Last Saturday night I saw the wonderful new independent film, "The Beasts of the Southern Wild" starring Quvenzhane Wallis in her acting debut as Hushpuppy the spunky six year old girl living in the bayou with her alcoholic father as she courageously faces her dramatically changing life. The film was directed by new filmmaker Benh Zeitlin a New Orleans transplant from Queens, NY who takes us on a journey seen through the eyes of this unusual little black girl who is trying to save her sick father, understand the circle of life and save their bayou community, The Bathtub. She is wild and fierce as she's raised by the land and nurtured by a strong, passionate community with centuries old ties to the land. A place where babies aren't confined to strollers but can roam and explore. The film uses folklore, imagination and good old fashioned story telling to depict her understanding of life and how she navigates through her world with an old soul's wisdom and knowing.
I loved how her connection to the earth and the living things we share the land with was developed with sensitivity for all of us to see, especially young urban children with only the community pool and their local park to revel in for their summer. They need to know that wearing the new Jordan's or having RocaWear doesn't make your childhood rich or magical. Fishing, catching frogs, running through the grass and racing with fireworks in both hands all make being little special. With that in mind I really hope parents take their children to see this film and get them outdoors more.
The film also offers a lot to think about as we discuss global warming, the ice caps, and a green economy as trending topics but oft times don't connect with given our comforts of modern living. But most of all, I hope people see this film for the singular acting from the child lead. All the actors were nonprofessionals in their first acting jobs and were all great, but Ms. Wallis left me wanting to see her next movie before the credits rolled. She is a powerful new artist, honest and clear. A movie with a great original story and great acting, what more can you ask for in a summer movie ?
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