Whale Rider
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This film from New Zealand is one of the best independent movies I’ve seen in a long time...

The Maori culture/tribe believes in the legend of Paikea, a man who escaped death at sea by riding home on the back of a whale. The tradition has been that the firstborn son of the direct descendants of this man will be the tribe’s next leader.

The tradition skips a generation when the current village chief’s son realizes that it was not his destiny. Of course, this creates a tension between father and son -- and it becomes worse when the son’s wife gives birth to twins (a boy and a girl), and the boy and the wife die during the delivery.

The movie is about Pai, the little girl who survived and should become the next tribal chief -- though that isn’t something that her grandfather is willing to help or acknowledge. In fact, he makes the decision to start a school for all of the firstborn sons in the village to teach them how to become a tribal chief. When Pai shows up at the first meeting, her grandfather disapproves but allows her to be there. That changes when Pai will not take a seat behind the other boys. Her silent defiance is met with complete banishment from the school -- and the continued disapproval of her grandfather. In spite of her banishment, Pai still sneaks to the back of the building to learn what her grandfather is teaching. The question becomes how much Pai can learn watching from a distance -- and as the movie progresses, we find out exactly why Pai is wise to follow her heart to her born destiny.

Whale Rider is a film filled with many themes -- including following your dreams, being true to yourself, and facing the tensions between a father and son who do not view life the same. It’s also amazing to watch how the village adapts to their changing culture, embracing the new ways with the old. It is a beautiful film that handles everything with a realistic innocence that is sometimes lost in movies today. You can feel empathy for Pai as she deals with a very gruff grandfather, and it’s funny to see how her grandmother shares her own insights about who is really in charge.

I recommend taking the hour and forty minutes to watch this film. After that, I also recommend checking out the extras on the DVD, including the featurette Te Waka: Building the Canoe, a behind-the-scenes feature, deleted scenes, theatrical trailer, TV spots, and more.

Grade: A (movie) B+ (DVD)

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