Movie Time

I watched the movie Whale Rider the other night. It was on PBS, so it was complete and uninterrupted by commercials. When I first heard about the star of the movie, Keisha Castle-Hughes, being nominated for an Academy Award for this film, I was like "who and what movie?" But after seeing it, I was pleasantly surprised. It was a well-acted, beautiful little gem of a film. It is all about a girl named Paikea whose twin brother dies at birth. Her father, last in a long line of Maori tribe chiefs, had hoped for a boy to continue the line of chiefs, and after his son dies, his hopes are dashed. Paikea's grandfather is strong in the tradition of his tribe, and, at first, wants nothing to do with her, as to him, she is useless. But as she grows up, his affection for her grows as well. But after he opens up a school to teach the young boys about being a chief, Paikea feels left out and feels like she needs to prove her worth. She wants to learn the ways of being a chief, but, in their tradition, it is no place for a girl, and this alienates her from her grandfather. Still, she pursues it and eventually wins the affection and respect of her grandfather and her peers, but this does not come easily. I really enjoyed this movie and would recommend it for anyone who likes a good family film. I would give this 5 stars out of 5. (Yes, it was THAT good )