Film Review: Sundance Kids – The Adventures of Thomas and Felix
by Karen Pecota

Encouraged by producer Alexandra Malick (Terrence Malick's wife) filmmaker Micah Barber makes his feature debut with The Adventures of Thomas and Felix (aka Into the Who Knows!). Barber is an up-and-coming filmmaker from Austin, Texas, who caught the attention of Alexandra for his achievements using a bright imagination and his sense of joy and wonder as a storyteller, while a film student in his directing and screenwriting.

The screenplay for The Adventures of Thomas and Felix (aka Into the Who Knows!) received recognition from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences as a semifinalist under the Nicholl Award. Barber's main actor as Thomas (Bryce Gheisar) is no newcomer to the acting scene (Disney's Walk The Prank, Nickelodeon's The Astronauts, Are You Afraid of the Dark? and A Dog's Purpose) and together they make a great team to bring to the silver screen a delightful narrative about a boy, his imaginary friend and the adventures they encounter at summer camp.

Synopsis:

Ten-year-old Thomas (Bryce Gheisar) has an imaginary best friend: Felix the Fox. Thomas' parents are concerned about this relationship because it hinders their son from making real people friends. Thomas doesn't need real people friends at his age, so he thinks; but his parents know that soon he will need them growing into adolescence.

Thomas's parents sign him up for summer camp under the condition that Felix must remain at home. Thomas reluctantly agrees but at the last minute, Felix stows away in Thomas' luggage unbeknown to his parents.

Thomas hates the new environment with so many "real" kids and wants to go home. The first day, his counselor tells the kids a story about a mythical being called the Totem that lives deep in the Forest of the Who Knows (just outside the campground). Thomas is curious and wants to go and catch this strange thing. Thomas talks Felix into joining him and that night they make a midnight escape in pursuit for Totem, the mythical being. Thomas is not prepared for what lurks deep in the Forrest of the Who Knows but Felix wonders if a finding will change their course of history not to mention their relationship.