Stream it now The Making of 'Whale Rider' Reset Status Want to Watch Already Watched Don't Want to Watch

78/100. Keisha Castle Hughes is quite remarkable. What a heartfelt performance. A very inspiring film and sensitively directed by Niki Caro. Excellent screenplay and it's different, so rare these days. Well photographed.

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Keisha Castle-Hughes ble nominert, som yngste i historien med sine 13

A movie year can't go by without a new addition to the "individual overcoming obstacles and rising above their position in life" genre of drama. What could be better? Well, sleep.... chocolate... sleep? Whale Rider had been recommended to me by numerous people, as well as praised by many critics. So I was truly excited to see this film. I genuinely expected it to be marvelously done. In the end, it left a vile taste in my mouth. A taste of bitter disappointment.



Whale Rider tells the story of Paikea, the only child and would-be heir to a Maori tribe on the coast of New Zealand whose current chief is Paikea's grandfather. The problem is, Paikea is a young girl and is therefore cannot be heir to chiefdom. Her grandfather is a hard man, resentful at his granddaughter's gender, who rigidly adheres to the tribe's tradition of patriarchy. Paikea knows she is destined for greatness, however, and knows her grandfather loves her. She does everything within her power to outdo all the boys in her village, fulfill tasks of nobility, courage and wisdom, and live up to the ancestor she is named after, the great Paikea, founder of her tribe that found their home by riding on the back of a whale.

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im not really a watcher for foreign movies and this one did not succeed. there are only few good scenes in here and one of those is when the girl was in the stage reciting something emotional.

Finnaly I watched it and I loved it!! Keisha's performance was awesome^^ The whales are amazing animals, event though some of them weren't real;) The landscapes are breath taking and Maori culture is very interesting... I liked those funny dances performed by the warriors... That is NOT scary... That is very amusing^^ I also liked the conflict between the old and the new generation. It happens in all kinds of cultures!! This is a must see movie^^ banzai!!


GENERATION GAP??

Best in Show: Keisha Castle-Hughes
One for the future: Keisha Castle-Hughes
Stand-out scene: Whale riding
Brainer or no-brainer: Brainer
Stands up to one viewing or repeated?: Repeated
DVD commentary any good?: Interesting and informative director's commentary

DVD
Ever since I saw the cringesome spectacle at this year's Oscars when Keisha Castle-Hughes was introduced to Johnny Depp in the audiotorium by one of the lame pre-ceremony presenters I've wanted to see this film. Glowing reviews at the time of its release augured well and this small, gently-paced production didn't disappoint. It's been a few years since I saw Once Were Warriors, another movie examining the Maori culture and I must admit to knowing very little on the subject. Of course i'm familiar with the eye-popping chin-licking intimidatory tactics of the New Zealand rugby squad but that's about as far as my knowledge stretches. This may well have marked the first time i've listened to a female director's commentary too, Kiwi Niko Caro (who also wrote the screenplay) providing an insightful and eloquent perspective on movie-making from that of a helmswoman. As the last member of the branch of my family tree on my Dad's side (unless I have a child out of wedlock, as my Mom tastefully pointed out!) the youngest of three girls, I empathise with the core theme of this movie. Haunting and heartfelt.

Delicate, touching, beautiful ...

Wow what a movie. I didn't expect it to be this good. It's very dramatic and i love the story. That girl is very talented and I wish i could have wathed it again but i was too damn sleepy. well as ussual i'm doing this is school until i get my computer back. So0o0o0o0o0o0... I'll be seen LADDER 49 tommorrow and mayber the forgotten and i heart huckabees!!!

Hi. I haven't updated in a couple of days and I don't want to write much this time either.
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Look at the great movies I've watched the last few days. Marvellous. They just keep making them.
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I read all my entries from the archives just now. They were pretty good.
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Today was sunday. I slept late and didn't do much.
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Everytime I'm at work some random Elliott Smith songs start playing in my head.
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I have to go do a little trip to town right now. Then the rest of the night I will spend reading the newspaper. I'm a slow reader.
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Love:
-Reginald Ramirez

(Reginald Ramirez is a fake name Cassie Melendez made up for me)