Whale Rider

I saw the movie Whale Rider over the weekend. The movie received a number of good reviews last summer including an 89 rating on Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer, which isn't too bad. I couldn't find anyone interested in seeing it when it was on the big screen so I had to wait till it came out on DVD.

The movie takes place in New Zealand and revolves around a Maori Chief and his granddaughter. The Chief - a stern man but not really a villain - is concerned about who will become leader of his people when his days are over. The Chief's sons have either left or show no desire in following in the family tradition. The mother of the girl died in child birth so no future heirs appear to be forthcoming. The Chief rounds up all the first-born males in the tribe to begin a training process to determine the next chief. The Chief's granddaughter would very much like to be part of the group but is told in no uncertain terms she is not welcome. The girl, Pai, then begins a surreptitious training of her own enlisting the aid of her uncle. Of course we discover his granddaughter has all the attributes necessary to be chief - spirit, character, bravery - except one. It is Maori tradition that only males can be chief.

The photography in the movie is exceptionally beautiful and for that alone I recommend the movie. But it also depicts a rite of passage for both the girl and her grandfather in a way that is rare in standard Hollywood fare.

I would love to be able to say that this movie would be great for middle schoolers. But the story is likely to seem too dry to most kids that age even though its messages of fairness, transformation, and destiny are well worth discussing in the classroom or around the dinner table.
K-