Whale Rider
Seen it?2003 | 101 min | Drama, Family
Saturday SpecialWhy it’s a Saturday Special
Critics loved it (91% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it made about 5 times its budget. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for families. If you loved The Lion King, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Feel-good.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 41 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated PG-13: peril. Probably too much for younger kids.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
A contemporary story of love, rejection, and triumph as a young Māori girl fights to fulfill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
91% on Rotten Tomatoes, 80 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.0 out of 10
- AwardsSolid
Won 1 BAFTA: BAFTA's Children & Young People Award - Feature Film. Also nominated for 1 Oscar. Plus 2 other awards.
- Box office & staying powerStrong
$41 million worldwide on a $8 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 159K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Niki Caro
- Keisha Castle-HughesPaikea Apirana
- Rawiri ParateneKoro
- Vicky HaughtonNanny Flowers
- Cliff CurtisPorourangi
- Grant RoaUncle Rawiri
- Mana TaumaunuHemi
- Rachel HouseShilo
- Taungaroa EmileWillie
- Tammy DavisDog
- Mabel Wharekawa-BurtMaka