Whale Rider (2002)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Niki Caro

Writers:

Witi Ihimaera (novel)
Niki Caro (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 July 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Family

Tagline:

One young girl dared to confront the past, change the present and determine the future

Plot:

A contemporary story of love, rejection and triumph as a young Maori girl fights to fulfill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize.

Plot Keywords:

Dying In Childbirth | Generation Gap | Mother Died At Childbirth | Young Girl | Culture Clash

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 29 wins & 28 nominations

Cast

Keisha Castle-Hughes	...	Paikea
Rawiri Paratene	...	Koro
Vicky Haughton	...	Nanny Flowers
Cliff Curtis	...	Porourangi
Grant Roa	...	Uncle Rawiri
Mana Taumaunu	...	Hemi
Rachel House	...	Shilo
Taungaroa Emile	...	Willie
Tammy Davis	...	Dog
Mabel Wharekawa	...	Maka (as Mabel Wharekawa-Burt)
Rawinia Clarke	...	Miro
Tahei Simpson	...	Miss Parata
Roi Taimana	...	Hemi's Dad (as Roimata Tamana)
Elizabeth Skeen	...	Rehua
Tyronne White	...	Jake (as Tyrone White)

Also Known As:

Geliebte Giganten - Wale (Germany)
Te kaieke tohora (New Zealand: Maori title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief language and a momentary drug reference.

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

New Zealand | Germany

Language:

English | Maori

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:G (British Columbia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Brazil:Livre | Finland:K-7 | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:IIA | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:PG | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/6 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:PG | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Henderson Valley Studios, Hickory Avenue, Henderson, Auckland, New Zealand

Company:

ApolloMedia

Trivia:

At auditions for the role of Paikea, Keisha Castle-Hughes told casting directors that she could swim. However, when it came time to film the swimming scenes, she admitted she couldn't but she did it anyway.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When Koro answers the phone towards the end of the film, it is ringing with an American style single ring, not the double-ring that is used on New Zealand phones.

Quotes:

Paikea: My name is Paikea Apirana, and I come from a long line of chiefs.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Voice / Percussion Loop

What a Find!

Whale Rider is a story of the quest for the new leader of an indigenous Maori tribe living on an island off the coast of New Zealand. Often this type of film ends up making a caricature of the people, accentuating their quaint customs and idiosyncratic behaviors and causing us to smile condescendingly at their ignorance and stunted development. Whale Rider does nothing of the kind. Director Niki Caro treats her subject matter with profound respect, genuine curiosity and effortless grace, while refusing to ignore the signs of cultural disintegration. It is as if we are invited into the Whangara community, and are free to observe comfortably, without fear or embellishment. The 11-year-old first-time actor Keisha Castle-Hughes gives the most astonishing performance by a child that I have ever witnessed, and lifts the movie from being just plain good to a profoundly moving experience. Whale Rider is a tale of the evolution of a culture, wrapped in humor and hope. It is a story of an indomitable spirit. It is a movie about love and change, about the grim realities of life and the marvelous miracles of faith. If you have a chance to see this film, do not miss it!