Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

Whale Rider

 Whale Rider
type
TVTItem
 Whale Rider
label
Whale Rider
 Whale Rider
page
WhaleRider
 Whale Rider
comment
The 2002 film Whale Rider, directed by Niki Caro, is an adaptation of Witi Ihimaera's 1987 novel The Whale Rider, itself based on the Māori legend of Paikea, or Kahutia Te Rangi, who rode from the ancestral home of Hawaiki to New Zealand's East Coast on the back of a whale.The tribe founded by Paikea has always been led by the previous chief's firstborn son, in a line of descent stretching back to the whale rider himself. However, in the late 20th century, a daughter, Paikea Apirana "Pai", is born, and the death of her mother makes her the only child in the line of succession. The story follows her as she challenges the traditions of her people and struggles for recognition and acceptance.
 Whale Rider
fetched
2023-12-02T06:29:52Z
 Whale Rider
parsed
2023-12-02T06:29:52Z
 Whale Rider
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Whale Rider / int_10a9cdee
type
Once Upon a Time
 Whale Rider / int_10a9cdee
comment
Once Upon a Time: 'In the old days, in the years that have gone before us...'.
 Whale Rider / int_10a9cdee
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_10a9cdee
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_10a9cdee
 Whale Rider / int_10f28611
type
Excessive Mourning
 Whale Rider / int_10f28611
comment
Excessive Mourning: Poraurangi loses his wife and son in one day, and his mother says to give him time to mourn. However, spending thirteen years globe-trotting and neglecting his very much alive daughter, that's excessive. The breakdown may have been fueled by his father's sky-high expectations.
 Whale Rider / int_10f28611
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_10f28611
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_10f28611
 Whale Rider / int_1779f10e
type
"Well Done, Son" Guy
 Whale Rider / int_1779f10e
comment
Her father and uncle are both late stages of the "Well Done, Son" Guy, in different flavors. Porourangi, the eldest son, has lived with his dad's constant expectations and pressure to take up the role of chieftain, leading to a breakdown and Excessive Mourning after his wife and son died. Rawiri, the second son, has long since resigned himself to never, ever being good enough for his father.
 Whale Rider / int_1779f10e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_1779f10e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_1779f10e
 Whale Rider / int_27af99f1
type
Raised by Grandparents
 Whale Rider / int_27af99f1
comment
Raised by Grandparents: Pai, after her father leaves the island. Her grandparents clearly love her, although in the course of the film Koro Apirana turns bitter and takes it out on Pai.
 Whale Rider / int_27af99f1
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_27af99f1
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_27af99f1
 Whale Rider / int_28cd01ca
type
Disappeared Dad
 Whale Rider / int_28cd01ca
comment
Disappeared Dad: Poraurangi leaves New Zealand and travels the world, and his visits are brief and far apart. His surviving child, Pai, is raised by his parents. This is a slight change from the novel, where Pouraurangi was living on the South Island with his new wife but frequently came back to visit the iwi.
 Whale Rider / int_28cd01ca
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_28cd01ca
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_28cd01ca
 Whale Rider / int_2e03fb64
type
Embarrassing Slide
 Whale Rider / int_2e03fb64
comment
Embarrassing Slide: When Pai's father does a slide show to tell the family about what he's been doing in Europe, a problem with a projector results in the show suddenly skipping to the last slide, which he'd been planning to lead up to gradually: a photo of him with his new girlfriend. Especially embarrassing because his parents invited an unattached local woman to the slide show in the hope that she and he would hit it off.
 Whale Rider / int_2e03fb64
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_2e03fb64
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_2e03fb64
 Whale Rider / int_322f6b34
type
Angsty Surviving Twin
 Whale Rider / int_322f6b34
comment
Angsty Surviving Twin: Pai originally had a twin brother, but he died at birth along with their mother. The angst part comes from Koro wishing his grandson had survived (possibly to the point of You Should Have Died Instead) so that he would have an heir, with Pai desperately trying to make her grandfather proud.
 Whale Rider / int_322f6b34
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_322f6b34
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_322f6b34
 Whale Rider / int_3d5377e5
type
First-Person Peripheral Narrator
 Whale Rider / int_3d5377e5
comment
First-Person Peripheral Narrator: In the book, Uncle Rawari is the first person narrator who tells the story of Paikea Apirana.
 Whale Rider / int_3d5377e5
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_3d5377e5
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_3d5377e5
 Whale Rider / int_443f9d8a
type
Ask a Stupid Question...
 Whale Rider / int_443f9d8a
comment
Ask a Stupid Question...: Variant. Pai's grandfather refuses to let her take part in the trials to become the next chief because she's a girl. The last trial is to retrieve a whale-tooth necklace that he threw into the deepest part of the bay, and none of the boys can do it. Pai does so but doesn't tell anyone, and instead saves the beached whales (mimicking the actions of her legendary ancestor) but lapses into a coma due to the effort. Her grandmother finds the necklace on her, and gives it to her husband.
 Whale Rider / int_443f9d8a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_443f9d8a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_443f9d8a
 Whale Rider / int_4781adbb
type
Jerk with a Heart of Gold
 Whale Rider / int_4781adbb
comment
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Koro Apirana. He's rather gruff, and he refuses to call Pai by her true given name, but he does love her very much.
 Whale Rider / int_4781adbb
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_4781adbb
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_4781adbb
 Whale Rider / int_49d59be9
type
Scenery Porn
 Whale Rider / int_49d59be9
comment
Scenery Porn: Again, New Zealand. There are many, many shots of the beautiful landscape, and there are especially long shots of the Pacific coastline. Becomes Scenery Gorn for the last half-hour, when the pod of whales are beached and dying.
 Whale Rider / int_49d59be9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_49d59be9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_49d59be9
 Whale Rider / int_52fc4d4b
type
Daddy Didn't Show
 Whale Rider / int_52fc4d4b
comment
Daddy Didn't Show: Paikea is heartbroken when her grandfather doesn't show up to hear her speech. That she wrote for him. It turns out he had a good excuse (he had been on his way to the presentation, but found a whale beached and stopped to help it), but she doesn't know that; given his recent behavior, she (reasonably enough) concludes that he just didn't care enough to show up. Played with for Hemi— he is overjoyed when his father, freshly out of prison, comes to see him perform the chant he's learned. But then the dad leaves immediately after Hemi's part, not stopping to spend any more time with his son.
 Whale Rider / int_52fc4d4b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_52fc4d4b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_52fc4d4b
 Whale Rider / int_566f3ddd
type
Nature Spirit
 Whale Rider / int_566f3ddd
comment
Nature Spirit: The whale.
 Whale Rider / int_566f3ddd
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_566f3ddd
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_566f3ddd
 Whale Rider / int_6439de78
type
Heroic Sacrifice
 Whale Rider / int_6439de78
comment
Heroic Sacrifice: In the climax, Pai climbs onto the largest whale's back and coaxes it back into the ocean, causing the other beached whales to follow, saving them all. Pai nearly drowns as a result, though she ultimately survives.
 Whale Rider / int_6439de78
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_6439de78
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_6439de78
 Whale Rider / int_6bda9a30
type
Meaningful Name
 Whale Rider / int_6bda9a30
comment
Meaningful Name: Pai's full name of Paikea is the same as her Famous Ancestor, the whale rider. In the end Pai becomes a whale rider too.
 Whale Rider / int_6bda9a30
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_6bda9a30
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_6bda9a30
 Whale Rider / int_8183248
type
Never Mess with Granny
 Whale Rider / int_8183248
comment
Never Mess with Granny: Nanny Flowers.
 Whale Rider / int_8183248
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_8183248
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_8183248
 Whale Rider / int_9d12bbc1
type
Foreshadowing
 Whale Rider / int_9d12bbc1
comment
Foreshadowing: Koro holds up a piece of rope and tells Paikea that each individual strand of flax represents one of her ancestors to teach her a parable about tradition and continuity. When the rope snaps while he's using it to rev an engine and he goes to get another one, she manages to repair it while he's gone.
 Whale Rider / int_9d12bbc1
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_9d12bbc1
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_9d12bbc1
 Whale Rider / int_a1154544
type
Grumpy Old Man
 Whale Rider / int_a1154544
comment
Grumpy Old Man: Koro Apirana. He has spent the last thirteen years hoping that his oldest son will come back and take up the mantle of chief, but when he realizes Poraurangi has no such plans, Koro's frustration mounts, and treats his family with bitterness.
 Whale Rider / int_a1154544
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_a1154544
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_a1154544
 Whale Rider / int_a1b141f4
type
My God, What Have I Done?
 Whale Rider / int_a1b141f4
comment
My God, What Have I Done?: Koro clearly regrets his poor treatment of Pai when she almost drowns coaxing the beached whales back into the ocean. At her hospital bed, he proclaims her the true leader of the tribe and begs her forgiveness.
 Whale Rider / int_a1b141f4
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_a1b141f4
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_a1b141f4
 Whale Rider / int_b2f4114e
type
Heir Club for Men
 Whale Rider / int_b2f4114e
comment
Heir Club for Men: The source of a lot of the story's conflict. In the end Koro accepts his granddaughter as his heir, and it's implied that Rawiri has a greater capacity for leader than anyone gave him credit for.
 Whale Rider / int_b2f4114e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_b2f4114e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_b2f4114e
 Whale Rider / int_b892dd2d
type
Girl of the Week
 Whale Rider / int_b892dd2d
comment
Girl of the Week: Rawiri's many interchangeable girlfriends in the book. In the film he seems to be in a steady relationship with Shilo.
 Whale Rider / int_b892dd2d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_b892dd2d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_b892dd2d
 Whale Rider / int_b8e3f20a
type
Demoted to Extra
 Whale Rider / int_b8e3f20a
comment
Demoted to Extra: Rawiri in the film. In the book he is the narrator and has a more important, spiritually-charged role as Pai's protector.
 Whale Rider / int_b8e3f20a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_b8e3f20a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_b8e3f20a
 Whale Rider / int_d29a6629
type
Death by Childbirth
 Whale Rider / int_d29a6629
comment
Death by Childbirth: Pai's mother Rehua died giving birth to her.
 Whale Rider / int_d29a6629
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_d29a6629
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_d29a6629
 Whale Rider / int_d2cddf6
type
Ocean Awe
 Whale Rider / int_d2cddf6
comment
Ocean Awe: It's about the Māori in New Zealand. The Pacific Ocean is part of their culture, after all.
 Whale Rider / int_d2cddf6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_d2cddf6
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_d2cddf6
 Whale Rider / int_d6618014
type
Last Request
 Whale Rider / int_d6618014
comment
Last Request: With her last breath, Pai's mother whispers the name "Paikea" twice, and the people around (except for Koro) accept this as her bequeathing the name to her living child.
 Whale Rider / int_d6618014
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_d6618014
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_d6618014
 Whale Rider / int_name
type
ItemName
 Whale Rider / int_name
comment
 Whale Rider / int_name
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Rider / int_name
featureConfidence
1.0
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Whale Rider / int_name
 Whale Rider / int_name
itemName
Whale Rider

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Ask a Stupid Question... / int_f2c235cb
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Daddy Didn't Show / int_f2c235cb
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Death by Childbirth / int_f2c235cb
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Excessive Mourning / int_f2c235cb
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
New Zealand Media / int_f2c235cb
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Pacific Islanders in Media / int_f2c235cb
 Whale Rider
hasFeature
Unto Us a Son and Daughter Are Born / int_f2c235cb
 Whale Rider
seeAlso
Whale Rider