Whale Rider

Released 2003
Stars Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene, Vicky Haughton, Cliff Curtis, Grant Roa, Mana Taumaunu, Rachel House
Directed by Niki Caro

"Whale Rider" arrives in theaters already proven as one of the great audience-grabbers of recent years. It won the audience awards as the most popular film at both the Toronto and Sundance film festivals, played to standing ovations, left audiences in tears. I recite these facts right at the top of this review because I fear you might make a hasty judgment that you don't want to see a movie about a 12-year-old Maori girl who dreams of becoming the chief of her people. Sounds too ethnic, uplifting and feminist, right?

The genius of the movie is the way is sidesteps all of the obvious cliches of the underlying story and makes itself fresh, observant, tough and genuinely moving. There is a vast difference between movies for 12-year-old girls, and movies about 12-year-old girls, and "Whale Rider" proves it.

Summary from Roger Ebert

"Whale Rider" is genuinely moving without being shamelessly manipulative, and Keisha Castle-Hughes is luminous in the lead role. Her grandfather, Koro (Rawiri Paratene), is a hard man, but he believes in his responsibility as chief to raise his people out of their poverty and alcohol/drug-related malaise. Unfortunately, he's too locked into his traditions to realize he alredy has his successor. We all know he'll eventually realize it, but the movie isn't that simple. It's not sentimental or mystical until the end, and then it provides the emotional climax we desire. Pai's speech in the gym is very moving, and it's obvious why most movies give us that moment when the person finally arrives. This movie has a bigger moment in store, however, and the beached whales provide the perfect way to pull everything together.  --Bill Alward, November 15, 2003