The Top 100 Project

Niki Caro was making only her 2nd movie when she wrote and directed Whale Rider, so she showed the world her skills really early on. This sweet story aimed directly at kids (despite its absurd PG rating) is all about an ordinary (yet also magical) girl from New Zealand who loves her grandfather to pieces, but the maddening gramps is a slave to the patriarchy and blames his granddaughter for every problem in the village. It takes him so very long to realize that…she’s The One. Keisha Castle-Hughes made her debut here and she is tremendous, as are all the key players in the cast. This remains a delightful and emotional motion picture all these years later, even if Rawiri Paratene’s cruel grandpa is hard to like for almost the entire running time. The word “hate” was thrown around. Anyway, don’t sulk in bed because life threw a few rocks your way. Just curl up with the 416th Ellises’ Analysis and accept (and for the love of Paikea return) the love offered to you by the awesomest people in your life, whether they