when you see the odd-looking feral cat. However, most of the CGI effort was clearly spent on Ulysses, the squirrel.

What really stood out to me was Flora’s dad, George (played by Ben Schwartz), who comes off as delightfully clumsy. His performance is funny, though it doesn’t quite compare to the lead, Flora (Matilda Lawler). She absolutely shines—her smile and charisma carry the movie, and I was thrilled every time she was on screen.

The plot introduces us to Flora, an intriguing young girl who’s deeply into comics. We also learn that her parents are separated, with Flora living with her mom.

I appreciate how the movie handled the separation. While Flora clearly wants her parents to reconcile, she doesn’t obsess over it. The impact of the separation is shown more on the parents than on Flora herself. This avoids the tired trope of a child acting out, meeting a magical pet, and having their outlook completely changed. Flora, in this movie, is lively and realistic, focused on living her life while holding onto hope that things will work out for her family.

One fateful day on her way home, Flora notices her neighbor struggling with a runaway automatic vacuum cleaner. She steps in to help, but the vacuum spirals out of control and ends up sucking up a squirrel, mistaking it for dirt. Flora eventually catches the vacuum and rescues the squirrel, whose experience grants it superpowers—it can fly, has super strength, understands humans, and even enjoys poetry. Flora names the squirrel Ulysses, after the vacuum cleaner.

The movie’s antagonist is an animal control officer, called in after Flora takes Ulysses to a diner, where he causes a commotion. From then on, Flora, her dad, and her “not blind but blind” neighbor must work together to keep Ulysses safe—not just from the animal control officer, but also from Flora’s mom.

The movie is based on the children’s book series of the same name by Kate DiCamillo.

In the end, Flora and Ulysses is a charming movie to watch with your family. While it’s not a Disney classic you’ll want to rewatch endlessly, it offers a wholesome, feel-good experience.