It's here! It's finally here! The long-awaited animated feature adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's classic "The Little Prince" is now playing in theatres across Canada and features a brilliant cast under the direction of Mark Osborne. Featuring the voices of Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Paul Giamatti, Paul Rudd, Benicio del Toro, Ricky Gervais, and James Franco, the film received a Cesar award for Best Animated Movie, and for good reason. The Little Prince is an artistic combination of stop motion animation for the novel's story and computer animation for the narrative which tells the tale of a little girl caught between childhood and adulthood.

As a child, I remember watching the cartoon version of "The Little Prince" and how fascinating it was to follow the adventures of a little boy who lived on an asteroid with his precious rose. It wasn't until I read the novel in a high school French class that I began to better appreciate the metaphors and messaging behind the imaginative storyline. It goes without saying that I was beyond eager to see the animated feature film in theatres. A few days ago, I took the kids with me and invited a friend to bring her children along as well. She and I agreed that the movie was fantastic. In fact, she wants to see it again. The kids, who have yet to read the book, enjoyed the movie but had questions that opened up an interesting post-movie dialogue as we discussed the meaning of the story. An important conversation, to say the least. There was even a point towards the end of the movie that both myself and my friend's youngest daughter were so overwhelmed by emotion that we were moved to tears. Hers were more like sniffles. Me? I succumbed to the uncontrollable-runny-nose-ugly-cry. Yup. Pass the tissue box.

The symbolic premise of the novel does not easily lend itself to the typical lighthearted nature of most animated feature films. Instead, it offers a whimsical story that is both thought-provoking and entertaining. To quote the fox, "What is essential is invisible to the eye." On the surface, Mark Osborne's film is a remarkably beautiful interpretation of the novel but, when looking at it from a more philosophical standpoint, it becomes clear that he has also succeeded in capturing the essence of Saint-Exupéry's allegory of human nature.

Have you yet to see The Little Prince? Entertainment One Films Canada has offered not one but TWO amazing prize packs, each consisting of 4 (FOUR) run-of-engagement passes that offer free admission to The Little Prince (valid Monday through Thursday) AND a plush glow-in-the-dark fox from The Little Prince (seen above). For a chance to win, please complete the Rafflecopter form below. Open to residents of Canada, excluding Quebec.