- Director: Victor Fleming
- Year: 1939
Overview
Dorothy's a young girl from Kansas who gets swept away by a tornado to the magical land of Oz. Her house lands on a wicked witch, and she inherits powerful ruby slippers. To get back home, she must travel along the yellow brick road to the Emerald City and ask the Wizard for help. Along the way, she recruits three companions: a scarecrow who wants a brain, a tin man who wants a heart, and a lion who wants courage. They face constant threats from the Wicked Witch of the West, who wants the slippers. They eventually discover the Wizard isn't actually powerful, but uses misdirection to maintain his authority.
Takeaways
The Wizard of Oz doesn't have any real magic, but he keeps his power by putting on a big, loud show and keeping everyone in the dark. Dorothy and her friends might think they are missing brains, a heart, or courage, but they help each other along the way and prove they had those qualities all along. The Wicked Witch seems terrifying and unstoppable, but a simple bucket of water is all it takes to bring her down. In the end, Dorothy learns that she had the power to go home the whole time, showing that we often have what we need inside ourselves without realizing it.